“The matriarch of this state” — that’s the nickname Utah Governor Spencer Cox gave Gail Miller. And honestly, it’s the perfect way to describe the American businesswoman, who, even at 81, does everything she can to keep her late husband’s legacy alive by spearheading the Larry H. Miller Company. While that’s one way to know her, the sporting world primarily recognizes the entire family as the former owners of the NBA’s Utah Jazz, a franchise they held for over 35 years before allegedly selling it for $1.66 billion. Now, less than five years after that whopping deal, the Miller family and their Miller Sports & Entertainment Group are back in the game — but on a different field this time! In case you missed it, they’ve successfully acquired a majority stake in RSL Football Holdings, the parent company that runs the city’s MLS and NWSL franchises, Real Salt Lake and the Utah Royals.

The announcement was made on Friday during a presser at America First Field. An alleged fee of $600 million was paid by Miller Sports and Entertainment to renowned American investor David Blitzer, a cap table overhaul move leaving him with a minority stake. Technically, the latest deal sees him take the position of Smith Entertainment Group led by billionaire Ryan Smith, as he has permanently exited the RSL holdings.

As per the sources of The Athletic, the fee covers not only the men’s and women’s soccer clubs but also MLS Next Pro’s Real Monarchs, their home stadium — America First Field in Sandy — as well as the facility assets, known as the Zions Bank Training Center in Herriman.

Notably, it was back in 2022 when David Blitzer purchased RSL from American magnate Dell Loy Hansen while partnering with Ryan Smith. A fee of around $400 million was splurged by Blitzer as he even oversaw the relaunch of Utah Royals in NWSL in 2024.

Earlier, The Athletic had learned that Blitzer had offered the Smith Entertainment Group a chance to be a majority owner of RSL and the Royals. However, the latter declined the offer in the good faith of focusing more on the Jazz that he acquired from the Miller family, as well as the recently launched NHL side, Utah Hockey Club. On top of that, knowing the Miller family had emerged as a local ownership group ready to take over, Smith eventually ignored his right to buy the teams.

“We are glad that soccer is staying in Utah, and Gail Miller is an ideal local steward to lead Utah’s professional soccer franchises moving forward,” even added Smith to the same source, insisting he will always support both soccer clubs. In the meantime, he is keen to capitalize on the right time to narrow his focus on the NBA and NHL franchises, hoping to make the “biggest impact” in Utah and its sports community.

Either way, this is quite a huge development for both soccer clubs of Utah, especially the Royals, who are now being backed by some serious and affluent investors. Yet, there remains a potential fear in the eyes of ardent fans!

NWSL community questions Utah Royals’ future despite $600M deal

In a moment where the whole city should celebrate this remarkable sporting deal, many in Utah are rather stressing over the NWSL club’s prospects moving ahead. All of these concerns were listed by Reddit users and we feel they are valid in some way or the other.

To begin, one user shared the statement from the Millers upon the completion of their takeover. “Our family is excited to join Real Salt Lake and the Utah Royals. We love the growth of soccer as a family-friendly and unifying experience in our state. We are grateful to partner with David Blitzer and the other dedicated investors in building these strong teams.”

Initially, if you judge by the words, the Utah-based group is seemingly motivated to further take the beautiful experience of the game a notch above. Yet somehow, this user isn’t ready to trust the new majority stakeholders when it comes to the Royals, writing, “I don’t know why I don’t like this phrasing.” Does this mean that the Miller family has something else going on in their minds, especially when it comes to the NWSL’s 13th franchise?

However, many came to brush all the negative talk under the rug, expressing their confidence in the new controlling owners of the Royals. Sure, one may argue that it is hard to trust the new generation of the Miller family, but that’s exactly what they’ll be looking to prove the naysayers wrong. 

Fun fact; David Blitzer is the first individual to have an equity stake in each of America’s five major U.S. sports leagues. It includes the NFL’s Washington Commanders, NBA’s Philadelphia 76ers, NHL’s New Jersey Devils, MLB’s Cleveland Guardians, and MLS’ Real Salt Lake. But wait, it doesn’t end here.

Blitzer’s soccer portfolio extends beyond the States, having invested in many revered clubs across Europe. It includes Crystal Palace (England), FC Augsburg (Germany), ADO Den Haag (Netherlands), Sportkring Beveren (Belgium), AD Alcorcón (Spain’s third-tier), and G.D. Estoril Praia (Portugal). Hearing about such a remarkable portfolio only made David a perfect man to spearhead the RSL and the Royals.

But he eventually decided to give up the controlling stake, believing the franchise deserved someone who was not only local but also “immensely embedded in their community.” The answer, of course, was the Miller family — unlike Smith, who, according to one user, was criticized for not dedicating enough time to RSL Football Holdings, even though the same user also admitted to not being a fan of the Millers either.

“I think this should be a good thing for Royals/RSL. Smith really seemed to show zero interest in soccer and after adding his new pet project with the NHL team, there was no way that was changing anytime soon. I don’t love the Millers as a family but it is hard to argue they haven’t done a lot for the community,” said the user, hoping the Millers put their unlimited resources to best use and do ‘pretty special things’ for RSL/The Royals.

Meanwhile, one fan raised an interesting point about another crucial aspect of the deal. For context, Sportico valued Real Salt Lake at around $525 million and the Utah Royals at just $70 million. Based on that equation, the Millers’ $600 million purchase — especially when compared to David Blitzer’s $400 million acquisition of both the MLS and NWSL franchises just two years ago — sparked a fair debate with comments like: “I’d be interested to see how much of that valuation was the Royals,” and “from less than $2M 2 years ago, to $600M. Quite a profit!”

It’s certainly food for thought. Either way, these are valid concerns that passionate fans aren’t taking lightly. As for what the future holds — for both RSL and, perhaps more importantly, the Royals’ place in the NWSL — only time will tell.

In the meantime, share your thoughts in the comments below.