Cal basketball has a new court! No more Bear at the center

Cal is upgrading both their football and basketball playing surfaces as part of their new partnership with Under Armour. The California Golden Bears got new turf at Memorial Stadium, and the basketball team is following suit with a new version of Pete Newell Court. The new court will also be made from first-class maple wood.

The biggest change you can see is that the growling bear is gone. The Cal script takes center stage at center court.

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Just like with the new Memorial Stadium end zones, the Sather Stripe features prominently on the baselines, with the California and Golden Bears wordmarks appearing on both sides. The old Pete Newell court had been in place for 17 years, so it was due for an upgrade.

More from Cal Athletics:

“All of our student-athletes who use both California Memorial Stadium and Haas Pavilion will appreciate the new state-of-the art surfaces, while we expect fans will like the traditional designs enhanced with a few modern touches,” Senior Associate Athletic Director and Chief Operating Officer Chris Pezman said. “Our agreement with Under Armour helped make these upgrades possible, and they act as another step toward improving the gameday experience for everyone who visits our venues.”

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What are your new thoughts on the playing surface Cal fans? Let us know in the comments.