Month: October 2025

The 2025 Bank of Utah Championship gets underway Thursday with the opening round at Black Desert Resort in Utah. You can find full Bank of Utah Championship tee times for Thursday’s first round at the bottom of this post.

Featured tee time for Round 1

Last year’s Bank of Utah Championship, then known as the Black Desert Championship, was the inaugural playing of the event, and it couldn’t have gone much better for up-and-coming PGA Tour star Matt McCarty.

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Making only his third Tour start at the time, McCarty put together a total score of 23 under to capture his first Tour victory.

With the win, McCarty made his way into 25 Tour events this season, collecting two top-10 finishes. Now he’s hoping to end his season with an exclamation point at Black Desert Resort, just as he did last year.

McCarty tees off for the opening round on Thursday at 3:08 p.m. ET alongside betting favorite Maverick McNealy and Billy Horschel.

You can watch Thursday’s first round of the 2025 Bank of Utah Championship from 5-8 p.m. ET on Golf Channel. You can also stream a live simulcast of Golf Channel’s coverage via NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports App.

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Check out the complete Round 1 tee times for the Bank of Utah Championship below.

2025 Bank of Utah Championship tee times for Thursday: Round 1 (ET)

Tee No. 1

9:55 a.m. – Ryan Palmer, Greyson Sigg, Isaiah Salinda
10:06 a.m. – Sam Ryder, Max McGreevy, Paul Peterson
10:17 a.m. – Will Gordon, Jesper Svensson, Doc Redman
10:28 a.m. – Adam Svensson, Adam Schenk, Christiaan Bezuidenhout
10:39 a.m. – Karl Vilips, Lee Hodges, Seamus Power
10:50 a.m. – Camilo Villegas, Luke List, Emiliano Grillo
11:01 a.m. – Ben Martin, David Lipsky, David Skinns
11:12 a.m. – Cameron Champ, Vince Whaley, Jeremy Paul
11:23 a.m. – Quade Cummins, Kevin Velo, Connor Howe
11:34 a.m. – Harrison Endycott, Vince Covello, Carson Lundell
11:45 a.m. – Cristobal Del Solar, Gordon Sargent, Kihei Akina (a)
2:35 p.m. – Martin Laird, Ryo Hisatsune, Kris Ventura
2:46 p.m. – Chesson Hadley, Doug Ghim, Jackson Suber
2:57 p.m. – Matt NeSmith, Chan Kim, Hayden Springer
3:08 p.m. – Maverick McNealy, Matt McCarty, Billy Horschel
3:19 p.m. – Kurt Kitayama, Max Homa, Alex Noren
3:30 p.m. – William Mouw, Kevin Yu, Nick Hardy
3:41 p.m. – Beau Hossler, Mark Hubbard, Joseph Bramlett
3:52 p.m. – Austin Cook, Kevin Streelman, Patrick Fishburn
4:03 p.m. – Trevor Cone, Matthew Riedel, Yi Cao
4:14 p.m. – Matteo Manassero, Kaito Onishi, Mason Andersen
4:25 p.m. – Taylor Montgomery, Norman Xiong, Preston Summerhays

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Tee No. 10

9:55 a.m. – Hayden Buckley, Rico Hoey, Thorbjørn Olesen
10:06 a.m. – Andrew Putnam, Justin Lower, Chandler Phillips
10:17 a.m. – Scott Piercy, Ben Kohles, Kevin Roy
10:28 a.m. – Steven Fisk, Sahith Theegala, Jason Day
10:39 a.m. – Ryan Gerard, Aldrich Potgieter, Michael Thorbjornsen
10:50 a.m. – Davis Thompson, Stephan Jaeger, Brandt Snedeker
11:01 a.m. – Carson Young, Mac Meissner, Ben Silverman
11:12 a.m. – Alex Smalley, Harry Higgs, Victor Perez
11:23 a.m. – Frankie Capan III, Anders Albertson, Tim Widing
11:34 a.m. – Will Chandler, Philip Knowles, Sebastian Moss
11:45 a.m. – Antoine Rozner, David Ford, Gavin Cohen
2:35 p.m. – Chad Ramey, Dylan Wu, Danny Walker
2:46 p.m. – Lanto Griffin, Patrick Rodgers, Ricky Castillo
2:57 p.m. – Trey Mullinax, Adam Hadwin, Henrik Norlander
3:08 p.m. – Joe Highsmith, Brice Garnett, Taylor Moore
3:19 p.m. – Patton Kizzire, Nick Dunlap, Francesco Molinari
3:30 p.m. – Rafael Campos, Matt Wallace, Tom Hoge
3:41 p.m. – Joel Dahmen, James Hahn, Zac Blair
3:52 p.m. – Noah Goodwin, Thomas Rosenmueller, Owen Stamper
4:03 p.m. – Taylor Dickson, Braden Thornberry, Tommy Sharp
4:14 p.m. – Pierceson Coody, Luke Clanton, Michael Brennan
4:25 p.m. – Takumi Kanaya, John Pak, David Liechty (a)

The post 2025 Bank of Utah Championship Thursday tee times: Round 1 groupings appeared first on Golf.

After more than 14 years in the Utah Senate, which saw him defy his Republican Party leaders and eventually leave the party entirely, Sen. Daniel Thatcher abruptly announced Tuesday he will be stepping down.

Thatcher, a member of the Utah Forward Party since March, made his announcement on social media Tuesday night, saying that he was stepping aside before the upcoming legislative session in order to give his constituents “the best outcome.”

Recently, Thatcher had dealt with the aftereffects of a stroke suffered in 2022 that tested his ability to sustain his work as a senator.

His departure from the body will, it appears, give the fledgling Utah Forward Party, which has just over 2,100 registered members, its first opportunity to select a state senator.

Thatcher won his first election in 2010, knocking off an entrenched Democrat in a district that covered Salt Lake County’s west side.

“I have now served more than half my adult life,” Thatcher said in his retirement announcement. “I am rightfully proud of the work I’ve done, the friends I’ve made, the votes I’ve cast and for always keeping my word, no matter the cost or difficulty.”

Thatcher said Wednesday he hasn’t submitted his official resignation to Senate President Stuart Adams and he would likely wait on that — and to put a date on his departure — until he has assurances the Forward Utah Party and not the Republican Party would get to choose his replacement.

In 2019, he voted against a massive overhaul of the state tax code that would have slashed income taxes while raising the sales tax on food. Legislators later repealed the measure after residents quickly gathered enough signatures to put a referendum to repeal the food tax on the ballot.

He opposed a measure in 2022 that sought to ban transgender girls from competing in high school sports, saying that “we want to protect our girls, but this bill hurts our girls.”

“It hurts the trans community. I think it violates the Constitution. And I think it wastes money,” he said during debate on whether to override Gov. Spencer Cox’s veto of the bill. “It’s political theater.”

In 2021, the Republican Legislature significantly redrew Thatcher’s Senate district, but he fended off Republican challengers and won reelection.

And last August, he voted against a constitutional amendment that sought to empower the Legislature to repeal voter-passed ballot initiatives at will, predicting it would “give us the biggest black eye we could have as a Legislature.”

He spoke at a rally opposing that amendment, saying voters get the final say on whether to change the Utah Constitution. The Utah Supreme Court later struck down the amendment.

“The question before us is: Is there a limit?” he said at the time. “Either there is a limit, and it is this reasonable boundary [the court established], or there is no limit, and we surrender the final bulwark forever.”

Soon after, he lost his long-held spot as chair of the government operations committee, lost his Capitol office and was assigned to sit among the Democratic members of the Senate.

Earlier this year, he cast a loud vote against Senate President Stuart Adams, R-Layton, being reelected as the head of the body — the only member from either party to oppose Adams’ reelection.

Weeks later, he was the only Republican to oppose a bill that would have banned transgender students at Utah universities from living in a dorm that aligns with their gender identity.

“In our rush to show that we’re doing something,” he said during debate on the bill, “I think we’re doing the wrong something.”

In March, Thatcher became the first lawmaker since 2016 to change parties, abandoning the Republican Party to join the Utah Forward Party, frustrated, he said, with the majority party’s unwillingness to listen to constituents and their propensity for enacting laws that limit individual freedom.

“We used to reason together,” he said at the time. “We used to listen to the people who would be impacted by our bills and try to find a way to solve policy problems without creating bigger problems and we just don’t do that anymore. The respect is gone. The human dignity is gone.”

The same week he left the GOP, he had voted against a bill that would facilitate the deportation of legal migrants who commit misdemeanors and another bill that banned pride flags from government property.

And he opposed legislation that sought to crack down on labor unions by prohibiting public employee unions from negotiating with their government employers.

In his resignation announcement, Thatcher said, following state law, the Forward Party would be replacing him in the Legislature.

“It has been a pleasure and an honor to serve in the state Senate,” Thatcher concluded, “I will continue to serve to the best of my ability as this process unfolds; a better process, that respects all voters, and restores the representation necessary for a functional republic. Time to move FORWARD.”

Note to readers • Oct. 22, 9:55 a.m.: The story has been updated to note that Thatcher has not formally submitted his resignation to Senate leaders and has not identified an effective date for his departure.

This is it; the beginning of another season approaches. 82 games lined up like dominoes, one into the other, into the other, toppling in succession in a chain that can only reach one fate. One destination. One result. There is only one finale to this story, and the Utah Jazz will play the catalyst on Wednesday night, sending the first chip into the future for the team’s 2025 season tip-off.

It’s exciting! It’s nerve-wracking. It’s… a little disconcerting. A whole season of basketball opens the door to tremendous potential. Over the next seven months, basketball will spring from the earth like an oil strike. For some, this means tremendous prosperity, legacy, and a chance for immortalization. But for the ragtag bunch who call Salt Lake City home, well, their season begins with few expectations.

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Be honest with yourself: what are your hopes for the season? What do you hope to discover? Witness? Partake in a hearty slice of history? Last year’s Jazz were the most abysmal bunch in the entire NBA. 17 wins were good for the bottom of the barrel. There are benefits, of course, to sitting at the bottom of the barrel. For one, it’s usually the fish near the top who get shot — they’re certainly the easiest targets — but when stacked under the weight of 29 other NBA teams, it’s a steep and grueling climb back to the top.

But Utah has no immediate plans to scale the cliff. They don’t care to challenge the predators for a Finals berth, nor do they have any expectations to even sniff postseason basketball of any sort. No, this is another year of swapping out a sandstone foundation for limestone. It could be a 40-year project, but the Jazz want to build an empire that lasts through the eons and remains standing despite the promise of a Victor Wembanyama stranglehold over the future Western Conference. The Jazz wish for a future where the championship trophy doesn’t just reside in their display case — they want it to have some friends. New numbers to hang in the rafters. A dynasty in the Beehive State.

Some of those future numbers may be on this year’s roster. Number 19 comes to mind; one Airious “Ace” Bailey could be the face of the Utah Jazz and one of the brightest stars in basketball in just a few short years. Perhaps Walker Kessler and Lauri Markkanen take another step forward and light the hardwood ablaze night in, night out. Will Keyonte George, Taylor Hendricks, and Brice Sensabaugh take a collective leap and lead the charge of a worthy NBA competitor?

Or will Jazz fans instead grind their teeth as John Collins yams on his former team with an indulgent 30+ point explosion with Los Angeles? Yeah, there’s another side to this contest, and it’s the Los Angeles Clippers. Always second fiddle in the City of Angels (to clarify, I mean Los Angeles, not Bangkok… that expansion doesn’t happen until 2042), the Clips enter this season on the backs of James Harden, Kawhi Leonard, and Steve Ballmer’s extensive checkbook. The Clippers will, once again, be desperate for a chance at the NBA Finals appearance that has evaded them since they sold their soul (which would eventually materialize into SGA) for Paul George and the aforementioned Leonard.

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Utah will gladly hold the door open for the season’s maiden matchup — if the Clippers win, both teams get what they want. You can catch the season opener on KJZZ and SEG+ at 7:00 PM MT in the Delta Center.

So it begins; another season of Utah Jazz basketball is underway.

Calvin Barrett is a writer, editor, and prolific Mario Kart racer located in Tokyo, Japan. He has covered the NBA and College Sports since 2024.

House Bill 265 — the so-called “Higher Education Strategic Reinvestment” measure — has dramatically altered operations at Utah’s eight public degree-granting institutions.

Earlier this year, the Utah Legislature cut 10% from each school’s budgets — then allowed them in subsequent months to recapture those withheld funds if they successfully “reinvested” in programs determined to be of highest value to both students and Utah’s economy.

HB265 proponents say the historic legislation fosters opportunities that will benefit Utah students — professionally and personally — in a fast-evolving, high-tech world.

But each school’s reinvestment plan has exacted pain. While hundreds of new employee positions are being created, hundreds are also being eliminated.

Meanwhile, academic programs and course offerings have been dramatically altered across Utah’s higher education institutions — with aggressive reinvestment happening in health care, STEM and AI.

No surprise, HB265 has fans — and opponents.

The Deseret News asked several lawmakers and educators to share their opinions and insights on the historic legislation that will likely impact higher education in Utah for years to come.

The question posed to each: “Is higher education in Utah better off than it was a year ago?”

(Some responses have been edited for length.)

Utah lawmakers

Utah House Speaker Mike Schultz, R-Hooper

“Utah set out to do something different — and it’s working.

“Our higher education system is stronger today than it was a year ago because we made a conscious choice to put students first. HB265 has delivered exactly what we hoped for: More efficiency, more opportunities for Utah’s students, and a better connection between our campuses and Utah’s workforce needs.

“Our colleges and universities took on the challenge, identifying $23 million in administrative costs and reinvesting those savings to expand high-impact opportunities for students in engineering, health care, business and technology.

“Best of all, it’ll make higher education more affordable, helping students graduate with less debt. Utah is leading the way in showing that higher education can be both forward-looking and fiscally responsible.

“When we stay focused on students, accountability and outcomes, everyone wins — students, taxpayers and our entire state. And we’re just getting started.”

Sen. Kathleen Riebe, D-Cottonwood Heights, a public school teacher

“I do not believe Utah higher education is better off.

“First, education is our largest employer in 23 counties. In our smaller counties, where Snow College and our Utah State University extensions (operate), this has been a tremendous setback.

“Second, Utah State University was the only university that did not have their budget OK’d because of their previous president — and that president is not picked by Utah State University alone, but vetted by a committee.

“Third, universities are competitive with their peers across the country, and we are continually in the news with education bills that are harmful to the autonomy of an institution of higher learning. Nonresident students pay a higher price and create a windfall for our universities, and I believe this will be a detriment to attracting the best and the brightest to our schools.

“Fourth, these cuts overwhelmingly were to humanities and social sciences classes. In our committee hearings, many of us voiced our disdain for taking away classes that build critical thinkers, and I believe this targets those classes at a higher rate than our other sciences.

“Fifth, nothing in the bill said that they could not target sports — as we have passed bills to fund the NIL programs to bring the best in the brightest to our sports programs. We did not do anything to cut those budgets by 10%.

“Lastly, we could have cut by attrition — draw downs to not encourage new students in those programs. Our universities do amazing things, but to force students to attend a university far from where they live is exactly the opposite of what we are doing to promote rural schools, rural communities and rural success. Leaving that community to attend another university has a high percentage of not returning.”

Senate President Stuart Adams, R-Layton

“When the economy shifts and industries evolve, Utah doesn’t wait. We lead. That’s what sets us apart. That’s why Utah is the best state in the nation. We understand what the future demands and why we’ve prioritized industry-driven degrees that directly align with the needs of our fastest-growing sectors.

“Since the passage of the recent legislation just a few months ago, we’re already seeing real results with strategic reinvestment plans approved by the Executive Appropriations Committee last month. Utah’s colleges and universities are adapting their programs to meet real-world demands.

“We’re not just preparing students; we’re powering Utah’s economy for generations to come. We’re keeping our workforce competitive, adaptable and ready for the future. I appreciate higher education institutions for their commitment and partnership.”

HB265 co-sponsor Rep. Karen Peterson, R-Clinton

“HB265 created a fundamental shift in how our colleges and universities operate, refocusing our efforts not only on better use of tax dollars and tuition, but also on evaluating the programs we offer.

“Each institution identified ways to operate more efficiently, redirecting resources from administration back into the classroom. More than 85% of reinvested dollars — nearly $52 million — are now flowing directly into classroom instruction and research. That’s a win for Utah students.

“Because of HB265, our colleges and universities are investing tens of millions more into degree and certificate programs aligned with Utah’s workforce needs — producing stronger outcomes for students without raising taxes or tuition. This means more highly skilled nurses, engineers, and mental health professionals entering Utah’s workforce.

“When we put student outcomes first, it’s good for families, communities, and the future of our state.”

College professor and Senate Minority Whip Karen Kwan, D-Murray

“It’s a mixed bag. The higher education reinvestment forced institutions to look for efficiencies. That’s always a good thing. But the work was not completed in a systemic way — and it was meant to be done quickly without the full systemic input of faculty, staff, industry and students.

“Do we have the desired (student-demanded) offerings in every region of our state now — and those that students will demand in five years? In 10 or 20 years? That’s hard to say because the workforce changes quicker than we know.

“So the work in reinvestment really needs to be an ongoing, system wide conversation. One that can be nimble enough to change with student demand, industry needs, and faculty expertise year-to-year. And it should never have been tied to funding. Curriculum review and elimination should be carefully considered with expert input that is free of having to cut programs for the sake of hitting an artificial funding goal.

“That pits academic programs against each other in a sort of institutional ‘Hunger Games.’

“This leads some faculty and staff to be confused about their future and their ability to speak out freely. That’s not good. Faculty should feel secure with their academic freedom, but HB265 and the national conversation pitting funding against academic freedom has had a negative impact on curriculum and student resources — the extent of which, in Utah, we will see in the HB265 report due in November.”

Sen. Ann Millner, R-Ogden — HB265 co-sponsor and former president of Weber State University

“HB265 marks a positive step forward for our state’s excellent higher education system. It prioritizes programs that deliver the greatest value to students, ensuring graduates enter the workforce well-prepared.

“While many of its changes are still in the early stages of implementation, the bill has been well-received by higher education institutions and educators, who are preparing for a thoughtful and effective rollout.

“One notable change already underway is the option for fast-tracked three-year programs, which require fewer credit hours and allow students to gain real-world experience earlier in their careers.

“Just a year ago, resources were stretched thin across both high- and low-demand programs. Now, with clearer priorities and targeted investments, Utah is better positioned to support what matters most: our students, educators and future workforce.”

Utah educators

University of Utah President Taylor Randall

“Yes, I believe the University of Utah is stronger and better positioned than it was a year ago.

“HB265 challenged us to ask hard questions about efficiency and alignment with workforce needs — accelerating our own efforts to achieve ‘operation excellence’ through data-driven solutions to advance our Impact 2030 vision.

“Meeting the Legislature’s $20.5 million reallocation and reinvestment mandate was not easy, but it has helped us adopt the right lens moving forward — one that keeps our focus squarely on serving students, supporting Utah’s workforce, and maximizing our impact across the state.”

Jim Mortensen, Utah Valley University vice president of Finance and Auxiliary Services

“Because we receive one of the lowest levels of state funding per student while serving the most students in Utah, UVU has built a strong record of using taxpayer and tuition dollars wisely.

“HB265 supports the careful, data-driven way we make tough budget decisions — and we are grateful for the backing of our campus community and the trust of the Legislature as we focus on student success and Utah’s workforce.”

Utah State University Interim President Alan L. Smith

“While the strategic reinvestment planning process required thoughtful and important decisions on an accelerated timeframe, it has positioned us to ensure we are preparing students for fulfilling careers while meeting our land-grant mission of learning, discovery, and engagement.

“We look forward to the Utah Board of Higher Education naming USU’s 18th president and revisiting our plan for approval.”

(Note: Utah State University’s final strategic reinvestment plan will be examined by the school’s new president, once hired — and then presented to the Utah Board of Higher Education for assessment.)

Paul Morris, Utah Tech University vice president of Administrative Affairs and co-chair of the school’s strategic reinvestment committee

“We believe the reinvestment process will benefit higher education in Utah, but it is too early to say.

“Utah Tech University has started to implement reductions, decreasing the number of administrators. We look forward to relocating those funds to increase the number of full-time faculty in classrooms.”

Utah Commissioner of Higher Education Geoffrey Landward

“Yes, I think our higher education system is on a stronger trajectory today than a year ago.

“The implementation of HB265 complements our ongoing systemwide review processes to ensure programs remain aligned with workforce demand and institutional roles and missions.

“These efforts help institutions make data-informed decisions about where to reinvest resources and how best to meet Utah’s evolving educational and economic needs. The changes over the last year have only helped us strengthen programs and better serve students and the state.”

The Utah Jazz announced a new practice facility today.

Like it says in the video, it will be next to the Utah Mammoth practice facility and the SEG corporate offices. In the video, Ryan Smith mentions this will be an opportunity to build something from scratch. It gives them a chance to build something really cool.

Being next to the Mammoth facility gives the Jazz organization an opportunity for collaboration. I don’t know what that means, but I imagine there may be some amenities that both teams could take advantage of.

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There was also a groundbreaking with speeches from the team and Ryan Smith.

It’s not clear when it will be officially complete, but according to Andy Larsen, it sounds like at least a year from now and possibly more.

It’s another nice addition by Ryan Smith for this team and, in some ways, the community. The better the facilities and experience for these players, the more likely they’ll be to enjoy their time playing with the Jazz. That type of treatment helps keep players here longer, which can help fans build stronger connections with the players. That connection can help grow the popularity of this team with a community that is ready for future success.

The Sundance Film Festival’s swan song in its longtime home of Park City, Utah is lining up to be a true banger, past and present.

“Make your plans now, because I’ll say the number of folks, filmmakers, artists, industry, folks who want to be part of this year’s festival is amazing,” Sundance Festival Director Eugene Hernandez tells Deadline today. “This culmination in Utah, this culmination in Park City, is going to be awesome.”

To that, instead of shifting over to its new home base of Boulder, Colorado for 2027 with a whimper, the festival founded by the late and truly great Robert Redford is leaving the Beehive State resort town and nearby Salt Lake City with a tribute to the Butch Cassidy & the Sundance Kid star and a series of screenings of some of Sundance’s greatest hits.

Along with Park City and SLC celebrations of Redford’s life and work, like a screening of 1969 ski movie Downhill Racer, the January 22–February 1, 2026 SFF will fill its usual more low key second week with sparkling new digital restorations and accompanying panels of alums.

Among the titles announced today, to run from January 27-30, with more likely to come, are Little Miss Sunshine (Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris), House Party (Reginald Hudlin), Half Nelson (Ryan Fleck), American Dream (Barbara Kopple), Mysterious Skin (Gregg Araki), and Saw (James Wan). Additionally, with various throwback and legacy events set at the 100th anniversary celebrating the Egyptian Theatre on upper Main Street, an archival screening of Lynn Shelton’s Humpday, which debuted at SFF 2009, is on the calendar too.

See a full listing of the newly unveiled legacy programs below.

With all that, and more to come, including the final selections and programming categories of world premieres and more, Hernandez chatted with me about what Sundance is planning for 2026, the loss of Bob Redford, and what’s in store for the big move to Boulder, CO for the 2027 festival.

DEADLINE: This is going to be the last year in Park City, which is a big deal for Sundance, but it is also going to be the first year without Bob Redford. What is that like for you?

EUGENE HERNANDEZ: It’s been an emotional few weeks.

It was already an emotional time.

This is a significant change and significant shift for our festival, culminating 40-plus years in Utah, right? What’s grounding for us is that we’re still rooted in Utah.

DEADLINE: Really?

HERNANDEZ: Yes, a third of our staff live there. We have tremendous legacy of programming that will continue in Utah. But with the festival itself leaving Park City in 2027, and then the passing of Mr. Redford a few weeks ago, it’s been really grounding and also really, at the same time, really clarifying. Mr. Redford shared this phrase, “everyone has a story” with us earlier this year, Dom, and it was very meaningful to carry that idea forward. It’s been very clarifying and really, for lack of a better word, helpful, in framing for us, really, and reminding us what, what this festival is, what is Mr. Redford’s legacy.

DEADLINE: Well, let’s get a little personal then – In terms of personal poignancy, what is Sundance, what is Bob Redford’s legacy for you?

HERNANDEZ: I went to this festival in 1993 for the first time, I was just coming out of UCLA, I didn’t know what Sundance was at the time, Dom. I grew up in Southern California near Palm Springs in Indio. I’d never been on a plane, never been in snow, and I kept hearing about these movies. So, for me, Sundance was like Paris Is Burning by Jenny Livingston, or Reservoir Dogs by Quentin Tarantino.

DEADLINE: That’s what it was and still is for a lot of people …

HERNANDEZ: (LAUGHS) Yes. So, I went to the festival in Park City. I’d never been to a festival. didn’t know what a festival was. Went in 1993 and, lo and behold, my very first Sundance Film Festival, I encounter Robert Redford.

I get invited to this private event, a director’s brunch, still happens every year. We’ll do it again this year at the Sundance Mountain Resort, which is the home of where Sundance started, but where the labs happened and everything else. So, I’m invited up to this brunch, and very casual, no press, just like it’s just the artists and a few friends.

And there’s Mr. Redford welcoming people, greeting people, talking to the artists, moving very casually around the room.

This is like a big movie star that, you know, I knew his movies as a kid growing up, but, guess my encounter was just, oh, wait, this, this is something different This is like, we’re in his home, Sundance Resort, place where he lived, the place where he passed. We’re at this place that is this embodiment of Sundance, and the place where Sundance the institute was created, and he’s just casually greeting people and welcoming people and having some remarks at the brunch. So, I think that for me was really eye-opening Dominic, because I had not encountered movie stars in my life. And so for my first encounter with a real movie star to be, to be him, in that environment. I think it changed. It changed my world. It changed my life. It changed my world, opened my eyes.

DEADLINE: I hope you told him that story later in life, like when you became festival director three years ago.

HERNANDEZ: (LAUGHS) I did.

DEADLINE: Looking at changing Sundance’s world, the move to Boulder in 2027 – what are some of the challenges you guys are already encountering? What are the sort of surprises you’re already discovered?

HERNADEZ: Since the announcement earlier this year, we’ve been doing monthly programming in Boulder. We just had a really beautiful event with the film. Come See Me in the Good Light, a really beautiful documentary about Colorado Poet Laureate Andrea Gibson, who passed recently. So, we held a screening in in Boulder a couple weeks ago for like 1000 people at this beautiful amphitheater.

That event, I think, embodies what we’re seeing in Boulder, and the excitement that we’re seeing from the community. Every event we’ve done there so far has completely been filled to capacity, turning people away. It’s been a beautiful opportunity to get to know the community better, and that’s what we’re finding right now. So, we’re heads down on 26, that’s our focus, but we are laying the foundation for 27, and we’ll have a lot more to share on that.

DEADLINE: Okay, but right now, how do you think the move to Boulder after so long in Utah, in Park City, will change Sundance?

HERNANDEZ: I think what’s true is that we’re rooted in a mission that was established by Robert Redford decades ago.  I feel this very deeply, and you can probably understand why, given the story I just told you about how the festival, and the Institute transformed me and was so impactful for me back in my twenties, when I went for the very first time.

My job, I think, is to be a caretaker of this festival for the period of time that I’m here. So, when you ask about Boulder and the move, my job is to help figure out how we can bring that mission that Mr. Redford established to this new community.

I think the heart and soul of Sundance that Mr. Redford created will remain the same, about story. How it will express itself will be different, it will be.

DEADLINE: Why?

HERNANDEZ: Because it will look different, some of the venues might look and feel a little different from what folks are used to, but I have complete confidence that that we are able to continue sharing Mr. Redford’s mission. Maybe we’ll be able to spread our wings a little bit in a place that’s a little bit bigger and such. But I still I think that really the work that we’ll do and continue doing as we build towards 27 is just how to hold on to that heart and soul, while maybe expressing it in new ways in 27.

DEADLINE: Let’s stick with Park City a bit, how close are you guys to final selections, a final program for 2026?

HERNANDEZ: We’re on track. We’re on track.

DEADLINE: Eugene! What does that mean?

HERNANDEZ: (LAUGHS) We’re where we should be.

You know, in about a month now, we’ll have a program that’s pretty tight and pretty locked, and we’re on track. So that’s great. I’ll admit, we gave a couple extensions to a few filmmakers, so that we could look at some things that are a little bit further along, and in context.

So, we’re watching a lot of films on links. We’re getting together as a programming team. I’m in L.A. right now. Spending a lot of time in New York, but I’m in L.A. right now with the programming team so that we can meet up in person. This week, we’ll watch some films together as a group in a movie theater, we do that occasionally as well, so we’re on track with that. At the same time, what we wanted to share this week is that we’ve put together this program that was already in the works before Mr. Redford’s passing, but I think takes on an even greater significance and weight in the wake of his passing.

DEADLINE: I don’t think anyone is going to disagree with that.

HERNANDEZ: And it’s timely too, Dom, especially for Deadline’s audience…

DEADLINE: Well, we hope so …

HERNANDEZ: Passes and packages are going on sale today. We’ve already had a great response to some of the early sales and things that we’ve been doing. So, I would encourage your audience to show up, to stick around, to try to hang out a bit for a few extra days in Park City in January, and enjoy some of this legacy programming – and don’t sleep on getting those passes and packages before they sell out.

Make your plans now, because I’ll say the number of folks, filmmakers, artists, industry, folks who want to be part of this year’s festival is amazing. This culmination in Utah, this culmination in Park City, is going to be awesome. And, as I said, we’re going to have more really fun stuff to share soon.

SUNDANCE 2026 SPECIAL PROGRAMS

PARK CITY LEGACY FILMS

Park City Legacy films are archival screenings of titles that premiered at previous editions of the Sundance Film Festival, allowing new audiences to experience these stories in a theatrical setting and giving audiences the opportunity to discover and rediscover the films that have shaped the heritage of both Sundance Institute and independent storytelling.

American Dream / U.S.A.(Director & Producer: Barbara Kopple, Producer: Arthur Cohn)— When workers at the Hormel meatpacking plant in Austin, Minnesota, are asked to take a substantial pay cut in a highly profitable year, the local labor union decides to go on strike and fight for a wage they believe is fair. But as the work stoppage drags on and the strikers face losing everything, friends become enemies, families are divided, and the very future of this typical mid-American town is threatened. Participants: Lewie Anderson, R.J. Bergstrom, Ron Bergstrom, Wayne Goodnature, Jim Guyette, Jesse Jackson.

*In attendance will be Barbara Kopple.

Half Nelson / U.S.A. (Director & Screenwriter: Ryan Fleck, Screenwriter & Producer: Anna Boden, Producers: Lynette Howell Taylor, Rosanne Korenberg, Alex Orlovsky, Jamie Patricof) — A New York City middle school teacher with a drug habit forms an unlikely friendship with one of his students after she discovers his secret. Cast: Shareeka Epps, Ryan Gosling, Tina Holmes, Anthony Mackie, Deborah Rush, Jay O. Sanders.

*In attendance will be Ryan Fleck, Anna Boden, and others.

House Party / U.S.A. (Director & Screenwriter: Reginald Hudlin, Producer: Warrington Hudlin ) — Kid decides to go to his friend Play’s house party, but neither of them can predict what’s in store for them on what could be the wildest night of their lives. Cast: Tisha Campbell, Full Force, Robin Harris, A.J. Johnson, Martin Lawrence, Kid ‘N Play.