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RICHMOND, Ky. – It took nearly the entire summer to complete, but the new court inside Eastern Kentucky University's McBrayer Arena is finished and being used by the school's varsity student-athletes.
New lighting, more attractive louvers and new basketball goals have been installed as well. The first home event scheduled to be played on the new court will be a volleyball match on Sept. 3 against Marshall University. The match will begin at 6 p.m.
Kiefer USA installed the new playing surface. It is the first time the court has been replaced since Alumni Coliseum was completed in 1963. The new court is a Connor Floor and is made of grade one maple. Besides the fresh look and design, the floor offers much more resiliency, less wear and tear on knees, and a greater traction and "spring" for student-athletes.
A Connor Floor is a sports floor system providing the stability of an anchored floor with the uniform resiliency of a floating system, consisting in general of a vapor barrier, blanket pad, steel channel, steel anchors, wood subflooring, maple flooring, sanding, sealers, finishes, game lines and wall base.
Musco installed the new lighting system. Less than 10 schools nationwide have the new indoor LED lighting technology. The new system provides much stronger lighting on the playing surface, increasing the strength by more than 100 foot-candles.
The new basketball goals are Schelde SAM10's. SAM 10's are designed for the highest level of competition. They have been used in the Olympic Games and are currently in use by many professional and top collegiate teams. Each SAM 10 features a standard 10' 8" clearance space with impact padding to protect players while giving fans a clear view of the action.
The improvements to the arena this summer are a continuation of upgrades that began last year with the installation of a new video board and sound system. The display, manufactured and installed by Daktronics, measures approximately 15 feet high by 26 feet wide. The Daktronics custom audio system is integrated with the video and scoring system to enhance the game-day atmosphere.
