MINNEAPOLIS — Playing surfaces for major college championships don't just spring up on their own.
They require months of pre-planning and lifting of wood panels which are close to 200 pounds.
"We really do get excited about events like this," said Jeff Krejsa, Vice President of Marketing and Strategy for court manufacturer Connor Sports.
Connor Sports has been supplying the courts for the NCAA tournament since 2006. They have also constructed the floors for teams like the Milwaukee Bucks and Brooklyn Nets.
The company harvests hard maple timber in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The wood is finished and assembled into four-by-seven panels and trucked to Minneapolis' Target Center.
The installation process takes between two to three hours.
"These panels are designed to work together and once they're clicked into place, it acts as a single system and there is some level of shock absorption and energy restitution that's built into these panels as well, so that playing surface feels the same as somebody's home court," said Krejsa.
For Krejsa, the reward is seeing months of planning and work come together in the end.
"it's really a source of pride for our team," he said.