Big 12 basketball has never been this hard to watch.
The league insists on playing on a floor that has been likened to a magic eye illusion or a Louis Vuitton handbag.
Hoping to modernize its look and appeal to a younger audience, the Big 12 partnered with Los Angeles-based sneaker and streetwear brand Undefeated to design the floor for its men’s and women’s conference tournaments at T-Mobile Center in Kansas City. The unlikely collaboration produced a court emblazoned with hundreds of stylized Big 12 “XII” logos from one baseline to the other.
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Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark defended the polarizing design this week by pointing out that the court is “about our student-athletes.” The feedback from them, Yormark told reporters at the Big 12 tournament, has been universally positive.
“Every student-athlete that walked on that court last week came up to me and said, ‘Brett, it’s fantastic,’” Yormark said Tuesday. “They took selfies. They loved it.”
The response from fans in attendance and TV viewers watching from home has been, uh, less enthusiastic. The complaints started last week as Hailey Van Lith led TCU to its first-ever Big 12 women’s basketball tournament title. They picked up anew on Tuesday and Wednesday as the Big 12 men’s tournament tipped off.
Some viewers described the court as an “assault to the eyes” and objected to its headache- or seizure-inducing design. Others argued that the Big 12 court designers should be “jailed” or “suspended without pay.”
In 2040:
If you watched the entirety of the Big 12 tournament on this court, you may be entitled to financial compensation. pic.twitter.com/NpbUjmx0Gp
— Garage Gameday Sports (@GamedayGarage) March 11, 2025
The closest thing to a defense of the court was that it looked less hideous in person than it did on TV.
Still don’t love it. But the Big 12’s controversial court is significantly worse when viewed from above compared to eye-level (I’ve seen both today). pic.twitter.com/JMYdEyYmGu
— Sean Walker (@ActuallyDSW) March 12, 2025
The Big 12’s court reflects a move away from clean, traditional hardwood floors across college and professional basketball. Nontraditional patterns and oversized logos are trendy, whether it’s Oregon’s “Deep in the Woods” tree-lined court, Cal State Bakersfield’s blue floor or TCU’s frogskin design.
It doesn’t appear to bother Yormark that the Big 12 court hasn’t been popular with viewers. He appreciates that the league is getting additional attention.
“That’s our stage,” he said Tuesday, “and we wanted to make a profound statement.”
