San Jose State Athletics unveiled a new court floor inside the Provident Credit Union Event Center for the Winter 2022 basketball season.
The new court has a blue center with the San Jose State Spartan helmet symbol at the center jump circle. Symmetrical and geometric lines ending in dots connect and weave around the helmet center making the court look like a circuit board powering the team.
The design looks like the conductive paths printed on circuit boards that connect resistors and capacitors to the board.
“The distinctive design is intended to represent the region and the university working together as one,” according to the SJSU Spartans Athletics News webpage on the new court.
In April, SJSU Athletics posted potential court floor designs to social media for fans to vote on their favorite design. After over 11,000 votes, the uniquely Silicon Valley design won out.
"We took the feedback from many different individuals and merged all the concepts into a very attractive design to enhance our gameday experience," stated Director of Athletics Jeff Konya on the same Spartan Athletics News page.
Junior point guard Sophia Jones said the court surprised her.
“On the first time, I was surprised, because it did kind of like, it exceeded my expectations that I had from the drop,” said Jones who went on to say how the court brought an energy to play that hadn’t been there before.
Another new feature the court will bring to the Event Center is spartan yellow paint that emanates a white glow when the lights go out.
“I mean think about it, when we shoot the lights out, we’ll still be in good shape,” said basketball head Coach Tim Miles when asked about the glow-in-the-dark paint used on the center jump circle graphic and the design around it.
Miles mentioned on Thursday after practice that even though the glow-in-the dark paint and new court won’t statistically change how the team plays, the feeling of the new court will do something.
“I just think it provides energy, you know, anytime guys see improvement, and physical development that way, too…It just changes your mood and your attitude a little bit.”
Junior guard Omari Moore agreed and said “when the lights go off, and it glows a little bit. That's a unique feature. So, I think it's definitely a fan favorite, and people are gonna like it.”
Comments on a twitter post by the NCAA March Madness account showing off the new court had fans split both ways about the design. Jim Dana (@Jimdana10) stated in a tweet, “Awful comes to mind.” While Angela Gordon (@angelamsgordon) stated in a comment under the same tweet, “Dope right?!? Now we just need things to click on the court and we’ll be set.”
The Spartans are looking to start strong and put what they practiced over the summer to good use. Last season the Spartans finished 8-23 last season and secured one win in the Mountain West while the women’s team finished last season 5-25 with 2 conference wins.
