Earlier this week, the men’s and women’s basketball programs at UCF unveiled a sick new look for the CFE Arena. A product of a seven-month long undertaking, the state-of-the-art “blacktop” court introduces a new era. The base color ranges from light gray to dark gray, depending on where the person is seated in the arena, and the key and sidelines are jet black. Only the area inside the three-point arc is a more traditional gold wood color.
Back in the day, basketball started on the blacktops of playgrounds around the country, and this look is supposed to mimic that.
“The court is part of our branding,” UCF men’s basketball head coach Donnie Jones said in a press release. “When you turn on the TV, you will know when UCF is playing. We are moving into a new league and will have new opportunities for exposure and the timing is right for a new floor, as well.”
As more and more people expand the boundaries of what’s appropriate on a basketball court (wild colors, sleeved jerseys), it’s surprising that this is one of the first “blacked-out” court designs we’ve seen. We can’t help but love it.
What do you think?
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