KALAMAZOO, Mich. - Bronco fans entering University Arena this fall will be presented with a brand-new look as Western Michigan's Division of Intercollegiate Athletics unveiled a new floor and court design today. The new playing surface is just the second for the Bronco athletics teams since 1994, when Read Fieldhouse was renovated and reconfigured as University Arena. It is the first new court design since the start of the 2004-05 athletics season.
“We are excited to announce the installation of a new playing surface and court design in University Arena as we continue to show our commitment to our coaches, student-athletes and the rest of the Bronco family,” said WMU Director of Athletics Kathy Beauregard. “I would like to take this opportunity to thank our campus facilities management staff for working with our department on this needed upgrade to this vital part of our athletics programs.”
The new floor will be a Rezill Channel-01 Fixed Resilient System from Connor Sports. There are 18 other Division I institutions using this surface across the country, including Mid-American Conference rival Central Michigan, Arizona State and Purdue.
Stylistically, the court will bear a much different appearance than the current design, with emphasis placed on tying Bronco athletics more closely with the University and the Kalamazoo community. The center-court logo will now be a Bronco head laid over a brown and gold “W,” a simple design that features the icons of both the athletics department and the rest of the University. On either side of the center court logo will be maps of the state of Michigan, with a star indicating Kalamazoo's location and the words, “The Zoo,” which simultaneously refers to the city as well as the Bronco student section.
The changes to the floor are just the most recent in series of upgrades made to University over the last several years. In the summer of 2010 a $525,000 renovation took place resulting in the resurfacing of the indoor track and replacement of baseline bleachers. More recently, new scoreboards and a center-hung video board were part of an $800,000 renovation in the summer of 2014, adding to the game-day atmosphere in the arena.
