Back To Wood: Big 12 Pulls Plug On LED Court For Semifinals After Slipping And Injury Scares During Tournament

After numerous complaints about the LED playing surface that the Big 12 decided to roll out for its conference basketball tournament, the decision has now been made to ditch the light show for the semifinals, going back to hardwood. 

The idea was cool, but the execution did not live up to the expectations of what athletes at one of the highest stages of college basketball should be playing on. Who could have seen this coming? 

All it took was numerous slippages, a few injury scares and Texas Tech guard Christian Anderson leaving the game against Iowa State on Thursday for commissioner Brett Yormark to make the overnight switch. 

In reality, it probably wasn't the best idea for something like an LED glass court to start being played on during a conference tournament. 

Maybe a few regular season games to test out the idea before allowing players to participate on the surface during postseason action would have worked out better in the long term. Now, the Big 12 will install a hardwood floor for the semifinals that start later today. 

Commissioner Brett Yormark released the following statement on Thursday night, which was first reported by CBS Sports and Matt Norlander. 

"After consultation with the coaches of our four semifinal teams, I have decided that in order to provide our student-athletes with the greatest level of comfort on a huge stage this weekend, we will transition to a hardwood court for the remainder of the tournament. We look forward to a great semifinals and championship game."

If fans were watching the UCF versus Houston game on Thursday evening, the amount of slippage was clearly noticeable, and the most obvious choice was to bring in the backup plan. The idea, which is an intriguing concept for basketball games, was debated in the weeks leading up to the Big 12 tournament. 

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BREAKING: Big 12 Ditches LED Court For Hardwood Overnight After Numerous Complaints, Slipping (Photo by Joe Gonzales/Baylor Athletics)

BREAKING: Big 12 Ditches LED Court For Hardwood Overnight After Numerous Complaints, Slipping. (Photo by Joe Gonzales/Baylor Athletics)

While the different graphics, and changing of the LED-generated surfaces, were entertaining for those watching at home or on television, this clearly became a hazard for athletes who are also trying to make the NCAA Tournament. 

In speaking with people around the conference, there was always a plan for if something went wrong with the LED court. Also, each of the remaining coaches voiced their opinion on the matter, and all agreed that the switch would be best for competition, and for the health of the student-athletes involved.  

At least the Big 12 made a change, knowing viewership numbers would be increasing over the next two days, and this would most likely only get worse heading into the semifinals.

Now, what happens to this massive LED court? Give it to the Big 12 tournament winner, since it obviously cannot be returned to Best Buy.