On Thursday, a few weeks after Utah’s Major League Soccer club appeared headed to St. Louis, the Utah House of Representatives voted 48-24 in favor of HB38, which will set aside $35 million to help fund a lavish stadium in Sandy.

The Senate had already given its stamp of approval in a 20-8 vote, and Gov. Jon Huntsman has championed the bill and his signature is a formality.

Following the House vote, Huntsman, Sandy Mayor Tom Dolan, Salt Lake City Mayor Rocky Anderson and others donned personalized jerseys and celebrated on the steps of the Capitol with RSL owner Dave Checketts.

A day later, I’m still wondering why this was cause for celebration. We’ve just wasted $35 million that could have gone to fund critical higher education projects or help boost Utah’s lagging teacher salaries or address the state’s increasing transportation demands.

That $35 million could have been a boon to our state’s healthcare system, too.

But, instead, our state legislators decided to spend it on a soccer team that has won 15 of 64 games in its first two years of existence. Where do I sign up for season tickets?

Now, I have nothing against soccer. It’s a wonderful sport, a beautiful game.

I just don’t think Utah should be spending $35 million on a game. Not when our universities, our teachers, our roadways and our healthcare system, among other things, are in such need.