Name almost any blue-blood program in college basketball, and that team has appeared in one or more NCAA Tournament games in Salt Lake City. Who’s missing? Kansas. The Jayhawks will check that box Thursday, facing Northeastern in a first-round game at Vivint Smart Home Arena.
This week marks the 20th time the University of Utah has hosted NCAA games over 52 seasons, in Einar Nielsen Fieldhouse, the Huntsman Center or Vivint. Kansas is competing in the tournament for a 30th consecutive year. Only now, though, are SLC and KU converging.
The Jayhawks never have played a regular-season game in Utah, either.