Utah Tech University (UT), formerly named Dixie State University (DSU), is a

polytechnic A polytechnic is an educational institution that primarily focuses on vocational education, applied sciences, and career pathways. They are sometimes referred to as ''institutes of technology'', ''vocational institutes'', or ''universities of app ...

four-year

public university A public university, state university, or public college is a university or college that is State ownership, owned by the state or receives significant funding from a government. Whether a national university is considered public varies from o ...

St. George, Utah St. George or Saint George is a city in and the county seat of Washington County, Utah, United States. Located in southwestern Utah on the Arizona border, it is the principal city of the St. George metropolitan statistical area (MSA). The cit ...

, in southwest

Utah Utah is a landlocked state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is one of the Four Corners states, sharing a border with Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico. It also borders Wyoming to the northea ...

(also known by the longtime nickname of "

Utah's Dixie Dixie is a nickname for the populated, lower-elevation area of south-central Washington County, the southwest corner of the State of Utah, bordering nearby Arizona to the south, and Nevada to the west. The area lies in the northeastern Mojave ...

" region). UT offers doctoral degrees,

master's degree A master's degree (from Latin ) is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional prac ...

bachelor's degree A bachelor's degree (from Medieval Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six years ...

associate degree An associate degree or associate's degree is an undergraduate degree awarded after a course of post-secondary study lasting two to three years. It is a level of academic qualification above a high school diploma and below a bachelor's degree ...

s, and certifications. As of fall 2022, there are 12,556 students enrolled at UT. The institution began as the St. George Stake Academy, founded in 1911 by

the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a Nontrinitarianism, nontrinitarian Restorationism, restorationist Christianity, Christian Christian denomination, denomination and the ...

(LDS Church) and sponsored by its local

stake A stake is a large wooden or metal implement designed to be driven into the ground and may refer to: Tools * Archer's stake, a defensive stake carried by medieval longbowmen * Survey stakes, markers used by surveyors * Sudis (stake) (Latin for ...

. In 1935, it became a state school of the

Utah System of Higher Education The Utah System of Higher Education (USHE) is the Public university, public university system of the state of Utah. It includes each of the state's sixteen public institutions of higher education, including its eight technical college, technical ...

. From 1923 until 1970 it was a two-year

junior college A junior college is a type of post-secondary institution that offers vocational and academic training that is designed to prepare students for either skilled trades and technical occupations or support roles in professions such as engineering, a ...

named Dixie Junior College, and from 1970 until 2000 it was four-year Dixie College. From 2000 until 2013 it was named Dixie State College, and from 2013 until 2022 it was Dixie State University. In 2021, after continued controversy over the use of the term "

Dixie Dixie, also known as Dixieland or Dixie's Land, is a nickname for all or part of the Southern United States. While there is no official definition of this region (and the included areas have shifted over the years), or the extent of the area i ...

" in the school's name, the

Utah State Legislature The Utah State Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Utah. It is a bicameral body, comprising the Utah House of Representatives, with 75 state representatives, and the Utah Senate, with 29 state senators. There are no term ...

and the

Governor of Utah A governor is an politician, administrative leader and head of a polity or Region#Political regions, political region, in some cases, such as governor-general, governors-general, as the head of a state's official representative. Depending on the ...

approved the bill that allowed the school to be renamed as Utah Tech (UT). UT's 16 athletic teams compete in Division I of the

National Collegiate Athletic Association The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates College athletics in the United States, student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, and Simon Fraser University, 1 in Canada. ...

(NCAA) and have been known since 2016 as the Trailblazers. UT was reclassified from Division II to Division I in 2019 and joined the

Western Athletic Conference The Western Athletic Conference (WAC) is an NCAA Division I conference. The WAC covers a broad expanse of the Western United States with member institutions located in Arizona, California, Texas, Utah and Washington (state), Washington. Due to ...

(WAC) in the 2020–2021 season. When the Trailblazers were in NCAA Division II, the

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

team had been part of the

Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference The Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC), commonly known as the Rocky Mountain Conference (RMC) from approximately 1910 through the late 1960s, is a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (N ...

since 2014, while the Women's Swimming team competed in the Pacific Collegiate Swim Conference, and the school's 14 other athletic teams competed in the

PacWest Conference The Pacific West Conference (also known as the PacWest) is a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division II level. Member institutions are located in California and Hawaii. Th ...

History

The original

secondary school A secondary school, high school, or senior school, is an institution that provides secondary education. Some secondary schools provide both ''lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper secondary education'' (ages 14 to 18), i.e., b ...

institution was founded by the LDS Church and its local stake on September 19, 1911, as the St. George Stake Academy. The

academy An academy (Attic Greek: Ἀκαδήμεια; Koine Greek Ἀκαδημία) is an institution of tertiary education. The name traces back to Plato's school of philosophy, founded approximately 386 BC at Akademia, a sanctuary of Athena, the go ...

, located in a region long referred to as "Utah's Dixie" by LDS Church president and governor of the

Utah Territory The Territory of Utah was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from September 9, 1850, until January 4, 1896, when the final extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Utah, the 45th st ...

Brigham Young Brigham Young ( ; June 1, 1801August 29, 1877) was an American religious leader and politician. He was the second President of the Church (LDS Church), president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) from 1847 until h ...

, and local settlers in the southern portion of Utah. was renamed to the Dixie Academy in 1913, Beginning in 1916, it was known as Dixie Normal College, and then became Dixie Junior College in 1923. In 1933, the LDS Church discontinued its financial support of the institution, and rather than give up on it, the local citizenry came together and maintained its operation through donations and labor for the following two years during the

Great Depression The Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty, drastic reductions in industrial production and international trade, and widespread bank and ...

. In 1935, the

Utah State Board of Education Utah State Board of Education (USBE) is the state education agency of Utah. Its headquarters are in Salt Lake City Salt Lake City, often shortened to Salt Lake or SLC, is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Utah. It is th ...

took over the funding for the school, but wanted to split the

college A college (Latin: ''collegium'') may be a tertiary educational institution (sometimes awarding degrees), part of a collegiate university, an institution offering vocational education, a further education institution, or a secondary sc ...

students from the

high school A secondary school, high school, or senior school, is an institution that provides secondary education. Some secondary schools provide both ''lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper secondary education'' (ages 14 to 18), i.e., ...

students, with the high school moving away and relocated with a separate building under the direction of Washington County local government and its public school system. The community resisted, feeling that the approximate 200 college students and similar number of high school students needed to be combined to provide a good-sized student body for the many social and higher quality of the academic curriculum programs. Another concern was that the county did not simply yet have the tax revenue and available funds to build a new high school building during the Great Depression era. In the three decades between 1935 and 1963, there were close calls when various state leaders proposed closing the college, but local citizens were willing to donate and support it to keep it alive. These local citizens, particularly the Dixie Education Association, raised the funds to purchase four city blocks of land on the 700 East and 100 South streets for a new school campus. They presented that land to the state which, in turn, agreed to fund a few buildings for a new campus there. In 1957, the Old Gymnasium was finished and by 1963, four other newly-constructed buildings were ready for college students with the high school students still remaining on the previous older downtown campus. In 1970, the college name was changed again from the Dixie Junior College of the previous 47 years and shortened to Dixie College, signifying its expansion of the number to four years of a collegiate education and empowered to award bachelor's degrees like a full senior college. On September 7, 2007, the Dixie State College Board of Trustees members announced that Dixie State College of Utah would petition the

University of Utah The University of Utah (the U, U of U, or simply Utah) is a public university, public research university in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. It was established in 1850 as the University of Deseret (Book of Mormon), Deseret by the General A ...

to become a branch campus known as the University of Utah–St. George. The proposal was approved by the Dixie State College Board of Trustees on October 7, 2007, and by the University of Utah Board of Trustees on October 14, 2007; however, this did not officially come to fruition. In 2011, a bill was drafted for review by the

and the

to support Dixie State College's transition to

university A university () is an educational institution, institution of tertiary education and research which awards academic degrees in several Discipline (academia), academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase , which roughly ...

status. The institution contracted with a local advertising firm, Sorenson Advertising, to investigate and survey future names for the college if it were approved to become a university and found that alumni overwhelmingly supported the name ''Dixie'' while less than half of faculty/staff supported the name ''Dixie'' (p. 48). Controversy over the name ''

'' has arisen many times. In December 2020, the new university's board of trustees unanimously voted to recommend removing the word ''Dixie'' from the school's longtime name and title. In 2013, the Utah Legislature passed a bill changing the status of the institution from a college to a university and named it "Dixie State University". Utah Governor

Gary Herbert Gary Richard Herbert (born May 7, 1947) is an American politician who served as the 17th governor of Utah from 2009 to 2021. A member of the Republican Party, he chaired the National Governors Association during the 2015–2016 cycle. Herbert w ...

signed the bill into law in a ceremony on the St. George campus, calling the new university into existence on February 16, 2013. DSU president

Stephen D. Nadauld Stephen Douglas Nadauld (born May 31, 1942) is an American academic, the former president of Dixie State University and Weber State University (WSU). Nadauld was a general authority of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) ...

and others recognized this step as the fulfillment of the dream of the original

Mormon pioneers The Mormon pioneers were members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), also known as Latter-day Saints, who Human migration, migrated beginning in the mid-1840s until the late-1860s across the United States from the ...

of southern Utah to have a university for their communities. That same year the Board of Trustees approved a student-driven proposed campus-wide

tobacco Tobacco is the common name of several plants in the genus '' Nicotiana'' of the family Solanaceae, and the general term for any product prepared from the cured leaves of these plants. More than 70 species of tobacco are known, but the ...

ban. The ban prohibits all varieties of tobacco products, including the newest invention of

electronic cigarette An electronic cigarette (e-cigarette), or vape, is a device that simulates smoking. It consists of an atomizer, a power source such as a battery, and a container such as a cartridge or tank. Instead of smoke, the user inhales vapor. As such ...

s. The ban went into effect on January 1, 2014. Also in 2013, DSU student Indigo Klabanoff pushed for the creation of a

sorority In North America, fraternities and sororities ( and ) are social clubs at colleges and universities. They are sometimes collectively referred to as Greek life or Greek-letter organizations, as well as collegiate fraternities or collegiate sorori ...

for women students and its financial support. The DSU board did not approve it or the subsequent creation of social clubs or similar associations with

Greek letters The Greek alphabet has been used to write the Greek language since the late 9th or early 8th century BC. It was derived from the earlier Phoenician alphabet, and is the earliest known alphabetic script to systematically write vowels as we ...

in their names (excepting academic honor societies), because they said introducing Greek Life properly requires significant funding and the inherent "partying" stereotype of a Greek system was not a culture they wanted to encourage on campus.

"Dixie" name, old Confederacy symbols, and mascot changes

The Dixie College sports teams were called the "Rebels" starting in 1952 and a Confederate soldier was used as a

mascot A mascot is any human, animal, or object thought to bring luck, or anything used to represent a group with a common public identity, such as a school, sports team, university society, society, military unit, or brand, brand name. Mascots are als ...

starting four years later in 1956. Until 1994, the university used the

Confederate Battle Flag The flags of the Confederate States of America have a history of three successive designs during the American Civil War. The flags were known as the "Stars and Bars", used from 1861 to 1863; the "Stainless Banner", used from 1863 to 1865; and ...

as a school symbol (and for a time, still used a reminiscent pattern of red, white and blue colors with patterns of stripes with stars after dropping it), and the college annual yearbook was called ''The Confederate''. ''

The Salt Lake Tribune ''The Salt Lake Tribune'' is a newspaper published in the city of Salt Lake City, Utah. The ''Tribune'' is owned by The Salt Lake Tribune, Inc., a non-profit corporation. The newspaper's motto is "Utah's Independent Voice Since 1871." History ...

'' described the college yearbooks containing "troubling photos, some as late as the early 1990s", in which "White students sing in black face, dress as Confederate soldiers, stage slave auctions and affectionately display the Confederate battle standard." In 2009, the college dropped its "Rodney the Rebel" mascot and "the Rebels" as the name for the sports teams, renaming the teams to the "Red Storm", with a bull mascot. In 2016, the UT athletics team name was eventually changed to the ''"Trailblazers"'' with ''"Brooks the Bison"'' as the mascot. Dixie State University logo red plain

The process of changing the university's name began in June 2020 during the

George Floyd protests The George Floyd protests were a series of protests, riots, and demonstrations against police brutality that began in Minneapolis in the United States on May 26, 2020. The protests and civil unrest began in Minneapolis as Reactions to the mu ...

in the midst of the 2020–2022 racial unrest and the

Black Lives Matter Black Lives Matter (BLM) is a Decentralization, decentralized political and social movement that aims to highlight racism, discrimination and Racial inequality in the United States, racial inequality experienced by black people, and to pro ...

movement. In December 2020, both the university board of trustees and the Utah Board of Higher Education unanimously voted to recommend a name change to both chambers of the

bicameral Bicameralism is a type of legislature that is divided into two separate Deliberative assembly, assemblies, chambers, or houses, known as a bicameral legislature. Bicameralism is distinguished from unicameralism, in which all members deliberate ...

Utah Legislature, which established the name in state law. Although the state legislature delegated the task to a committee that collected suggestions and decided on Utah Polytechnic State University, the Dixie board of trustees recommended Utah Tech University after the original proposed name received negative community input. The Utah System of Higher Education voted unanimously to recommend the name change to UT, which the Utah State Legislature approved with the condition that the main St. George campus will be named the "Dixie Campus" of UT. The name change took effect July 1, 2022.

2014 termination of a professor

In December 2014, theater professor Varlo Davenport received a notice of dismissal and termination of academic employment in connection with a student complaint of an alleged assault, but because of his academic tenured status he was allowed to request a termination appeal hearing as outlined in DSU Policy. A reinstatement petition was started by students that ultimately garnered over 1,400 signatures, and many letters were also sent to the State Board of Regents from the community and faculty members. A faculty review board convened, and after hearing testimony and evidence from both sides, recommended Davenport's reinstatement. In the final review of the hearing evidence and testimony, university president Richard Williams found the faculty review board's recommendation to be contrary to the information presented. He rejected the recommendation and upheld the termination. Members of the faculty review board subsequently met with Williams, pressing for a change in his decision. They were unsuccessful. The City of St. George filed Class B misdemeanor charges in Justice Court and a trial was held in 2016, with the jury finding the professor not guilty.

2015 accusation of censorship

In 2015, in accordance with school policy, three students requested permission from the university to post fliers with satirical images of former 43rd

U.S. President The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president directs the Federal government of the United States#Executive branch, executive branch of the Federal government of t ...

George W. Bush George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician and businessman who was the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Bush family and the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he i ...

, and Cuban revolutionary leader

Che Guevara Ernesto "Che" Guevara (14th May 1928 – 9 October 1967) was an Argentines, Argentine Communist revolution, Marxist revolutionary, physician, author, Guerrilla warfare, guerrilla leader, diplomat, and Military theory, military theorist. A majo ...

, on campus. The university rejected the request because the fliers violated school policy by mocking people. The three students filed a lawsuit against DSU in federal court, stating that the university violated their

Constitutional right A constitutional right can be a prerogative or a duty, a power or a restraint of power, recognized and established by a sovereign state or union of states. Constitutional rights may be expressly stipulated in a national constitution, or they may ...

free speech Freedom of speech is a principle that supports the freedom of an individual or a community to articulate their opinions and ideas without fear of retaliation, censorship, or legal sanction. The right to freedom of expression has been recognise ...

with an overly restrictive and overly vague school policy. A few months later, DSU

settled A settler or a colonist is a person who establishes or joins a permanent presence that is separate to existing communities. The entity that a settler establishes is a settlement. A settler is called a pioneer if they are among the first settli ...

the lawsuit with the three plaintiffs involved in the case.Kessler, Mori.
Dixie State settles free speech lawsuit; students get $50,000
". ''St George News''. September 18, 2015. The university agreed to pay the students $50,000 total in damages and their attorney fees. The university also agreed to revise its free speech policies that the three plaintiffs said were too restrictive and vague.

Campus

The primary campus of UT, known as the Dixie Campus, is in St. George, Utah. The Hurricane Education Center campus extension located in

Hurricane, Utah Hurricane ( ) is a city in Washington County, Utah, United States. Its population was 20,036 as of the 2020 United States Census estimates. The Hurricane valley makes up the easternmost part of the St. George metropolitan area and is near Zi ...

, is 20 minutes to the east. At the center of UT campus is the Encampment Mall, where Mormon pioneers first camped when they arrived in 1861 to settle and grow cotton in the desert. UT has also expanded its campus to surrounding communities by adding new community education centers that offer concurrent enrollment and college-level classes. * Kanab Center, located at Kanab High School in

Kanab Kanab ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Kane County, Utah, United States.Find a County
". ' ...

. * Water Canyon Center, located at Water Canyon High School in

Hildale Hildale is a city in Washington County, Utah, United States. The population was 1,127 at the 2020 census. Hildale is located on the border of Utah and Arizona. History Hildale, formerly known as Short Creek Community, was founded in 1913 by ...

, opened in May 2022. * Panguitch Center, located at Panguitch High School in

Panguitch Panguitch ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Garfield County, Utah, United States. The population was 1,725 at the 2020 census. The name Panguitch comes from a Southern Paiute word meaning “Big Fish,” likely named after the plentiful ...

, opened in September 2022. The Utah State legislature granted UT over $55 million in 2022 to build a 120,000 square-foot General Classroom Building which is set to open in fall 2025. The building will have 45 classrooms, 105 faculty offices, and 20 study rooms.

Atwood Innovation Plaza

The Atwood Innovation Plaza on UT's campus provides resources to students and the St. George community at large for business and idea development. Students and community members have access to free consultations and an incubator workspace through the Business Resource Center, tools to create prototypes and perform small-run manufacturing through the Makerspace, assistance with research, patents, trademarks, and copyrights through Innovation Guidance & Solutions, and help getting businesses off the ground through the Startup Incubator. Since opening, the Atwood Innovation Plaza has helped to submit 195 patents with 100 of those patents being granted along with helping to secure 104 trademarks and 22 copyrights.

Academics

As of June 2021, Utah Tech University offered 242 academic programs, including 4 master's degree programs, 53 bachelor's degree programs with 70 different emphases, 18 associate degree programs, 45 minors, and 52 certificate and endorsement options. On January 26, 2018, the university added its first graduate degree program, a Master of Accountancy. The university is set to offer its first doctoral degree, a clinical doctorate in occupational therapy, after it was approved by the Utah Board of Higher Education in July 2022. The program is currently being reviewed by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities for final approval. If the program is approved, the first cohort will start in fall 2023 and graduate in spring 2026. The university is organized into seven academic colleges: * College of the Arts * College of Business * College of Education * College of Health Sciences * College of Humanities and Social Sciences * College of Science, Engineering, and Technology * University College

Polytechnic academic model

In 2016, UT made the decision to pivot its curriculum towards becoming a comprehensive

. A polytechnic model was selected because it relies on the university's instructional model of "active learning. active life," that focuses on career preparation and engagement in regional economic and workforce growth and development. UT specializes in three core principles of a polytechnic university, including active and applied student learning, student career preparation and development, and industry collaboration.

Booth Honors Program

The mission of the Booth Honors Program at Utah Tech is to “attract a diverse community of highly capable and motivated individuals who challenge one another in a lifelong pursuit of learning.” The Honors Program allows students access to priority registration, scholarship opportunities that provide students with research and travel grants, and small, discussion formatted classes that cover a wide range of topics, like HON 3010: Science and Nature Writing or HON 3010: Super Heroes and Citizenship. Students involved in the Honors Program are also granted access to an exclusive honors space in the Holland Centennial Commons, which serves as a spot for students to study, read, meet and socialize with other Honors students.

Student life

UT's Student Association (UTSA) is a federated student administrative body overseeing the functions, funding, and promotion of official student organizations. Executive and legislative power is primarily vested in an elected Executive Council, the President's Cabinet, and the Student Senate. Student clubs interact with the UTSA governing bodies primarily through non-elected Club Representatives. Club Representatives work on behalf of the following organizational categories: Academic Clubs, Student Organizations, Non-Traditional Clubs, Multicultural and Diversity Clubs, Health Science Clubs, and Athletic and Recreation Clubs. All Executive Council members and most Managers receive some sort of financial aid in return for their work. Various responsibilities fall to UTSA including the planning of most on-campus events, charity and service work, and relations between university students and the school's faculty and surrounding community. Any student is able to apply for any position in UTSA, and if chosen is asked to maintain good academic and community standing, while abiding by the university's other rules and bylaws. The UTSA Inter-Club Council (ICC) comprises all the university club presidents and UTSA's Club Council. ICC meetings are held bi-weekly and club presidents are encouraged to attend. Utah Tech University has over 85 clubs for students to join, including the Hiking Club, Japanese Culture Club, Trailgazers Astronomy Club, and the Healthy Trailblazers Coalition.

Housing

UT provides students with single student and family student housing options. Single student housing includes Campus View Suites I, Campus View Suites II, Abby Apartments, and Chancellor Apartments. Family student housing includes Tech View Apartments and Morgan Apartments. Campus View Suites I & II offer students access to a fitness room, community kitchens, a basketball court, a pickleball court, a sand volleyball court, barbecue areas, a hammock garden and Brooks’ Stop Grill & Market. Campus View Suites III is set to open in fall 2024 to accommodate the growing student population.

Outdoor recreation

With 300 days of sunshine, an average temperature of 77 degrees, and 0 annual inches of snowfall, outdoor recreation is a popular student activity at Utah Tech, with many participating in activities like hiking, rock climbing, and biking. The university is a 50-minute drive from

Zion National Park Zion National Park is a national park of the United States located in southwestern Utah near the town of Springdale. Located at the junction of the Colorado Plateau, Great Basin, and Mojave Desert regions, the park has a unique geography and a ...

, a 2-hour drive from

Bryce Canyon National Park Bryce Canyon National Park () is a national park of the United States located in southwestern Utah. The major feature of the park is Bryce Canyon, which despite its name, is not a canyon, but a collection of giant natural amphitheaters along ...

, and a 20-minute drive from

Snow Canyon State Park Snow Canyon State Park is a state park in Utah, located in the Red Cliffs Desert Reserve. The park features a canyon carved from the red and white Navajo sandstone of the Red Mountains, as well as the extinct Santa Clara Volcano, lava tubes, ...

Greek Life

UT students started a chapter of

Kappa Sigma Kappa Sigma (), commonly known as Kappa Sig or KSig, is an American collegiate social fraternity founded at the University of Virginia in 1869. Kappa Sigma is one of the five largest international Fraternities and sororities in North America, fr ...

fraternity, the first official fraternity in the Saint George area in 2019, and has since been operational.

Athletics

UT competes in NCAA Division I as a recent full member of the WAC. Previously, Dixie played in the

Intermountain Collegiate Athletic Conference The Intermountain Collegiate Athletic Conference (ICAC) was an junior college athletic conference composed of member schools located in the states of Colorado, Idaho, and Utah. The league was part of the National Junior College Athletic Associatio ...

. The teams are collectively known as the UT Trailblazers (new nickname unveiled on April 11, 2016.) In July 2020, Dixie State began the multi-year reclassification process to NCAA Division I. The Trailblazers began competition against Division I opponents in the 2020–21 season in the WAC, though the football program competed as a FCS independent for a single season, as the WAC re-established sponsorship of

. After the 2022 season, the WAC merged its football league with that of another FCS group, the

ASUN Conference The Atlantic Sun Conference (ASUN) is a collegiate athletic conference operating mostly in the Southeastern United States. The league participates at the NCAA Division I level, and began sponsoring football at the Division I FCS level in 2022. ...

, forming the football-only

United Athletic Conference The United Athletic Conference (UAC), also known as The United, is an NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) intercollegiate athletic conference. The conference is a merger of the existing football leagues of the Atlantic Sun Con ...

, with Utah Tech as one of its nine inaugural members. The Trailblazers have won 16 PacWest Championships, 5 PacWest Community Engagement Awards, and have appeared in 34 NCAA Division II tournaments. The men's basketball team appeared in the "sweet sixteen" group of semi-finalists in 2011 and the women's volleyball first appeared in 2014. The women's softball team has appeared in the

College World Series The College World Series (CWS), officially the NCAA Men's College World Series (MCWS), is a baseball tournament held each June in Omaha, Nebraska. It is the culmination of the NCAA Division I baseball tournament—featuring 64 teams in the ...

three times and finished as runner up of the 2015 College World Series. The Trailblazers soccer team, won the PacWest 2016 championship by going 13–0, for the first time in school history. They also earned 11 PacWest Postseason Honors. Athletic facilities include

Greater Zion Stadium Greater Zion Stadium, originally Hansen Stadium and later Trailblazer Stadium, is a stadium on the campus of Utah Tech University in St. George, Utah. It is primarily used for American football, and is the home field of the Utah Tech Trailblaze ...

Burns Arena Burns Arena is a multi-purpose arena in St. George, Utah. It is the home of the Utah Tech Trailblazers basketball teams.

, the Old Gymnasium in the Student Activities Center, Bruce Hurst Field, Karl Brooks Field, the

Human Performance Center The Human Performance Center is a 1,760-seat multi-purpose arena on the campus of the University of New Orleans in New Orleans, Louisiana. It is the home venue for the New Orleans Privateers volleyball team. The arena became the permanent home o ...

, the Utah Tech Tennis Courts, and the Frank Habibian Wrestling and Athletic Center.

Notable alumni

* Mike Affleck, professional football player *

Nolan D. Archibald Nolan D. Archibald (born 1943) is the retired chairman of the board, president and chief executive officer of the Black & Decker Corporation. Following the merger with Stanley Works, Archibald became executive chairman of the board of Stanley Bl ...

, CEO of

Black & Decker Black+Decker is an American manufacturer of power tools, accessories, hardware, home improvement products, home appliances, and fastening systems, headquartered in Towson, Maryland, north of Baltimore, where the company was originally establis ...

Sark Arslanian Sarkis "Sark" Arslanian (February 4, 1924 – December 11, 2016) was an American college football coach. He served as the head football coach at Weber State College—now known as Weber State University—from 1965 to 1972 and Colorado State Uni ...

, former football coach at Dixie Junior College,

Weber State University Weber State University (pronounced ) is a public university in Ogden, Utah, United States. It was founded in 1889 as Weber Stake Academy and earned its current name in 1991. As of fall 2023, the student population reached 30,536 students, cons ...

and

Colorado State University Colorado State University (Colorado State or CSU) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Fort Collins, Colorado, United States. It is the flagship university of the Colorado State University Syst ...

* Jerry Atkin, founder and CEO of

SkyWest, Inc. SkyWest, Inc. is the holding company for SkyWest Airlines, a North American regional airline, as well as an aircraft leasing company. It is headquartered in St. George, Utah, United States. History SkyWest, Inc. was established on September ...

John Moses Browning John Moses Browning (January 23, 1855 – November 26, 1926) was an American firearm designer who developed many varieties of military and civilian firearms, cartridges, and gun mechanisms, many of which are still in use around the world. He ...

, developed firearms in the 1900s * Rick Baird, member of the U.S.

bobsled Bobsleigh or bobsled is a winter sport in which teams of 2 to 4 athletes make timed speed runs down narrow, twisting, banked, iced tracks in a gravity-powered sleigh. International bobsleigh competitions are governed by the International Bobs ...

team, 1998–2003 * Maurice Baker, professional basketball player *

Marcus Banks Arthur Lemarcus Banks III (born November 19, 1981) is an American former professional basketball player. He played college basketball for the UNLV Runnin' Rebels basketball, UNLV Runnin' Rebels, where he was Co-Defensive Player of the Year as a ...

, professional basketball player *

Juanita Brooks Juanita Pulsipher Brooks (January 15, 1898 – August 26, 1989) was an American historian and author, specializing in the American West and Mormon history. Her most notable contribution was her book related to the Mountain Meadows Massacre, to wh ...

, historian *

Josh Burkman Joshua Ray Burkman (born April 10, 1980) is a retired American professional mixed martial artist formerly competing in the Welterweight division. He formerly competed in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, the World Series of Fighting, the XFC, ...

, former football player who earned JUCO All-American honors, current

mixed martial artist Mixed martial arts (MMA) is a full-contact fighting sport based on striking and grappling; incorporating techniques from various combat sports from around the world. In the early 20th century, various inter-stylistic contests took place t ...

formerly with

World Series of Fighting The Professional Fighters League (PFL) is an American mixed martial arts league founded by venture capitalist Donn Davis in 2017 and launched in 2018, following the acquisition and restructuring of the former World Series of Fighting (WSOF) promot ...

and

UFC The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by TKO Group Holdings, a majority owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. The larg ...

* M. Anthony Burns, CEO of

Ryder Ryder System, Inc. is an American transportation and logistics company, specializing in truck rental and leasing, fleet management, supply chain management, and transportation management. It also offers full-service leasing, rental and maint ...

, 1983–2000 * Howard W. Cannon,

U.S. Senator The United States Senate is a chamber of the bicameral United States Congress; it is the upper house, with the U.S. House of Representatives being the lower house. Together, the Senate and House have the authority under Article One of the ...

from

Nevada Nevada ( ; ) is a landlocked state in the Western United States. It borders Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. Nevada is the seventh-most extensive, th ...

, 1959–1983 *

Corey Dillon Corey James Dillon (born October 24, 1974) is an American former professional football player who was a running back for 10 seasons in the National Football League (NFL) with the Cincinnati Bengals and New England Patriots. He played college fo ...

, professional football player *

Bruce C. Hafen Bruce Clark Hafen (born October 30, 1940, in St. George, Utah) is an American attorney, academic and religious leader. He has been a general authority of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) since 1996. Early life Hafen ...

, LDS Church leader, president of

Ricks College Ricks may refer to: People * Andre Ricks (born 1996), American basketball player * Bob Ricks (21st century), American police chief * Christopher Ricks (born 1933), British literary critic and scholar * Desmond Ricks, American football player * ...

, 1978–1985 *

Cresent Hardy Cresent Leo Hardy (born June 23, 1957) is an American politician and businessman who served as the U.S. representative for from 2015 to 2017. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served in the Nevada Assembly from 2010 to 2014. Har ...

Nevada State Assembly The Nevada Assembly is the lower house of the Nevada Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Nevada, the upper house being the Nevada Senate. The body consists of 42 members, elected to two-year terms from single-member distri ...

man and member of the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Artic ...

, 2015–2017 * Jeffrey R. Holland, president of

Brigham Young University Brigham Young University (BYU) is a Private education, private research university in Provo, Utah, United States. It was founded in 1875 by religious leader Brigham Young and is the flagship university of the Church Educational System sponsore ...

1980–1989; apostle of the LDS Church 1994–present *

Lionel Hollins Lionel Eugene Hollins (born October 19, 1953) is an American professional basketball coach and former player who most recently served as an assistant coach for the Houston Rockets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). A point guard, Holli ...

, professional basketball player and head coach * Wendy Horman, Idaho State Representative, 2012–current *

Bruce Hurst Bruce Vee Hurst (born March 24, 1958) is an American former Major League Baseball left-handed starting pitcher. He is best remembered for his performance for the Boston Red Sox in the postseason, where he won two games while allowing only two r ...

, professional baseball player *

Brandon Kintzler Brandon Lee Kintzler (born August 1, 1984) is an American former professional baseball relief pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Milwaukee Brewers, Minnesota Twins, Washington Nationals, Chicago Cubs, Miami Marlins, and Ph ...

, professional baseball player *

Brandon Lyon Brandon James Lyon (born August 10, 1979) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Toronto Blue Jays, Boston Red Sox, Arizona Diamondbacks, Detroit Tigers, Houston Astros, and New Yor ...

, professional baseball player * Reno "Junior" Mahe, professional football player *

Anton Palepoi Anton Charles Palepoi (born January 19, 1978) is an American Samoan former professional player of American football who was a defensive end for five seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the UNLV Rebels. ...

, professional football player *

Kris Paronto Kristian Joaquin "Tanto" Paronto (born 2 March 1971) is an American author, businessman, and former Army Ranger and CIA security contractor. He is known for his actions while part of the CIA annex security team during the 2012 terrorist attack ...

, US Army Ranger, CIA contractor *

Gregory Prince Gregory Antone Prince (born 1948) is an American pathology researcher, businessman, author, social critic, and historian of the Latter Day Saint movement. Biography Prince was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. After graduating as val ...

, pathology researcher and Mormon historian *

Raven Quinn Raven Quinn is an American musician, singer and songwriter. Her first self-titled album was released March 4, 2010. Quinn released the title track "Not In Vain" from her sophomore album on October 31, 2013, with the full second album ''Not In Vai ...

, Musician, singer, songwriter *

Neil Roberts Neil Roberts may refer to: *Neil Roberts (actor) (born 1964), English actor * Neil Roberts (anarchist) (1960–1982), activist who killed himself when he bombed the New Zealand police database * Neil Roberts (Australian footballer) (born 1933), Aus ...

, basketball player and coach * Dave Rose,

men's basketball head coach, 2005–2019 *

Junior Siavii Saousoalii Poe Siavii Jr. ( ; November 14, 1978 – January 13, 2022) was a Samoan-born professional American football defensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL) for the Kansas City Chiefs, Dallas Cowboys, and Seattle Seahawks. He pl ...

, professional football player * Barry Sims, professional football player *

Brad Thompson Bradley Joseph Thompson (born January 31, 1982) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the St. Louis Cardinals and Kansas City Royals from 2005 to 2010. He currently serves as color comme ...

, professional baseball player and member of 2006 World Series Champion

St. Louis Cardinals The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis. The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Centra ...

* John "Cat" Thompson, professional basketball player and member of the

Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is an American history museum and hall of fame, located at 1000 Hall of Fame Avenue in Springfield, Massachusetts. It serves as basketball's most complete library, in addition to promoting and pres ...

* Scott Young, professional football player

References

External links

*
Utah Tech Trailblazers website
{{authority control Universities and colleges established in 1911 Universities and colleges accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities Buildings and structures in St. George, Utah Universities and colleges formerly affiliated with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Public universities and colleges in Utah Education in Washington County, Utah 1911 establishments in Utah