UCLA Floor at Renovated Pauley Pavilion

Based on a Pac-12 Network video feed of tonight's Stanford at UCLA women's volleyball match, we can see that the center-court logo at the renovated Pauley Pavilion has been changed. Before closing for the 2011-12 academic year, Pauley's center-court area had always featured a traditional circular design, with angular "UC" and "LA" lettering facing viewers either behind press row or on the opposite side of the court.

As can be seen below, however, the school has switched to a cursive "Ucla" with underline, on which it says "BRUINS." You may click on the screen-captured photo to enlarge it.

New College-Court Designs

Uni Watch's college basketball preview reports some new court designs, along with changes in some schools' uniforms. Matt Rachmiel, who brought the Uni Watch column to my attention, highlights the new Long Beach State court as one warranting attention.

New NBA Court Designs for 2012-13

Paul Lukas's NBA preview of new uniforms and other designs provides links to new court images for many teams (thanks to Matt Rachmiel). Many of the changes seem fairly modest, although there are exceptions. The new court for the Phoenix Suns seems to be a pretty radical departure from their previous minimalist design. The Charlotte Bobcats also have a fairly extensive redesign, moving from orange and blue as their primary colors to dark and light blue (maybe a Duke/Carolina type of motif?).

Brooklyn Nets' New Court

A photo of the Brooklyn Nets' court at the new Barclays Center has been released. The hardwood features what is described as a "herringbone" pattern, commonly used in brick and tile designs.

WNBA's New York Liberty Using Newark's Prudential Center

From 2011-2013, the New York Liberty of the WNBA is playing its home games in Newark, New Jersey at the Prudential Center. The Liberty's usual home, Madison Square Garden, is undergoing a major renovation, apparently with large amounts of work taking place during each of the summers the Liberty will be away. (Updates on the MSG renovation are available here.)

I like the way the floor design combines royal blue, light blue, and orange, as shown below. The Liberty's MSG court is a little different, and personally, I like the Prudential Center version better.

Screen captures are from this YouTube video.

What a Women's Final Four Court in Denver!

In stark contrast to the uniformity of the men's NCAA Division I tournament courts, the women's Final Four has for several years given us interesting designs. From last year's Indianapolis throwback to the old-style thin key, to previous years' St. Louis Arch, Tampa Bay Citrus fruit, and Cleveland (home of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame) Guitar themes (all shown here), the women's Final Four aims to provide a geographically relevant, colorful motif. Some observers admire the creativity of these designs, whereas others find them over the top.

Denver is the host city for this year's women's Final Four and, as revealed a short time ago with the start of the first semi-final between Notre Dame and UConn, the court pays tribute to Denver's presence alongside the Rocky Mountains. As shown below in a screen-capture from ESPN.com's highlights, the design features a mountain range painted the entire length of the court, from baseline to baseline, covering the lower one-third of the court as would be seen on one's television screen (updated 9:00 pm Central).

Photo Essay on Making of Final-Four Floor

Via Matt Rachmiel, here's a link to a USA Today photo essay on the making of the floor for the men's Final Four in New Orleans, from the chopping down of the trees to the laying down of the court in the Superdome.