Kansas Practiced On ASB GlassFloor To Prepare For Big 12 Tournament

The Big 12 men's basketball tournament will look different in 2026 –– quite literally.

The conference announced in February a partnership with ASB GlassFloor that brings a full LED video sports floor to the Big 12 Tournament at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Mo.

With LED technology installed beneath the playing surface, the floor will display dynamic court designs, shot charts, interactive games for fans during timeouts and immersive animations following key plays and moments, according to the news release. It was also used during the 2024 NBA All-Star weekend, FIBA and EuroLeague games.

Due to the Jayhawks proximity to the arena, coach Bill Self thought it'd be useful for his team to make the short trip from Lawrence to Kansas City to test out the playing surface ahead of the tournament, which began Tuesday.

"I think [Kansas women's basketball coach] Brandon [Schneider] helped us with that because he said if he was me he would go over there early because it's a little bit different," Self said. "I actually talked to the brass in the Big 12 office, and they said they thought it was a good idea to do the same thing, too. And I think it was. The floor was fine, but it did seem a little different from a traction standpoint as what maybe a majority of the courts are in our league."

The official Kansas men's basketball account on X posted a few pictures from Monday's practice.

Tourney prep at the T-Mobile Center📍 pic.twitter.com/1qyarieOUv
— Kansas Men’s Basketball (@KUHoops) March 9, 2026

In terms of adjustments or additional preparation for playing on the new surface, wasn't too concerned about it being a major factor.

"No. What do football players wear, a longer cleat or something like that? We can't do that, but we can put some Slipp Nott on the bottom of our shoes every time out or whatever, if it is even an issue," Self said. "I think a lot of that's in your head, too."

While there might be an adjustment period, Kansas senior guard Melvin Council Jr. thought it felt similar to outdoor playing surfaces from events he's played in before.

"It felt like back then, there was a tournament called the Gus Macker 3-on-3, where they put a floor outside and you play outside on like a floor mat. That's how I felt," Council said. "And it felt like Rucker Park in New York City. ... We gotta get used to it, because that's the court we're going to be playing on."

The Jayhawks' first Big 12 Tournament game is scheduled for Thursday at 8:30 p.m. CT on ESPN2. They await the winner of Wednesday's game between No. 6 TCU and either No. 11 Colorado or No. 14 Oklahoma State.