Big 12 moving away from LED glass court after Christian Anderson’s injury

The Big 12 Abandons LED Glass Courts

The Big 12 has returned to traditional hardwood courts, putting aside the controversial LED glass court design for now.

This decision follows complaints from players about the slipperiness of the LED glass surface at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Missouri. On Thursday, Texas Tech guard Christian Anderson even suffered a muscle strain due to slipping on the court.

In light of these issues, Commissioner Brett Yormark opted to switch back to standard hardwood flooring. He commented, “After consulting with the coaches of the four semifinal teams, we have decided to move to hardwood courts for the remainder of the tournament to provide maximum comfort for our student-athletes on this weekend’s huge stage.” He expressed excitement for the upcoming semi-final and championship games.

The glass surface was made of tempered panels incorporating LED lights that could showcase various logos and animations. Beneath the glass, a cushioning layer was intended to provide flexibility and minimize injuries, but it clearly hasn’t met expectations.

Anderson, who was injured during a game where Texas Tech lost to Iowa State, attributed his injury to the new court material, saying, “It’s smooth. It was pretty slippery. I slipped and stretched and ended up in a slightly awkward position.”

As a result, the conference plans to remove the glass panels, reinstating traditional hardwood flooring for Friday’s game.

Four of the nation’s top teams are set to play on the new hardwood surface, including No. 1 seed Arizona taking on No. 5 Iowa State, alongside No. 2 Houston facing No. 3 Kansas State.

Kansas coach Bill Self also welcomed the change, especially with the concern for player safety heightened by the recent injuries. His star freshman, Darrin Peterson, has faced scrutiny for prioritizing his long-term health by withdrawing from a game.

Self mentioned to reporters that it felt like “the right thing to do” to switch courts after experiencing multiple incidents of players slipping and getting injured. He noted, “The floor was okay, but it seemed a little different from the majority of courts from a traction standpoint.”