Unlike natural grass football fields, which can simply be painted depending on the occasion, basketball courts have been notoriously difficult to change depending on the event. However, the court that the Big 12 is rolling out for its conference tournament fixes that problem.
Ahead of the Big 12 men’s and women’s basketball tournaments at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Missouri, the conference has rolled out an LED video sports floor that can have unique video features and change with the push of a button, marking the first time such a court will ever be used in a competitive college basketball game.
“The Big 12 came in and they see the value of this,” said Chris Thornton, ASB GlassFloor CEO of the Americas, via the Kansas City Star. “They see the benefits on the players. A lot of the Big 12 teams came through Orlando, practiced on the floor as well. So a lot of the teams have already been on this floor once or twice, and they love it.”
How Does It Work?
Underneath the court, LED lights are embedded inside spring-action metal. The top surface is glass, but it’s not slick or slippery thanks to a dotted, dark ceramic coating burned into the top of the glass that only one factory in the world can make, Thornton said.
“The ceramic dots, they’re specifically placed at the right amount of distance apart to give you that more consistent grip. You’ll never have a dead spot or a low spot on this floor,” Thornton said.
In fact, Thornton says that the court is actually safer for athletes than a traditional wood floor, causing less wear-and-tear on the body.
“It’s lighter on the athlete’s body, it’s lighter on their knees, it’s lighter on their ankles,” Thornton said.
“So it’s safer, and the athletes feel more comfortable when they’re running, and they have that same grip, if not a more consistent grip than a hardwood floor,” Thornton continued, “because this is all done by computer.”
Totally Customizable
The biggest allure of the court is the fact that it is completely and instantly customizable. The court can be controlled by an iPad with the entire design changed with the push of a button.
“It’s basically a big TV screen at the end of the day,” Thornton said.
Fans can expect to see things like shot charts, stats, interactive fan games during timeouts, and animations during a game’s big moments.
“You’re going to see some small movements in the court, but at timeout, it becomes a dynamic takeover,” Thornton said. “Halftime, a dynamic takeover. We’ve got some really cool, creative stuff we’re going to unveil during the tournament.”
But Thornton was quick to insist that despite the obvious entertainment value, it is an athletic playing surface, first and foremost.
“We are laser focused on being an athletic surface, because this was engineered for elite athletes, at the end of the day. It wasn’t engineered to be in entertainment. I think that just comes along with it … and if the athletes didn’t like playing on this, we wouldn’t be sitting here right now at the Big 12 championship.”
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