Most Popular Sport In Utah Isn’t What You Think

The High School Sport in Utah That Has the Most Participation 

When you think of the biggest sport in Utah, you probably think of football and if not than it must be basketball. Every high school in the state has a football team and every rec center, club, and every church has a basketball gym. But neither of those sports are the biggest participation wise.  

If you want to be on the sport the most athletes compete in, strap on some running shoes. That’ right, track and field is where it's at. Utah gets the most participation in running, jumping, and throwing sports. 

It Still Seems Like It Should Be Football 

The key to understanding this is when you combine boys’ and girls' sports. There is no girls football program, so you can see why football wasn’t the largest. If you only include boys, it does top the list followed by track and field. 

The most popular sport for girls is track and field followed by soccer. This isn’t the same for every state. Many of the coastal states the top sport for girls is volleyball. In North Carolina, cheer is the biggest and in Louisiana dance/drill is the second most in participation. 

Read More: Where Is The Big New Soccer Complex In Southern Utah?

So, there you go. If you can run fast or for an incredibly long distance, you are in the right state. Our focus on track and field shows up in our universities and the Olympics. Utah was well represented in this year's games in Paris.