Estimated read time: 1-2 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah Jazz are adding their name to the growing list of sports franchises that have distanced themselves from Papa John’s following racial remarks made by the company’s founder last week.
The Jazz will not renew their partnership with the pizza chain when their contract runs out before the 2018-2019 season starts, league sources confirmed with KSL.com Thursday.
The decision to move away from the Papa John’s would include the end of the team’s “JAZZ50” promotional deal, in which fans receive 50 percent off pizza orders from the chain after a Jazz win.
The Jazz join more than a dozen other sports franchises who have backed away or suspended their partnerships with Papa John’s after a July 11 Forbes report that the company’s founder John Schnatter used a racial slur during a company meeting earlier this year.
Schnatter resigned as the company’s chairman of the board after the report.
In addition to the Jazz’s decision, University of Utah released a statement earlier Thursday that the university is “reviewing its Papa John’s contract and evaluating other options for the Union food court.”
“The U. has taken immediate action to remove all images of John Schnatter from the location and is working to replace the pizza boxes featuring his image,” the statement added.
