Month: August 2025

Sixteen years and 52 days.

There are now enough 16-year-olds in the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) that days must be included to define the margins between them.

And on Friday night, 52 days after her 16th birthday, Utah Royals forward KK Ream scored a late goal against the Portland Thorns to become the youngest goalscorer in the league’s regular season history with those margins.

The Utah-native broke the record held by Alex Pfeffier, who was 16 years, three months, and 20 days old when she scored for the Kansas City Current on March 16, 2024. Before Pfeffier, the record stood for nearly two years, held by Ream’s opponent on Friday, Olivia Moultrie. Moultrie was 16 years, nine months, 26 days old when she set the record on June 12, 2022.

Ream’s goal in the 85th minute sealed the Royals’ 2-1 victory over the No. 6-seeded Thorns at a packed Providence Park.

“It just shows how hard I’ve been working to just get minutes on the field, and I’m just grateful to contribute to the team in the best way that I can,” Ream said after the match to the CBS broadcast, standing alongside Royals’ goalkeeper Mandy McGlynn, who impressed with 11 saves that night.

The 16-year-old entered the match in the 80th minute. With Utah up 1-0, Royals forward Bianca St-George carried the ball downfield and fired the first shot, which was saved by Thorns ‘keeper Mackenzie Arnold. The ball ricocheted back into the penalty box in front of an eager Mina Tanaka, but Arnold blocked that attempt, too.

Ream, who had just leapt out of the way from Tanaka’s shot, was slightly off balance when she struck the ball toward the far post with her left foot; it was an instinctual move and not the most elegant, but no matter. They all count the same.

The goal represents the second time that Ream has struck her name down in the league’s archives. On May 3, when she was still 15 years old, she became the youngest player to start an NWSL match.

In just their second win of the season, the victory is unlikely to propel a miraculous playoff push for Ream and the Utah side, who occupy the 13th of 14 places in the NWSL table. But the magnitude of her impact at such a young age surely offers a glimpse of possibility for a team that has been battling a string of injuries and recently lost its 2024 No. 1 draft pick, Ally Sentnor, to the top-seeded Kansas City Current during the summer transfer window.

According to Royals manager Jimmy Coenraets, Ream’s development has been a more pressing topic of conversation within the club in recent weeks.

“We had a conversation with the front office and we just made very clear what and how (we need) for the long term, and I think KK is definitely a player that we want to develop further,” he said in a postgame press conference.

Before the match, the staff decided that, regardless of the result, Ream needed minutes. Her time on the pitch had been inconsistent or nonexistent in recent weeks. For Coenraets, she has to “get herself into the game and just prove what she’s worth.”

Coenraets pointed out that Ream began that campaign in earnest as soon as she hit the pitch Friday night, stealing a ball and distributing it to St-George, whose shot went wide of the goal.

“That could potentially have been already 2-0,” he said, “but she showed a lot of courage. She showed a lot of guts for a 16-year-old, and I think that’s just amazing.”

When asked how her own game has grown since beginning her professional career, Ream didn’t shy away from her quality as a youth player, but still acknowledged how that quality was put into context when she became a pro.

“I think coming to the NWSL, I definitely was a good player,” she said after the game, “but coming into it, there’s definitely a lot more good players. I have a lot of players on my team that I can learn from, as there’s a lot of leaders and they can just help me grow, and so I think they’ve all done a great job in helping me with that.”

This article originally appeared in The Athletic.

UCLA’s Nico Iamaleava crushed in brutal debut as Utah fans take over Rose Bowl originally appeared on The Sporting News

The Rose Bowl was supposed to be the stage for a fresh start. UCLA had its new quarterback, a buzz around coach DeShaun Foster’s second season, and optimism that the program could finally shift momentum. Instead, it turned into a nightmare.

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The fourth quarter was all Utes fans cheering in Pasadena in the 43-10 win.

Utah silences Bruins in Pasadena opener

For Nico Iamaleava, the prized Tennessee transfer who arrived in Los Angeles with sky-high expectations, the night could not have gone much worse. The 20-year-old quarterback was sacked four times, hit repeatedly, and finished with only 136 passing yards in a lopsided 43-10 defeat.

Nothing came easy for UCLA

Utah’s defense smothered Iamaleava from the opening series, never letting him settle in. He managed 11 completions on 22 attempts, threw one touchdown and one interception, and somehow led UCLA in rushing with 47 yards as protection collapsed around him.

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Coach Foster tried to stay positive, praising his quarterback’s toughness but acknowledging the glaring issues up front. “Nico is a competitor. He’s not gonna quit,” Foster said. “We just gotta do a better job protecting him, keeping him upright.”

The defense didn’t offer much help either. UCLA gave up nearly 500 total yards and allowed Utah to convert 14 of 16 third downs. Long, punishing drives broke the Bruins’ spirit while Utah’s fans turned the Rose Bowl into their own party.

Family night spoiled

Iamaleava had said earlier in the week that more than two dozen family members would be in the stands for his debut. But what should have been a celebration of a new era quickly soured. Utah looked like a Big 12 contender, UCLA looked like a team scrambling for answers.

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MORE: Survive in Manhattan: Kansas State avoids disastrous 0-2 Star in thriller

For Iamaleava, it was a humbling first chapter in what Bruins fans hope becomes a much bigger story. “We take this as a learning experience,” he said. “We’re gonna face many more tough opponents, and we gotta be ready.”

Foster echoed the sentiment, telling reporters that the team saw the game as a low point to build from. “Only way is up from here,” Iamaleava added, though the reality in Pasadena was that the climb looks steep.

UCLA’s next game is on Saturday on the road at the UNLV Rebels.

More NCAA Football News:

PASADENA — Nico Iamaleava weaved his way through the crowd of UCLA football recruits and friends of the program. The rest of his team had already jogged through the home-team Rose Bowl tunnel and into the locker room.

Nico was looking for home — and he found it. Waiting to provide pregame support, Nico’s parents, Leinna and Nic Iamaleava, wrapped their son in a swarming hug. Iamaleava said earlier this week he was expecting 20-to-30 family members to be at the game — family, his driving point from Big Ten Media Day all the way to the season opener on why he transferred from Tennessee to UCLA.

“I’ve always wanted to play in the Rose Bowl,” Iamaleava said earlier this week. “I almost had a chance last year to come here and play (last year with Tennessee), came up short, but I’ve always been excited to play in the stadium, and, man, it’s a surreal moment for me, and I can’t wait to just get in there.”

Just minutes earlier, former UCLA quarterback Wayne Cook — now a radio sideline reporter — stated the obvious over the Rose Bowl speaker system:

“Back home, as a Bruin,” Cook said. “I expect (Iamaleava) to have a great year.”

Should Iamaleava have a “great year,” history will show it didn’t start that way — on all fronts for the Bruins quarterback and his team.

Much like the Bruins’ defense — which struggled to stop Utah’s rushing attack during the first quarter, giving up 89 yards on an average of 5.9 yards per rush — the redshirt sophomore quarterback flailed after his first drive came up short on a fourth-and-two.

After connecting with Matthews for an 18-yard completion ‌for his first UCLA pass, when it came to converting on fourth from Utah’s 42-yard line, Iamaleava forced a pass to the California transfer wideout in tight coverage. Matthews couldn’t escape coverage, and the ball fell incomplete for a turnover on downs. Iamaleava’s next drive saw Utah defensive end Logan Fano sack him for 13 yards, forcing the Bruins to punt.

Iamaleava’s third drive, however, showcased why the Bruins have reason to dream on the former No. 1 overall recruit’s ability. On a designed run, the 6-foot-6 signal caller shed two tackles for 21 yards. To cap off the drive, Iamaleava met with redshirt junior running back Anthony Woods — the Utah transfer playing against his old squad — catching the ball at the five and taking it in for a touchdown, marking both of their first scores in blue and gold. The Iamaleava-to-Woods wheel route, helping UCLA avoid heading into halftime hoisting a goose egg, shared traits of offensive coordinator Tino Sunseri in his first collegiate game as offensive playcaller.

UCLA’s offense debuted a new look, no matter how Saturday’s result shaped up, after its hush-hush fall camp.

After four weeks of fall camp, the Utes are still looking for consistent playmakers at wide receiver.

Kyle Whittingham said the group was his biggest concern heading into the season. And it appears that’s still the case as Utah gets ready to open the 2025 season vs. UCLA at the Rose Bowl on Saturday (9 p.m. MT, FOX).

When asked who Utah’s top wideouts were, new Utes offensive coordinator Jason Beck said that he’s still looking for guys to step up in game action. Utah’s contest against the Bruins will be a big opportunity for that group.

“Some guys have been emerging in that way and doing a nice job,” Beck said in the final week of fall camp. “Some guys are close, and we’re just trying to keep forcing that issue of what we’re asking them to do, so that we can count on them in critical situations.

“They’ve all been doing a nice job.”

This week, Whittingham said he has been impressed with Cal transfer wide receiver Tobias Merriweather, who joined the Utes this spring. The junior pass catcher spent one season with the Bears, finishing with 11 receptions, 125 yards and one touchdown.

His size — standing at 6-foot-5 and 195 pounds — makes him an intriguing option in Utah’s wide receiver room.

“What we’ve seen in practice gives us confidence,” Whittingham said. “He’s got a big catch radius. … [He’s] a very smooth athletic guy, and [he] runs really well, and has a real knack for playing the contested ball, as you would expect with a guy with that frame.

“What we’ve seen in practice has been very encouraging, but again, you have to do it on game day.”

Despite having an unproven core of pass catchers, new Utah transfer quarterback Devon Dampier is confident in the Utes’ offense.

“Utah can score the ball,” Dampier said. “Utah obviously has always had the defense, but, you know, this is another year where Utah is going to be able to score the ball as well.”

4 predictions for Utah vs. UCLA

Here are my four bold predictions for Utah’s season-opening matchup.

How to watch the Utes

Utah will face off against UCLA at 9 p.m. MT on Saturday in the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif.

The game will be broadcast on FOX.

Shakespearean lovers on pointe, jazz musicians in drag, an operatic take on Stephen King and the Great Salt Lake in human form — and that’s just some of what performing arts fans in Utah are likely to see this fall.

Here’s a guide to what the Salt Lake City area’s major performing arts groups are staging from now through November.

Ballet West • Utah’s premier ballet company kicks off the 2025-2026 season with an Oct. 24-Nov. 1 run of “Romeo & Juliet,” choreographed by Michael Smuin to a famous score by Prokoviev. Close behind is a Nov. 7-15 production of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” set to Mendelsohn’s score (and paired with choreographer Bronislava Nijinska’s “Les Noces”). Capitol Theatre, 50 W. 200 South, Salt Lake City. Tickets available at BalletWest.org.

Broadway at the Eccles • The touring production of “Some Like It Hot,” a musical based on the 1959 comedy about two jazz musicians who masquerade as women in an all-girl band to escape gangsters, will run at the Eccles Theater from Sept. 30 to Oct. 5. That’s followed by “Suffs,” playwright-composer Shaina Taub’s musical telling of the battle to win women the vote from Nov. 11-16. Eccles Theater, 131 S. Main St., Salt Lake City. Tickets available at saltlakecity.broadway.com.

Hale Center Theatre • Utah’s community theater organization will perform “The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940” in the Sorenson Legacy Jewel Box Theatre from Sept. 8 to Nov. 15. The musical “Sister Act” will run on the Young Living Centre Stage, Sept. 22-Oct. 25. Then, the Centre Stage will house a production of Disney’s “Frozen,” Nov. 17-Feb. 14. And the 41th annual staging of “A Christmas Carol” will take over the Jewel Box from Nov. 28 to Dec. 27. Mountain America Performing Arts Centre, 9900 S. Monroe St., Sandy. Tickets available at hct.org.

Pioneer Theatre Company • The company starts its season in the Meldrum Theatre Sept. 12-27 with the play “2 Pianos 4 Hands,” by Ted Dykstra and Richard Greenblatt, in which two piano-playing actors portray dozens of characters. Then, in the Simmons Pioneer Memorial Theatre, a new production of the beloved musical “Dear Evan Hansen,” in which an awkward teen tells a lie that spins out of control, runs Oct. 24-Nov. 8. Pioneer Memorial Theatre, University of Utah campus, 300 S. 1400 East, Salt Lake City. Tickets available at PioneerTheatre.org.

Plan-B Theatre • The avant-garde company’s fall production, running Oct. 2-19, is the world premiere of “Just Add Water,” by Utah playwrights Matthew Ivan Bennett and Elaine Jarvik, in which the Great Salt Lake takes the form of a human woman. Jeanne Wagner Theatre, Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center, 138 W. 300 South, Salt Lake City. Tickets available at PlanBTheatre.org.

PYGmalion Theater Company • The theater company that’s devoted to promoting women’s voices has one show this fall: “Tiny Beautiful Things,” Nov. 7-22, based on Cheryl Strayed’s book and adapted for the stage by Nia Vardalos (“My Big Fat Greek Wedding”). Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center, 138 W. 300 South, Salt Lake City. Tickets available at PygmalionProductions.org.

Repertory Dance Theatre • The dance troupe kicks off its 60th anniversary diamond season with “Migrations,” a collaboration of choreographer Zvi Gotheiner and composer Scott Killian, Oct. 2-4. Then, in a program titled “Ovation,” the company performs two recent favorites Nov. 20-22: Katarzyna Skarpetowska’s “Oktet: In Situ” and Yusha-Marie Sorzano’s “Solfege,” as well as a restaging of Jacque Lynn Bell’s “Ryoanji,” which will feature 43 dancers and celebrates RDT’s six-decade relationship with Tanner Dance. Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center, 138 W. 300 South, Salt Lake City. Tickets available at RDTUtah.org.

Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company • In a show called “Reverberation,” Sept. 25-27, new artistic director Leslie Kraus premieres her first work with the company, “Listening Hour,” along with the return of Keith Johnson’s 2024 work “A Century, A Day,” and the world premiere of “Glitter,” by the touring dance company Flock. Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center, 138 W. 300 South, Salt Lake City. Tickets available at RirieWoodbury.com.

Salt Lake Acting Company • SLAC is opening the season with the Utah premiere, Oct. 1-26, of playwright Jen Silverman’s comedy “The Roommate,” about two older women who share a house and discover an unexpected friendship. SLAC, 168 W. 500 North, Salt Lake City. Tickets available at SaltLakeActingCompany.org.

Utah Opera • Utah Opera’s season starts with “The Shining,” composer Paul Moravec and librettist Mark Campbell’s adaptation of Stephen King’s novel about a writer who goes mad within the confines of an unoccupied hotel. It runs Oct. 11-17. Capitol Theatre, 50 W. 200 South, Salt Lake City. Tickets available at UtahOpera.org.

Utah Presents • The “Jazz at Kingsbury” series features two concerts this fall: Arturo Sandoval on Sept. 4 and Lakecia Benjamin and Phoenix on Oct. 23. In between those is a performance by Ballet Hispánico on Oct. 15. The Ukrainian modern-folk duo Kurbasy will perform Nov. 5, and Utah indie-pop sensation Emma Hardyman, aka Little Moon, will perform her show “To Be a God” on Nov. 13. Kingsbury Hall, University of Utah, 1395 E. Presidents Circle, Salt Lake City. Tickets available at UtahPresents.org.

Utah Shakespeare Festival • The summer’s outdoor productions are winding down, but the festival’s indoor productions continue: “A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder” at the Randall L. Jones Theatre runs through Oct. 3, and “The Importance of Being Earnest” and “Steel Magnolias” in the Jones Theatre, plus “Ken Ludwig’s Dear Jack, Dear Louise” in the Anes Studio Theatre, all end on Oct. 4. Southern Utah University, Cedar City. Tickets available at bard.org.

Utah Symphony • A packed season includes the debut of Delyana Lazarova as the symphony’s principal guest conductor, Sept. 19-20, in a program that includes Mendelsohn’s Violin Concerto (with violinist Geneva Lewis) and Beethoven’s 4th Symphony. Markus Poschner, the symphony’s music director designate, will conduct Mahler’s “Titan” Symphony on Oct. 30 and Nov. 1, and Tchaikovsky’s “Pathétique” Symphony on Nov. 7 and 8. Fans of video games can also enjoy “Distant Worlds: Music from ‘Final Fantasy’” on Nov. 18 and 19. Abravanel Hall, 123 W. South Temple, Salt Lake City. Tickets available at UtahSymphony.org.

After a violinist who has played with high-profile orchestras was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement last week, members of Utah’s music community are rallying in support of his release.

Donggin Shin, 37, who came to the U.S. from South Korea with his father when he was a child, was abruptly arrested at a hotel parking lot while he was on a work trip in Colorado, his attorney Adam Crayk told NBC News. He was placed in ICE detention on Aug. 18. With a hearing slated for early September, his colleagues from the Salt Lake City area are hoping to send a message to the administration and beyond that Shin, who goes by the name John, is a valued part of the community.

“John has been in this country since he was 10 years old and he was brought here by his parents. He didn’t get a choice in the matter,” violinist and conductor Gabriel Gordon said. “He is not somebody that is taking from the community, but is giving.”

A senior Department of Homeland Security official said in response to NBC News’ questions about Shin, “Our message is clear: criminal illegal aliens are not welcome in the United States.”

Shin, who works a day job in telecommunications but has played with the prestigious Utah Symphony and Ballet West, is currently being held at the Denver Contract Detention Facility in Aurora, Colorado, according to an ICE database — more than 500 miles away from his home.

According to charging documents, Shin was identified by ICE’s Fugitive Operations Team, which is generally focused on apprehending immigrants who have committed serious crimes and are considered threats to national security. In Shin’s case, the arrest was prompted by an old misdemeanor impaired driving offense that occurred while Shin was navigating his father’s battle with brain cancer, Crayk said.

“We are literally having fugitive ops and Homeland Security Investigations, which are two law enforcement agencies that focus on really terrible, terrible things, relegated now to looking for people like John,” Crayk said.

The senior DHS official did not elaborate on the details of Shin’s arrest but noted that his history includes a DUI conviction.

“Shin entered the U.S. on a tourist visa on September 3, 1998,” the official said in the statement. “This visa required him to depart the U.S. by March 3, 1999.”

According to Crayk, DHS’ account of Shin’s immigration history omits some details. After Shin and his father entered the country on a tourist visa, his father eventually switched to a student visa, under which Shin, a dependent at the time, was also covered, the attorney said.

Years later, Shin became a DACA recipient. However, due to the 2020 impaired driving conviction, Shin lost his DACA protections, leaving him without lawful status for the last four and a half years, Crayk said. Records show that Shin pleaded guilty to the misdemeanor offense, served his probation and the matter was resolved.

On the day of his arrest, his wife, DaNae Shin, with whom he has two stepchildren, received a panicked phone call, she wrote on social media. It happened to be her birthday, she said.

“I got a call from John– ‘Honey, I don’t have much time. I’ve been arrested by ICE and they are sending me to a detainment center. I love you and the kids, I will be okay, please call our attorney’ and then he was rushed off the phone,” Shin wrote. “John is not a criminal, he is an amazing husband, father, and person, and I will do whatever it takes to bring him back home.”

While Shin has long been eligible for a green card, Crayk said his family was struggling financially and marriage-based green card fees run around $2,375.

“At the time he married his wife, DaNae, his father died of brain cancer and his wife lost her job,” Crayk said. “So they went through extreme financial crisis, and they’ve been scrimping and saving since that time.”

Since hearing the news, Gordon and several other musicians have been playing at the state Capitol each day, determined to continue doing so to raise awareness until Shin returns home. Gordon, a conductor and violinist for Ballet West, said he’s known Shin for almost a decade and “would do anything” for the fellow violinist and his family. He described Shin as a “top-shelf violinist.”

“He’s got an incredible technique,” said Gordon, who’s also concertmaster of Chamber Orchestra Ogden. “Even more than that, he takes his technique and brings his soul to it. He brings that joy of music-making to the entire community.”

Robert Baldwin, director of orchestras at the University of Utah, where he is also a professor, said he was shocked and angry at the news. Baldwin’s friendship with Shin stretches back more than 15 years to when the violinist began his undergraduate studies at the school. Baldwin said that Shin showed grit early on.

“He was not the top violinist when he arrived. He had a lot of raw talent, and he asked what he needed to do to be, for instance, in the top orchestra,” Baldwin recalled. “He worked his way up. By the time he was a graduate student, he was the concertmaster, meaning the first violinist of the top orchestra.”

Baldwin also said that as Shin progressed, he attempted to create an inclusive environment for his fellow musicians.

“He helped other students acclimate to university life, whether it was a freshman or a new graduate student,” Baldwin said. “I really like the fact that he didn’t take a leadership role and just wear that as a badge and put himself on an ivory tower above everyone else.”

Gordon hopes Monday’s performance in support of Shin conveys a clear message.

“We’re hoping that all that we’re doing is showing just how valuable he is to this community and why he belongs here,” he said. “He absolutely belongs here.”

Utah (0-0,0-0) at UCLA 0-0,0-0)

• Kickoff: Saturday, 9 p.m. MDT

• Venue: Rose Bowl

• Series: UCLA leads 7-3

• Weather: Clear with temperatures in the high 70s at kickoff, falling to low 70s by end of game.

The trends

For Utah: The Utes are looking for redemption this year after a 5-7 season that saw them lose seven consecutive games for the first time in the Kyle Whittingham era.

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Utah is 4-1 in its last five contests against UCLA, including a 14-7 win in Salt Lake City in 2023.

For UCLA: The Bruins are similarly coming off of a 5-7 season and eager to get back in the win column.

What to watch for

It’s going to be a fun quarterback battle between new UCLA quarterback Nico Iamaleava and new Utah signal-caller Devon Dampier, but the key matchup will likely be the Bruins’ offensive line vs. the Utes’ defensive line.

UCLA’s offensive line performed poorly last season, averaging a just 86.6 rushing yards per game and allowing 34 sacks.

The Bruins retooled the line over the offseason — the only returning starter from last year’s offensive line is right tackle Garrett DiGornio — but they’re fairly inexperienced.

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The other four projected starters only played a combined 42 snaps.

Meanwhile, the Utes will have some new starters along the defensive line.

Logan Fano is projected to start at one defensive end spot, with Dallas Vakalahi and Aliki Vimahi, who have previous starting experience, moving into the full-time roles.

It’ll be interesting to see who starts at the other defensive end spot between John Henry Daley, Paul Fitzgerald, Lance Holtzclaw and Kash Dillon, but we’ll give the nod to Daley.

How much has UCLA improved on the offensive line compared to last year? How will Utah’s defensive line fare in the first game of the season?

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This matchup will be one to watch on Saturday.

Key player

Devon Dampier, Utah QB:

All eyes will be on Utah’s new quarterback as he takes the field for the first time as a Ute.

Last season, Dampier was sensational for New Mexico, helping the Lobos to one of the most productive offenses in the entire country while throwing for 2,768 yards and 12 touchdowns and rushing for 1,166 yards and 19 scores.

Utah’s coaches say that Dampier has improved in the areas he needs to — turnovers (12 interceptions last season) and accuracy (57.9% completion rate).

Saturday will be the first chance to see what Dampier and the new offense, called by former New Mexico OC Jason Beck, is made of.

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Can Dampier have the same success offensively at the Power Four level? We’ll find out.

Quotable

“He’s a playmaker. He can throw the ball, he can run the ball. He’s a true dual-threat guy. He’s a tough runner too. He’s not looking for a place to fall down or step out of bounds. He dips his shoulder and has some physicality to his runs.” — Utah coach Kyle Whittingham on UCLA QB Nico Iamaleava

“Just letting the world know that we have a pretty good D-line that’s coming back. You know, we have two guys that, if we we would’ve had them last season, it would have been lights out for a lot of offenses going against us. But I’m just lucky that they had some unfortunate injuries and they were able to come back, they stayed with us. Now, they’re going to be able to show what they can do this year — this week — and it’s just good that we’re going against the type of O-line that we’re going against. They’re going to have some opportunities to make some money” — UCLA coach DeShaun Foster on his defensive line, via BruinReportOnline

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Next up

• Utah: vs. Cal Poly

• UCLA: at UNLV

Utah schedule

• Aug. 30 — at UCLA

• Sept. 6 — vs. Cal Poly

• Sept. 13 — at Wyoming

• Sept. 20 — vs. Texas Tech

• Sept. 27 — at West Virginia

• Oct. 11 — vs. Arizona State

• Oct. 18 — at BYU

• Oct. 25 — vs. Colorado

• Nov. 1 — vs. Cincinnati

• Nov. 15 — at Baylor

• Nov. 22 — vs. Kansas State

• Nov. 28 — at Kansas

SALT LAKE CITY — Utah leaders are scrambling to figure out how to get an approved map ready in time to be used in the 2026 congressional elections after a judge ordered them to redraw the state’s current map.

The ruling, issued Monday by 3rd District Judge Dianna Gibson, states that the current districting map can’t be used “in any future elections.” It also proposed a timeline giving the Utah Legislature 30 days to enact new political boundaries that comply with Proposition 4, which created an independent redistricting commission.

On Friday, attorneys representing the Utah Legislature, as well as those representing the League of Women Voters of Utah and Mormon Women for Ethical Government, spent nearly two hours discussing what happens next.

‘Uncharted territory’

Gibson said her ruling places them in “uncharted territory.” While she proposed a timeline to enact new political boundaries complying with Proposition 4, she said, ultimately, she wants the attorneys to agree on a timeline.

In Friday’s hearing, attorneys discussed how to make time for anticipated challenges while meeting the Nov. 1 deadline that the Legislature requested for having the new map approved by the court.

“This court is not drawing a map. It is the Legislature’s responsibility to ensure that there is a lawful congressional plan in place for the 2026 election,” Gibson said at the beginning of the hearing.

Attorney Mark Gaber, who represents the organizations that filed the lawsuit, said in some states it has fallen to the court to draw a map, and they have hired experts to assist. He said the court’s authority to create a map does not come from Proposition 4, but from the U.S. Constitution.

If the Legislature doesn’t comply with the law, Garber said, having the court draw the map could be the only option to create a valid congressional map.

However, he said it would be his preference that Gibson, instead, pick from other submitted maps, including one from his clients, if she determines the Legislature’s map does not meet the required criteria. He said that with the court’s current ruling, the operative congressional district map is the 2011 map, which is unacceptable because it is based on outdated census numbers.

Gibson said before the courts draw a map, she would need arguments and a briefing to convince her that it is within her responsibility to do so, and not a breach of the separation of powers. She said drawing a map is a legislative role.

Judge: Commission not necessary

Tyler Green, an attorney representing the state of Utah, asked for clarification on what aspects of Proposition 4 the Legislature would need to comply with, specifically inquiring about the requirement for a seven-member commission to draw and propose maps, as well as a 10-day public comment period.

“I think we can either have new maps for the 2026 election or we can have maps that fully comply with all of Proposition 4, but I don’t know that we can have both,” he said.

Gaber said the text of Proposition 4 requires a commission only when there is a new census or if additional congressional districts are allocated, which is not the case here.

He did not concede the requirement for public comment, but he did say he might be willing to agree to having fewer than 10 days available if needed to get a legitimate map. He said that because a new census has not been conducted, there is already public comment available for the Legislature to review. Ten days to review the new map would give much more time for public comment than was available in 2021, he added.

The judge ruled that the commission is not necessary, but she said the public comment time is required under Proposition 4. She said if both attorneys agreed to it, she would approve shortening the 10-day period.

Proposed timelines

Gaber pointed out that the Nov. 1 deadline was not followed in 2021, when the governor signed off on the new districting map on Nov. 12, after it was released on Nov. 5. However, the attorneys ultimately aimed for that date with each schedule they proposed.

Green said multiple times that the Legislature would like as much time as possible to create new maps. He said if they are required to have a 10-day period for public comment, he would also want adequate time to consider those comments. He said the Legislature will need to call a special session — possibly multiple special sessions — in order to meet the requirements, which will impact the timing of the case.

“The Legislature needs time to do its job,” he said.

The attorneys discussed a few specific dates in mid-October, including a Sept. 24 deadline for submitting a map and hearings about whether the map meets the requirements of Proposition 4. Gaber said he preferred earlier in October, while Green preferred later.

Green and Gaber also disagreed on the timeline for the organizations to submit proposed maps. Gaber suggested his clients submit maps along with the Legislature, and then responses to those maps would be due at the same time. Green said the Legislature’s map should be considered first before examining other proposed maps; he said it sounds like the map in Gaber’s proposal would play the role of a commission map, when it should not.

Gibson asked the attorneys to talk and come up with a plan to submit to the court — either together or separately — and she would decide on a final schedule.

Request for a stay

The Legislature’s attorney asked the court, in a brief filed shortly before Friday’s hearing, to put its ruling from earlier this week on hold until any appeals to the Utah Supreme Court and U.S. Supreme Court are final, allowing them to use the 2021 map during that time.

Greene requested that the motion be considered promptly, explaining that if his client wants to ask the Utah Supreme Court for a stay, it first needs to get a ruling on the motion from Gibson.

Gaber argued that it would be “tremendously unjust” to have the 2021 map govern another election cycle due to a stay. He said the people of Utah passed Proposition 4 in 2018 and noted that if the ruling is put on hold, it would be a decade between that vote and when a map that followed the vote could be used for an election.

“This has to be the point at which it stops. This has to be the point at which there is a lawful map that complies with Proposition 4’s substantive requirements,” he said.

After hearing arguments from both sides, Gibson said she wants time to look at the motion more thoroughly before issuing a ruling. She invited the attorneys to submit additional written responses for her to consider within the next few days.