CBS Sports Names Arizona's New Floor the best Nationally

CBS Sports examined "Ranking college basketball's top floor designs: Arizona's new catcus (sic) court tops the list of five best." St. John's, George Washington, Florida International and Tennessee were the only four programs in the CBS Sports top five floor designs.

Arizona put the iconic cactus logo back in the court with a modern twist. The old cactus logo was featured twice but smaller on either side of the court. An unveiling of the modern cactus logo places it on the McKale Center court once but much bigger in the center of the court.

The court perfectly encapsulates the State of Arizona and Tucson. The giant cactus in the foreground of mountains on the McKale Center court makes it obvious for a fan watching a game who is playing and where it is being played.

David Cobb of CBS Sports praised the logo for rebranding the cultural connection to Arizona and Tucson without selling out to a corporate sponsor. The NCAA approved corporate sponsorship on its football fields in June 2024.

"What the Wildcats officially unveiled...is the new standard for court design in college basketball. It strikes the right mix of size, cultural connection and color without going overboard. Tucson's topography sets it apart from the rest of college basketball, and by tapping into that, the Wildcats are also tapping into nostalgia. The cactus was a part of the floor during legendary coach Lute Olson's tenure. In an era when everything feels corporatized and the sense of genuine authenticity and connection is fading from college sports, Arizona's new court looks like a stroke of sentimental genius."

David Cobb, CBS Sports

Lute Olson instituted the Cactus Logo in the 1980s as he led Arizona to become one of the elite College Basketball Programs. After the cactus logo was eliminated from the McKale basketball court in 2009, Arizona brought it back in 2024 when it was used on helmets for football versus Colorado.

Tucson has a unique setting in the Sonoran Desert. The new cactus logo was chosen by Arizona fans in a vote that featured three other logos. The simple yet identifiable logo is in contrast to other logos that dominate the court and/or havebecome polarizing throughout college basketball.

The court continues to feature the signature of Olson on both sides of the court in between the lane and the three-point line. The Big XII logo features prominently at the free throw line, as it does for every team in the conference. Nearly every conference nationally features their logo on their courts and fields.

The return of the cactus logo is also nostalgia for Arizona during its best era in program history. Arizona was 589–187 in 25 years under Olson. Arizona won 11 Pac-12Championships, four Final Fours, two national championship game appearances and one NCAA Tournament Championship.

From 1988 through 2003, Arizona was never lower than a five seed. Arizona was a one or two seed five times each from 1988 through 2003, a three seed three times, a four seed twice and a five seed once. Arizona fans can see the court in person for the first time at the Volleyball Red-Blue Scrimmage on Saturday.