When the 2015-16 season opens this week, the Oakland men's basketball program will debut something few other programs in the country have: a blacktop court design.
The idea for the redesign stemmed from the athletic department's branding efforts to make the program stand out more to a national audience. Fans voted on one of three options and the blacktop court idea that was submitted by Oakland coach Greg Kampe received the most votes.
The court features the school's website, Twitter handle and official hashtag as well as the state of Michigan's outline near halfcourt.
“I think just the whole thing from messaging sends all the right messages in terms of what we want to be about as an athletic department. And hopefully now when people see it across the nation they can say, ‘Oh yeah, that’s the court at Oakland,'" athletic director Jeff Konya told The Oakland Press. "And then oh by the way they get exposed to the other elements that we’re really trying to drive home with #WearTheBear, our branding, our logo, the fact that we’re in Michigan and those kind of things.”
Check out the time lapse video at Athletics Center O'rena after the project was completed back in April:
The Golden Grizzlies' first official home game isn't until Nov. 18 against Eastern Michigan. But for fans who can't wait to get a look, the team does has a final exhibition game on Nov. 11.
