Angels to get a new home

OREM — This time around, the Provo Angels crossed their t's and dotted their i's. A contract has been signed — the Provo Angels really do have a permanent home.

Utah Valley State College unveiled plans for a $3.5 million stadium on Wednesday, complete with up to an estimated 5,000 seats. Parkway Crossing Stadium will house both the UVSC Wolverine baseball team as well as the Angels.

"We've been waiting for this day for a long time," said owner Rob Owens, whose team has played its first three seasons at Brigham Young University while waiting for a permanent home. "We feel like Thanksgiving has come a few months early."

Developers Craig Pickering and Heath Johnston donated $1.7 million to secure naming rights to the stadium. The pair is building Parkway Crossing, a student village near UVSC that will house more than 5,000 students when completed.

Pickering has a close relationship with UVSC athletic director Mike Jacobsen. The developer's daughter is married to Jacobsen's son, and the two have lived in the same Springville neighborhood for years. Jacobsen was Pickering's high school teacher about 26 years ago.

But that strong relationship had no bearing on Pickering's decision to donate to the school, he said. He said he just wanted to be a good neighbor.

"We are not having our arm twisted," Pickering said. "This is a donation, a gift we are extremely excited about and look forward to a prolonged and engaging strong relationship with the county and the school for many years to come."

The Angels were supposed to have a stadium in Provo, although the team never signed a contract with the city to build one.

But don't throw out those Provo Angels T-shirts just quite yet. Even though the team will move to Orem, they will still be called the Provo Angels for at least one more season. The Angels are negotiating with Brigham Young University to play another season at Larry H. Miller Field while their permanent home is being built, Owens said.

Once the Angels move to Orem, the team name will likely be changed, Owens said. Sources close to the team say that the team is considering names such as the Utah County Angels and the Happy Valley Angels.

"We'll still be at BYU next year, so for now we're the Provo Angels," Owens said. "As to the name for the team going forward, that's all up for discussion at this point."

The real question is Sunday play. The Angels' contract with BYU prohibited the team from playing or practicing at BYU on Sundays. This irked Minor League Baseball officials and other teams in the Pioneer League.

"We're under some pressure from Minor League Baseball and from our league to try and play on Sundays, so it's a subject for discussion," Owens said.