Mark Pope unveils retro Rupp Arena court with ASB GlassFloor ahead of BBM

If you weren’t excited for Big Blue Madness before, Mark Pope has something that should help close that gap for any diehard fan. Would the retro Rupp Arena court help?

That’s part of the experience with ASB GlassFloor, Kentucky basketball set to make history as the first college to use the state-of-the-art LED screen, unveiled at Madness. The possibilities are endless with the floor — animations, ads, player tracking and more. But how did Pope want to reveal what’s to come this evening inside the Wildcats’ home venue?

By hitting us with a wave of nostalgia, of course.

The historic Rupp Arena floor transitions into the new-look UK logo with the state outline stretching from free-throw line to free-throw line.

“BBN, we are so excited to see you at Big Blue Madness,” Pope wrote on social media. “Be early. Stay late. Can’t wait for you to meet Kentucky’s team.”

BBN, we are so excited to see you at Big Blue Madness.

Be early. Stay late. Can't wait for you to meet Kentucky's team. pic.twitter.com/bZVxFnaeQR

— Mark Pope (@CoachMarkPope) October 11, 2024

ASB GlassFloor shared a brief preview of what’s to come in a separate video, including a few new court designs with the lights out inside Rupp Arena, along with the players rocking Kentucky blue for the first time on their home floor.

“I love everything about the versatility of this floor. It feels great and I’m excited for my guys to get out there and work out,” Pope said in the clip.

“It’s crazy. I have never seen anything like this,” Jaxson Robinson added.

How does it feel for the players?

“It feels really cool, it’s different,” UK WBB player Jordan Obi said. “It’s bouncy with really cool tech.”

“I don’t know what I was expecting. It squeaks just like a real basketball court and it functions like a normal basketball court,” Cassidy Rowe added. “It just shows our pictures, which is crazy.”

Take a look:

Kentucky practice on ASB GlassFloor 😬

Hear what players and coach Mark Pope have to say about our floor.

Mark Pope – @CoachMarkPope
Jaxson Robinson – @Robinsonjaxx
Ansley Almonor – @ansleyalmonor
Jordan Obi
Cassidy Rowe – @Crowe_523 pic.twitter.com/N2kb1Gpm3G

— ASB GlassFloor (@asbglassfloor) October 11, 2024

Let the countdown to Madness begin. We’ll see you at Rupp Arena.