Michigan in the Final Four – A Hidden Connection Right Under Their Feet
As the NCAA's Men's and Women's Basketball titles will be determined starting this weekend, the great state of Michigan will be represented predominately on the television screens across America.
As the Final Four teams take to the floors in Phoenix (for the men) and Dallas (for the women), the teams will be playing on sugar maple trees cut in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. The trees were harvested out of acreage near Newberry during the winter and milled in nearby Amasa.
The NCAA works with Connor Sports Flooring to build the flooring the championship games. While Connor's corporate office is in Illinois, the wood was milled at their Amasa plant. The two have worked together in the past, along with other special events during the college basketball season.
It's the third time in the last five years that wood from the Upper Peninsula has been used for the National Championship weekends. It's also occurred in 2015 and 2012.
The women's tournament in Dallas continues Friday with Stanford and South Carolina playing at 7:30pm, with defending champion Connecticut battling Mississippi State at 9:30pm. The championship will be decided Sunday at 6pm.
The men's tournament continues Saturday with South Carolina and Gonzaga at 6pm, followed by North Carolina and Oregon at 8:50pm. The title will be determined Monday night, with a game time yet to be announced.
Here's a look at how Connor Sports built the court before it was shipped to Phoenix!