Hardwood Floors February/March 2019

By Stacy Brown

The courts are manufactured and inspected at the Connor Sports’ mill in Amasa, and then the floor panels are stacked, banded, and shipped to Connor’s finishing partners.

Manufacturing of the floors began in the late fall of 2018. All of the courts are made from Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)-certified first-grade northern hard maple sustainably sourced fromWisconsin forests. Connor Sports manufactured 11 new, portable floors for installation at both the men's and women's regionals and Final Four tournament venues. Additionally, the NCAA uses nine courts that are maintained and installed by Connor Sports for the first and second rounds of men’s tournament play. “We store and maintain the courts throughout the year and make sure they are handled with the greatest of care,” said Brian Klein, Sport and Education Marketing Director, Gerflor USA. “Then we will refinish and service them to get them ready for the new tournament including applying new graphics and making sure they are in optimal condition.” The Men’s Final Four court is 70' x 140' and totals 9,800 square feet using 397 panels measuring 4' x 7' and weighing approximately 180 pounds each. The regional courts are also FSC certified and measure 60' x 120' at 7,200 square feet. After the courts are manufactured and inspected at the Connor Sports’ mill in Amasa, the floor panels are stacked, banded, and then shipped to Connor’s finishing partners for assembly sanding, sealing, and painting before being loaded

and finally delivered to each regional or Final Four venue. Each year the look of the floors is determined by the NCAA and reflects the personality of the host city. The Men’s Final Four logo is uniquely Minnesotan, combining the contemporary look of the Minneapolis