NFL Expansion: 5 cities the league should consider for teams 33 and 34
By Nick Villano
4. Salt Lake City, Utah
Media Market size: appox. 3.2 million
You may not know this, but the Salt Lake City market has jumped into the top 30, and more people move there every day. In this world where vacation cities become more appealing as household cities, Salt Lake City is becoming more appealing. While, yes, it makes sense for a hockey team to look at this cold-weather town, this city could definitely hold an NFL team.
The Utah Jazz are another team that can fill an arena with 18,000 people each night. Obviously, an NFL team would need to get closer to 50,000, but the luxury of having a team in the city for the first time would create a demand for those tickets.
This would be another Western team, but this one makes more sense in the AFC. A natural rivalry with the Broncos feels completely on the table. It also might push the Kansas City Chiefs into a more central division, but that's for another article.
This might seem like a strange city, but it makes a lot of sense for the NFL. The MLS team averages around 20,000 per game. A poll by Deseret News found Utahns want an NFL franchise. Even BYU Cougar football games get 60,000 fans every game. There is a desire here, and the NFL could bring football to this fun and growing market.