Written by Aaron-Michael Fox.

For the second time in three years, the floor at Marshall’s Cam Henderson Center is getting redone ahead of the school’s first season in the Sun Belt Conference.

2019 floor of the Cam Henderson Center. Courtesy MU Athletics.

The current floor at “the Cam” was installed in the summer of 2019 to much fanfare from students, alumni, and fans alike. The design, inspired by conversations with head coach Dan D’Antoni, was conceived by MU Associate Athletic Director Jeff O’Malley to be a mashup of the vintage “Sailor Marco” logo, the West Virginia state outline, and the modern Marshall logos.

“Coach D’Antoni likes to use the retro look on a lot of Marshall basketball pieces,” O’Malley told The Parthenon in September of 2019. “We came up with the design that we believe is a great marriage of the old school logo with the traditional Marshall University mark.”

The Cam Henderson Center in 2019. Photo by Aaron-Michael Fox.

However, in 2022, first-year MU Athletic Director Christian Spears would like to focus the University’s brand more on its current trademarks and logos when embracing the exposure that is sure to come for Marshall in the revamped Sun Belt Conference. This is exemplified by the design of the new turf at Joan C. Edwards Stadium and the new court design at the Henderson Center.

According to Mr. Spears, the new court was previously used for an NCAA Tournament and will be the exact same surface used for tournament play. The design incorporates the modern logos that should be familiar to fans along with a script Marshall on the north sideline and more black than some traditionalist fans might like. The lifespan of a court is about 10 years, depending on how often it is sanded, Spears said. The new court is expected to arrive at Marshall in September and be ready for the 2022-23 men’s and women’s basketball seasons.

2022 Henderson Center court design. Courtesy MU Athletics.