KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Big 12 Conference will ditch its sleek new glass floors in favor of hardwood floors for the final two days of games.
“After consulting with the coaches of our four semifinal teams, I have decided that in order to give our student-athletes the greatest comfort on the big stage this weekend, we will transition to the hardwood for the remainder of our games,” Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark said in a statement Thursday night. “We look forward to an exciting semifinal and championship game.”
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The Big 12 announced last month that the men’s and women’s games will be played on Surface, a surface made with ASB GlassFloor that has been used for the NBA All-Star Game and European games but has never been used for an official game in the United States before.
In many cases, players slip, even slightly, while trying to plant.
“I had no personal involvement in (the decision),” Kansas coach Bill Self said Thursday night after beating TCU 78-73 in the final game played on the glass floor. “If other coaches are doing it, they’re motivated and they get more than I do. Because I’m not involved in it at all.”
He then added: “I think it’s the right thing to do.”
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Rather than traditional wood, the flooring features an aluminum and steel spring-action design designed to mimic the flexibility of hardwood. The LED panel, which enables the league to display everything from data-driven graphics to advertising, features a ceramic coating and small dots etched into the glass that create a consistent grip with traditional surfaces.
The ball seemed to bounce like normal, but made a different “pop” sound. The sneakers were squeaking much more than usual. But the biggest difference is traction: Many players could have slipped, but they did.
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