Real Salt Lake kicks off its 13th Major League Soccer season in 2017, the Utah side buoyed by a passionate fan base boasting nearly 15,000 season ticket holders at its Rio Tinto Stadium home in Sandy, where the Claret-and-Cobalt has enjoyed a most pronounced home-field advantage in Major League Soccer, posting an impressive 97-21-38 mark in the building since its opening in October, 2008.
In search of hardware, RSL seeks to reach the MLS Cup Playoffs for the ninth time in 10 years this season, a remarkable run among MLS elite (only LA Galaxy and Seattle Sounders have accrued more points since 2008) that includes an MLS Cup 2009 title, the state of Utah's only major professional championship in the last 40 years.
Late this Summer, Real Salt Lake's Arizona Academy will move north to the Club's primary training center in Herriman, Utah, approximately 20 minutes southwest of Rio Tinto Stadium. The $50 million facility will serve as the Club's cornerstone, its daily training home opening in 2018 for both of the club's professional teams - RSL (MLS) and Real Monarchs (USL) - while centralizing the club's U-18, U-16 and future U-14 development academy youth selections. The Herriman facility will provide adjacencies for an on-site charter school opening in Fall, 2018, with STEM disciplines (Science/Technology/Engineering/Math) for nearly 300 local boys and girls.
Last November in North Logan, Utah, RSL Owner Dell Loy Hansen broke ground on the first of a half-dozen regional training centers across Utah and Arizona to be built in the next 2-3 years. Each $5 million RTC houses a classroom, as well as an indoor and outdoor field, dedicated to fulfilling a curriculum based on the club's vision and mission for youth soccer training and education, and the continued development of both recreational and competitive pre-Academy (ages 7-12) initiatives across the InterMountain West.