IRVING, Texas (AP) — The Big 12 Conference will play its men’s and women’s basketball tournaments on a high-tech glass floor embedded with LED technology that will allow the conference to feature data-driven graphics, advertising and even games for fans during timeouts.
The floors have been used for events at the 2024 NBA All-Star Game in Indianapolis and in Europe, but ASB GlassFloor and the Big 12 said Wednesday that the March tournaments in Kansas City, Missouri, will be the first time that official competitions in the United States will be played on one.
“I’m an old school guy,” Kansas men’s coach Bill Self said in a statement. “But this has me thinking of new school ways, and from what I’ve seen and heard, this is the wave of the future.”
The courts have an aluminum and steel spring-action design that allows them to mimic the flexibility of a hardwood floor. The LED panels have a ceramic coating with dots etched into the glass for grip and a consistent surface without “dead spots” or other quirks that can occur with natural wood.
“Our team had the opportunity to practice on it back in November, and it was an incredible experience,” Baylor women’s coach Nicki Collen said. “The court is not only visually impressive, but it plays well and represents where our sport is headed."