Rochester, Mich. - When you walk into the O'rena on the campus of Oakland University, something feels a little different than a normal basketball arena. Usually, you look to the court and see the classic wood colored floor, with logos and specific areas providing the color.
But at Oakland, you see the blacktop.

The black court in the O'rena is certainly different, and definitely stands out. As the only fully black painted court in Division 1 basketball, it requires a double take at first glance. So the question is, why was it made this way?

"The court was made black for a couple of reasons. First, black is one of the primary colors of the Oakland Golden Grizzlies color scheme," said Neal Ruhl, longtime TV voice of the Golden Grizzlies. "Number two, when you play basketball on the playground, you play on the blacktop. It replicates that."

So for the players on the court it's a nice callback to their younger playing days, but there is a little more behind the creation of the blacktop. 

"The black court gives the university exposure in areas that would not be accessible to the university from an academic perspective," said Ruhl. "Sports are a heavily consumed area of society, as we all know."

With the O'rena hosting a number of nationally televised basketball games over the years, the court has become a symbol of what a national audience recognizes Oakland by. 

The Golden Grizzlies Director of Basketball Operations, Colin Shannon, agrees that the court is something that helps bring eyes on the school while also providing a nice in-house touch.

"It gives the O'rena a unique feel. Coach Kampe is always looking for ways to stand out as a mid-major basketball program. Basketball programs are supposed to bring publicity to their university, and to create as much attention as possible you have to be different," said Shannon.


When the court was first released in 2015, it garnered attention from national outlets, including prominent figures like Bleacher Report, USA Today and CBS. People from all over the country weighed in with their opinions. A tweet from Oakland Men's Basketball Coach Greg Kampe shows that he even wanted to add black rims and chain-link nets.

The extra publicity is great, but it is not just a publicity stunt. As Ruhl said, there could be on-court benefits as well.

"The court definitely stands out to recruits because it is not a normal colored surface. It certainly attracts attention where a more traditional court color would not," said Ruhl.

Fittingly, the all black with the gold bear head logo makes it very easy to spot the Golden Grizzlies brand, and most importantly have it stick as something you remember. 

"It sticks in a recruit's mind," added Shannon."When they see us play on tv they remember us. If we had a normal court we may not catch their eye, and they will forget about us. Now when we call a recruit they will say 'oh that's right, you are the team with the black court.'"

Ruhl added that this doesn't stop with recruits, it makes quite the impression on fans as well. 

"The blacktop certainly adds a level of uniqueness to people who come to the game for the first time. And with that, people have a tendency to remember their experience a little more."

The Golden Grizzlies  take the court again in official game action with the 2023-24 season freshly under way, and they look forward to the friendly confines of the blacktop providing a nice home-court advantage.