When the Big 12 decided to make a monumental change for this season's Women’s and Men’s respective basketball tournaments, it had to be a flawless and smooth transition that pulled in zero complaints from the coaches, players, and fans.
It is safe to say their change from a standard hardwood court to a full LED video sports floor was not as well-received as they had hoped.
A landmark idea that should have stayed on the shelf
The idea was first announced in mid-February and was backed by ASB GlassFloor as “vetting” was done at the NBA All Star Weekend in 2024, and in FIBA-sanctioned events to prove the court's efficiency.
Certain on-court visual effects that were promised included “Dynamic court designs, shot charts, interactive games for fans during timeouts, and immersive animations following key plays and moments.”
Slips ran rampant on the new court
Texas Tech guard Christian Anderson suffered a groin injury thanks to a slip on the court in the Red Raiders’ 75-53 loss to the No. 5 Iowa State Cyclones on Thursday.
“I’m feeling good,” said Anderson postgame. “You know, obviously the floor is a bit slippery, so I think I just kind of misstepped or did a movement that caused me to slip and kind of ended up in an unnatural position.” Anderson did not return for the rest of the game following his injury with around 8:30 to play in the second half.
“It’s definitely different, it’s a challenge at times. It’s obviously a different surface than what we’re used to playing on and there was some challenging movements today,” quoted head coach Grant McCasland.
“The quickness of guard play, and stop-and-start action, it just has a different response than what we're used to,” finished McCasland.
Jayhawk guard Melvin Council Jr. recently compared the court to the famous Holcombe Rucker Park in New York.
Big 12 commissioner makes the late switch
Minutes ago, after Kansas' quarterfinal 78-73 win over No. 6 TCU, conference commissioner Brett Yormak released a statement confirming that the remainder of the games will be played on hardwood.
🚨BREAKING NEWS🚨
— Matt Norlander (@MattNorlander) March 13, 2026
Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark tells @CBSSports the league is abandoning its LED glass floor and switching to hardwood overnight for the semifinals and title game the next two days. The coaches have agreed to the switch. Here's Yormark's statement. Story TK. pic.twitter.com/OprQjVwGkT
This means that when the Jayhawks take on the No. 2 Houston Cougars Friday night, things will feel as close to home as they can for both squads. Tipoff for that semifinal clash is set for 8:30 p.m. CT with streaming available on ESPN.
Make sure to bookmark Through the Phog and follow us on X and Facebook with the username @Throughthephog