Big 12 Abandons LED Glass Court After Player Injury

The conference reverts to traditional hardwood for the remainder of the tournament.

Mar. 13, 2026 at 1:04pm

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The Big 12 has decided to abandon its experimental LED glass basketball court at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Missouri, after Texas Tech guard Christian Anderson suffered an injury from slipping on the slippery surface. Commissioner Brett Yormark announced the decision to revert to a traditional hardwood court for the remainder of the tournament semifinals and championship game.

Why it matters

The LED glass court was a polarizing idea that aimed to provide a unique visual experience, but player safety concerns have now led the conference to scrap the experiment. This highlights the challenges of introducing new technologies in high-stakes sporting events where the priority must be the well-being of the athletes.

The details

The LED glass court was made of tempered, shatter-resistant glass panels with built-in LED lights that could display different logos and animations. It was designed to provide some cushioning and flexibility to reduce injuries, but Anderson's injury and other players' reports of the surface being slippery proved that the new technology did not achieve its intended safety goals.

  • On Thursday, Texas Tech guard Christian Anderson suffered a muscle strain after slipping on the LED glass court.
  • On Friday, March 13, 2026, the Big 12 announced it would transition back to a traditional hardwood court for the remainder of the tournament.

The players

Brett Yormark

The commissioner of the Big 12 conference who decided to revert to a hardwood court after the player injury.

Christian Anderson

The Texas Tech guard who suffered a muscle strain after slipping on the LED glass court during a game on Thursday.

Bill Self

The head coach of the Kansas Jayhawks, who said changing the court to hardwood was "the right thing to do" after the injury to Anderson and other players slipping.

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What they’re saying

“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.”

— Brett Yormark, Big 12 Commissioner

“It's slick. It was pretty slippery. I just slipped and extended and got put in a position that was a little unnatural.”

— Christian Anderson, Texas Tech Guard

“The floor was fine, but it did seem a little different from a traction standpoint than the majority of courts are.”

— Bill Self, Kansas Jayhawks Head Coach

What’s next

The Big 12 tournament will continue on the traditional hardwood court for the semifinals on Friday and the championship game on Sunday.

The takeaway

The Big 12's experiment with an LED glass basketball court has been abandoned after concerns over player safety, highlighting the challenges of introducing new technologies in high-stakes sporting events where the well-being of the athletes must be the top priority.