Standardized NCAA courts

[Sodboy13]

black and blue don't look good together.

That.

I'd almost say that's the exception that proves the rule. I'd never believe navy and black would work side-by-side until I saw that beauty.

[dfwabel]

But these aren't like bowl games, where the hot cities tend to have festivals playing up the events. They're neutral site games. To be as neutral as possible, the NCAA has ordered the host sites to be as homogenized as possible. That includes covering all advertising and references to the buildings' other tenants.

By keeping the courts as similar as possible, they reduce the risk of a playing surface contributing to a team's performance (whether it be "dead spots", slippery decorations, etc.)

Exactly. Guys, when a city and the host institution bids for the tournament, they know just what they are getting into. Like when the NFL hosts a super Bowl, the NCAA takes over your facility.

There is a 350+ page manual which the host school receives which details the specifications for the venue, all the way down to blue carpet and the script for the PA announcer. As far as the floors themselves, following thy are not stored, they are refinished and sold.

Here is a link to the Final Four floor

Plus, if anyone has been to a tournament session, one knows that they are the most sterile atmospheres in US sport even before the standard floor and goals. The lack of a home team is part of the case, the lack of alcohol (unless you are in a suite) is another.

[BBTV]

black and blue don't look good together.

That.

I'd almost say that's the exception that proves the rule. I'd never believe navy and black would work side-by-side until I saw that beauty.

I'll concede - that is the ONLY occasion where navy and black have worked together. The NCAA's shade of blue works fine with black. Non-navy blue and black are OK together in an athletic context. In everyday fashion, no freaking way (possible exception given to denim).

But these aren't like bowl games, where the hot cities tend to have festivals playing up the events. They're neutral site games. To be as neutral as possible, the NCAA has ordered the host sites to be as homogenized as possible. That includes covering all advertising and references to the buildings' other tenants.

By keeping the courts as similar as possible, they reduce the risk of a playing surface contributing to a team's performance (whether it be "dead spots", slippery decorations, etc.)

Exactly. Guys, when a city and the host institution bids for the tournament, they know just what they are getting into. Like when the NFL hosts a super Bowl, the NCAA takes over your facility.

There is a 350+ page manual which the host school receives which details the specifications for the venue, all the way down to blue carpet and the script for the PA announcer. As far as the floors themselves, following thy are not stored, they are refinished and sold.

Here is a link to the Final Four floor

Plus, if anyone has been to a tournament session, one knows that they are the most sterile atmospheres in US sport even before the standard floor and goals. The lack of a home team is part of the case, the lack of alcohol (unless you are in a suite) is another.

It's a shame - the Sixers were forced to take down the banner honoring the late Dave Zinkoff, due to the NCAA's rule.

I like the standardized courts, but agree that they could be color coded by site / region. The black and blue one looks great though.

[The_Admiral]

That banner rule is pretty overindulgent. We now raise the #77 of Raymond Bourque, where it will remain forever, until #8 Butler plays #9 Wake Forest at 11 in the morning. The NCAA can go sit on a pole.

[ElwoodCuse]

As far as the floors themselves, following thy are not stored, they are refinished and sold.

Here is a link to the Final Four floor

Every single one? I knew that the winning team got the option to buy the Final Four court, but all these silly blue and black ones from each regional get used once and then sold?

[KevinMcD]

That banner rule is pretty overindulgent. We now raise the #77 of Raymond Bourque, where it will remain forever, until #8 Butler plays #9 Wake Forest at 11 in the morning. The NCAA can go sit on a pole.

Yea, I was surprised to see the Sabres retired numbers and division championship banners taken down at the HSBC Arena. I can understand the advertisements, but not the banners and Sabres logos on the scoreboards covered.

Why is Providence College allowed to keep their banners up? Because they are the hosts?

[ElwoodCuse]

NCAA banners get to stay, I guess.

[LMU]

At least they're not like the Olympics by making corporate-named arenas temporary rename themselves to, say, "Providence Basketball House."

[dfwabel]

As far as the floors themselves, following thy are not stored, they are refinished and sold.

Here is a link to the Final Four floor

Every single one? I knew that the winning team got the option to buy the Final Four court, but all these silly blue and black ones from each regional get used once and then sold?

Correct, each floor is returned to the contractor which seals and paints the graphics. Once back, they get re-sanded, and painted for the new customer.

[dfwabel]

NCAA banners get to stay, I guess.

The college banners can stay.

The NCAA General Championship Site handbook covers most of these issues. In terms of the venue:

*Championships competition that will be televised by an NCAA-approved rights holder

will not be permitted at a site that has advertising displays for liquor, tobacco, beer

or wine companies; professional sports organizations; or organizations promoting

gambling. By a two-thirds vote of the members present and voting, the Division I

Championships/Competition Cabinet may grant a waiver of this requirement. The

president shall be authorized to act on behalf of the cabinet in granting such a waiver

if scheduling requirements preclude consideration of a waiver request by this group.

*Contracts relating to advertising/signage within the championship venue must

be disclosed to the NCAA before the time the NCAA designates the facility as a

championship site. Except when expressly prohibited by contracts entered into before the date the facility is selected by the NCAA, there shall be no advertising, banners,

signs or displays of any kind, including those of NCAA corporate champions and/or

partners, to be hung, posted or displayed anywhere within the facility proper (i.e., any

place that can be seen from spectator seating areas), including the scoreboard, other

than the NCAA banners and broadcast banners as approved in advance by the NCAA.

Any permanently affixed or leased advertising, banners, signs or displays in the facility,

including lighted displays or dioramas [Note: If these cannot be covered, they must not

be back lit.] shall be covered by the facility at its expense, as designated by the NCAA.

The facility must use its best efforts to negotiate the removal or coverage of advertising

of those that contractually require signage to remain visible for all events. In particular,

the facility will endeavor to have the following advertising obstructed from view:

a. Advertising displays for lotteries, casinos or organizations promoting open sports

gambling.

b. Banners, signs, displays or advertising mentioning or promoting any professional

sports organizations.

c. Advertising displays for liquor, tobacco, beer (including nonalcoholic beer) or wine

products.

5. NCAA corporate champion and/or partner banners should be displayed on the

concourse (for indoor championships) or at the entrance (for outdoor championships),

preferably at eye level. They include grommets for hanging and will be shipped from

CBS Sports to the appropriate contact.

[fuzzy510]

Why is Providence College allowed to keep their banners up? Because they are the hosts?

Yes. Anything related to the host institution is allowed to stay.

[gueman]

Isn't one of the reasons a city/school bids for the games is to showcase itself to the nation? The event attendance is small potatoes in relationship to the host city getting a lot of PR. But with the NCAA trying to make each location as neutral and sterile as possible those cities would be better off bidding for a convention or other event. If you can't promote your area in conjunction with the game then what is the point.

[zmspartans]

ahem ....... im just gonna go ahead and say it .... i like the idea. i like the uniformity of it . if you wanna know where its being played, just look at the baseline or look at your bracket.

[The_Admiral]

At least they're not like the Olympics by making corporate-named arenas temporary rename themselves to, say, "Providence Basketball House."

I loved "Canada Hockey Place." Hey, where is the place where Canada is hosting hockey? Oh, Canada Hockey Place. How would you describe the country? Canada = hockey place. In the gold medal game, it was a subliminal admonition to settle for silver: Canada hockey, place! You can play with this all day. It's like "you never did the Kenosha kid."

[dfwabel]

Isn't one of the reasons a city/school bids for the games is to showcase itself to the nation? The event attendance is small potatoes in relationship to the host city getting a lot of PR. But with the NCAA trying to make each location as neutral and sterile as possible those cities would be better off bidding for a convention or other event. If you can't promote your area in conjunction with the game then what is the point.

Each city is mentioned constantly. I do not recall Verne saying, "Dunkin Donuts Center" once, but Providence was sure mentioned.

The NCAA pays to rent the facility for the week. In addition, the host arena will receive 10 percent of gross ticket sales, plus any money it makes from the concessions. Parking is another issue, but since most venues are off campus, then local merchants gain. As far as conventions or other events, I'll use Providence as an example, less music acts have toured to mid-sized venues like theirs, and the number of concerts there dropped from 25%n. Attendance was off at family events, such as the circus, and when people did show up, they spent less money.

As I said before, even with a school/facility floor, the venues have had a sterile feel since the first year I went to a tournament game in 1990.

[gashousegang]

Since the NCAA has to control everything, the special floors are a lot better than some of the alternatives we've seen in the past at the men's tournaments or at the early round games for the women. I'd much rather see the generic floor than the silly stickers that make the floors look even worse. There is a huge NCAA logo over over one of the Bank of America Arena logo in Seattle which is hosting the early rounds of the women's tournament. With the trend of massive logos becoming the norm, a simple sticker at midcourt isn't always enough. Imagine what the floor at the Carrier Dome would look like if the NCAA tried to put something at midcourt over the huge Syracuse logo. Take a look at the West Regional floor in Phoenix (

)from when Gonzaga first arrived with the streaks from the Suns logo sticking out and a different shade of purple over the baseline wordmarks of the Phoenix Suns. It just made it look sloppy, not to mention the safety issues.

I also noticed that they moved the host logos to right in front of each bench in the corners this year instead of near midcourt where most arenas have their logo. This makes it hard to see them and I'm sure the schools, especially some of the smaller schools like a Jacksonville might be a little disappointed in this lack of exposure.

[fuzzy510]

Fine, don't just put stickers on the court. I'm OK with that, and I know how much of a pain in the ass it can be to try and get those things right. But if you're going to go to the trouble of making a new court for everybody, is it really so hard to maintain some of the same personality? Why make every court the same damn black and blue?

[njmeadowlanders]

I'll concede - that is the ONLY occasion where navy and black have worked together. The NCAA's shade of blue works fine with black. Non-navy blue and black are OK together in an athletic context. In everyday fashion, no freaking way (possible exception given to denim).

Which I never understood...why is it that jeans work with just about anything? Is it just because we're all so completely used to it that we've not only accepted it but don't even think twice about it anymore? Just b/c it's always been that way?

[VandyDelphia Mike]

Fine, don't just put stickers on the court. I'm OK with that, and I know how much of a pain in the ass it can be to try and get those things right. But if you're going to go to the trouble of making a new court for everybody, is it really so hard to maintain some of the same personality? Why make every court the same damn black and blue?

This, especially in light of what's below.

Correct, each floor is returned to the contractor which seals and paints the graphics. Once back, they get re-sanded, and painted for the new customer.

[BRice16]

As far as the floors themselves, following thy are not stored, they are refinished and sold.

Here is a link to the Final Four floor

Every single one? I knew that the winning team got the option to buy the Final Four court, but all these silly blue and black ones from each regional get used once and then sold?

No, many of them are boxed up and returned to the manufacturer for storage. The manufacturer can refinish and sell it, but they are under contract to provide a certain number of courts each year.

The Final Four court is almost always purchased by the national champions. Some chop it up and sell it, others (Florida) have it refinished and play on it.