Big 12 commissioner defends glass court at tournament. Some have voiced concerns
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Big 12 commissioner defends LED glass court at tournament amid mixed player feedback.
- Referees praise court’s shock absorption; coaches offer general praise.
- Some players call surface slippery; a few voiced dislike but avoided blaming it.
For all the scuttlebutt about the Big 12’s new LED glass court, reviews have mostly been positive from players and coaches.
That was the case throughout the Big 12 women’s basketball tournament. Several players said they appreciated the innovative court. Others, however, noted the surface is more slippery, causing players to adjust.
Colorado guard Desiree Wooten said she didn’t like it at all.
The strongest rebuke came Tuesday night, when a Kansas State player ripped the glass court and said it caused a teammate’s migraine.
“It’s a bad court,” added K-State forward Taj Manning. “... Nobody wants to play on that floor.”
But for the most part, players and coaches have refused to blame the court for in-game mishaps. And commissioner Brett Yormark said in a news conference earlier Tuesday that he is hearing mostly positive feedback.
“When you innovate and you want to disrupt in a positive way, you’re never going to get 100% buy-in,” Yormark said.
The commissioner began his responses by asking media members how they liked the court themselves.
“I’m very happy with where we are,” Yormark continued, “but we’re monitoring the feedback and making adjustments.”
ASB GlassFloor, the Germany-based company that owns the court, claims the floor is better for the wear and tear of athletes. Yormark hasn’t heard from athletes but said he has heard from referees who have agreed with that point.
“Every official last week came up to me and said, ‘Brett, this is going to help me if we ever play on this court again. It’s going to help me prolong my career,’” Yormark said. “Because it’s providing them some shock absorption for their knees.”
As the men’s tournament begins, Kansas coach Bill Self brought his Jayhawks to practice at T-Mobile Center for 30 minutes Monday to get adjusted, a move he is glad to have made because of the alternate footing. He expressed some concerns over the more slippery surface, saying there’s better traction at the Jayhawks’ home venue of Allen Fieldhouse.
Another coach chimed in Tuesday.
After the first game of the men’s tournament, between Baylor and Arizona State, Baylor coach Scott Drew had high remarks for the new floor that’s slated to be at the tournament for another two years.
“I thought that was a great showcase, a great addition. I would see in the future a lot of NBA and college teams having a floor like that,” Drew said after the Baylor loss.
The floor was used for the 2024 NBA All-Star Weekend.
Baylor players mostly said the court was “cool” and that they didn’t mind the different experience.
“I wouldn’t say it feels the same, like with the grip and everything, it has a little bit of give to it,” Baylor guard Cameron Carr said. “It feels good to jump on. Doesn’t hurt your legs as much, but it’s a little bit slippery, honestly.”
“It gave a lot more than the hardwood courts and softer jumping, landing,” Baylor center Caden Powell said. “I didn’t really notice too much slip, but I thought it was cool.”
This story was originally published March 11, 2026 at 7:00 AM.
