An aerial view of Connor Sports in Amasa. File photo
A U.P. manufacturer of hardwood sports flooring systems – the official court in the Final Four of March Madness for nearly two decades – has extended its longstanding partnership with the NCAA.
Connor Sports, which builds the highly respected floors at a mill in the small community of Amasa in Iron County, is part of the Gerflor USA’s family of brands, which also include Sport Court and Taraflex. The brands are credited with delivering world-class playing surfaces for some of the most celebrated championships in college sports. That partnership will continue with all three companies.
“The NCAA is committed to ensuring the safety and well-being of its student-athletes who compete at the highest level of collegiate sports, and we are delighted that Gerflor will continue to share that commitment and dedication with this renewed supplier partnership,” said David Clendenin, the NCAA’s director of licensing.
For the 2024 March Madness, the floor from Connor Sports was hauled some 1,900 miles from the U.P. to the State Farm Arena in Glendale, Arizona.
What’s happening: The NCAA has officially extended its longstanding partnerships with Gerflor USA’s brands, which include Connor Sports in Iron County. Connor Sports has been the Official Court provider for the NCAA Division I Men’s and Women’s basketball championships and the Final Fours since 2006.
The partnership: The partnership provides floors to the NCAA Men’s and Women’s Regionals and Final Fours as well as ancillary events. Connor Sports also provides coordination and onsite support for the NCAA-owned floors at the Men’s First Four and 1st and 2nd rounds. Connor Sports, Sport Court, and Taraflex will remain the foundation for “NCAA athletes’ extraordinary achievements, ensuring memorable moments and unparalleled performance across the court,” according to a news release from Connor Sports.
“We are honored to extend our partnerships with the NCAA, continuing to deliver championship-level courts that foster unforgettable moments for players and fans,” said Benjamin Bachman, CEO of Gerflor USA. “At Gerflor, we are deeply committed to delivering innovative, high-quality surfaces that elevate the game and safeguard the athletes competing on them. This extension speaks to our shared vision of excellence with the NCAA.”
About the floor: The state-of-the art floor design factors in vibration control, ball response, player comfort and extra size in addition to that center court NCAA logo. Each year, more than 100 employees in Amasa work on the portable floor, which is composed of panels, assembled like a Lego project, with each piece numbered and locked into adjoining pieces by a special anchoring system that does not require hardware. When the assembly crew is done, the floor will look and feel like a permanent hardwood floor, though slightly larger than the typical 60-foot by 120-foot size. After the tournament, the floor can be taken apart in just a few hours and the host arena returned to its normal use.
About Connor Sports: Founded in 1872, Connor Sports installed its first basketball court in 1914, more than two decades after the game was invented in Springfield, Mass. The company has become a market leader in both portable and permanent hardwood sports and dance flooring systems for schools, fitness facilities, studios, stages, and institutions. The company originally was founded in northern Wisconsin, and then moved to the western Upper Peninsula as one of the founding members of the Maple Flooring Manufacturers Association. Member mills are required to harvest and source all of their wood from above the 35th parallel in the United States, according to company officials.
About the NCAA: The NCAA is a diverse association of more than 1,100 member colleges and universities that prioritize academics, well-being and fairness to create greater opportunities for nearly half a million student-athletes each year. The NCAA provides a pathway to higher education and beyond for student-athletes pursuing
academic goals and competing in NCAA sports. More than 54,000 student-athletes experience the pinnacle of intercollegiate athletics by competing in NCAA championships each year.
What’s next: The 2025 March Madness tournament starts with Selection Sunday on March 16 – 68 teams will play in the 2025 NCAA tournament for men's basketball. The Final Four is slated to begin April 5 at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas.
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