Big 12 tournament court: Social media reacts to conference's floor pattern, design
It's safe to say most fans are not fond of the Big 12 tournament's court design in 2025.
In recent years, the power conference has stepped up its game in terms of marketing its conference, with partnerships with streetwear brands, WWE icons and musicians at the Big 12 football championship.
The Big 12 partnered with another streetwear brand, "Undefeated," for its court design in 2025 — which hasn't received the best reviews so far. The court takes inspiration from Undefeated's "iconic 5-strike logo," according to the conference.
The court is covered in X's and I's, lacing the hardwood with the number 12 in roman numerals, mimicking the Big 12's "XII" logo. Reporters on site in Kansas City for the Big 12 tournament have also noted the court looks noticeably worse on the TV broadcast, or from even a birds-eye view than it does at eye level.
Players interviewed by The Athletic on their thoughts said they liked the court, with Kansas State's Taj Manning agreeing the court looks better in person than on TV.
"That court isn't about me," Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark told reporters on Tuesday in Kansas City. "It's about our student athletes. When I first got here it was all about modernizing and contemporizing our brand, connecting to culture and getting in the consciousness of our future student athletes. That's what we're doing.
"Every student athlete that walked on that court last week came up to me and said, 'Brett, it's fantastic.' They took selfies, they loved it. ... I think the people that matter most that are weighing in really love it, and that's what matters to me."
Here's how social media reacted to the Big 12 tournament's court design, which debuted for the women's bracket last week and continued with the men's tournament, which started Tuesday: