The road to the Final Four is made in Michigan, as both the men’s and women’s playing surfaces have been built in the small town of Amasa, Mich. since 2005.
A company named Connor Sports, which has been in business since 1872, manufactures the playing surfaces, with all the wood coming from Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, MLive reported.
After the courts are used in the championship, the playing surface is usually purchased by the winning school to be installed or used to fundraise, according to MLive.
The company produces 12 courts every year for the tournament, including the Final Four playing surface, Gary Gray, Connor Sports portable sales manager, said.
“We’re a proud partner of the NCAA and proud to be the official court for March Madness,” Gray said. “We get to see our labor of love out on television sets all across the nation.”
In any case, Michiganders can take pride that, even if the Wolverines don’t make it, the state will still be represented in this year’s final.