GW's court features the Capitol building, the White House and the Washington MonumentGETTY IMAGES
A dozen universities chose to redesign their basketball courts in '19, "opting for a bigger look by adding giant silhouettes of their state outlines across center court," according to Scott Gleeson of USA TODAY. The sport's "trend for bold court designs can be traced to nearly a decade ago," when Oregon created a court "meant to be an 'iconic television presence' for the university." Tabbed "Deep in the Woods," the design "features silhouettes of the Pacific Northwest tree lines." Universities have "followed that creative blueprint to incorporate a city's culture or accentuate a school's feature -- which is oftentimes being the premier university in the state." For some schools, culture and proximity "are key." FIU's court is a "beach painting with waves across one sideline and a sandy color throughout the playing surface." Colorado's court "has mountains on it." George Washington's court "has the Capitol building, the White House and the Washington Monument." Universities see "bold court designs as a cost-effective advertisement to prospective students." They also see it as a "way to appease donors who are invested -- literally -- in the program." Color also "takes precedence." Cal-State Bakersfield "sports a court that's all royal blue," and Memphis' court was "updated to be largely shaded blue" prior to this season. Most schools are "graphic designing in-house with their marketing departments" (USA TODAY, 2/27).
