East Tennessean

Issue date: 8/27/09 Section: Sports

Media Credit: Seth Johns ETSU's new basketball court requires roughly three hours to assemble or disassemble, depending on the event. The old court had been in service for 23 years, eight years longer than the average lifespan of a collegiate court.

Though the 2009-10 basketball season at ETSU is still three months away, the excitement of the upcoming season began to percolate earlier this week as the Buccaneers' new playing surface was installed inside Memorial Center.

The Bucs, who have played on the same court for the last 20-plus years, will have an all-new floor this season with a completely new paint scheme. With the Buc head logo prominently displayed at center court, the logo's eyes have also been used on the baselines to provide an even more menacing look for opposing teams. Sporting a lighter stain for the area inside the 3-point line and a faded black to blue out-of-bounds area, the floor is a nice improvement over the one many fans have seen in the past.

"We're very pleased with the look of this new floor and think our fans will find it to be a nice change," said ETSU Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Dave Mullins. "We looked at a lot of floors in the NBA and at other major universities throughout the nation, and we tried to get some of the best ideas out there and incorporate those styles into this floor. Staff members such as ticket manager Brandon Hudson, assistant basketball coach Scott Wagers and our facilities director Tom Trent were heavily involved in the design process and they all did a great job.

"What we think we have designed is a floor that has a modern, up-to-date look, but one that also has an appearance that can be used for many years to come."

The floor was manufactured by Robbins Sports in Ishpeming, Mich., and it takes approximately three hours to install the floor or remove it for other events inside Memorial Center. The floor replaces one which had been refurbished twice and was in service for 23 years. The average lifespan of a collegiate basketball floor is typically 15 years.

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