Worth Noting, Another Resurfacing of Gallagher-Iba Arena's Famous Original Maple Floor
STILLWATER – This news comes courtesy of Oklahoma State senior associate athletic director and PA voice of the Cowboys and Cowgirls Larry Reece. He posted the cover picture on his Facebook account and let all of us know of the timely work being done to keep America’s likely oldest and most beautiful maple hardwood basketball court/surface still looking new.
Gallagher-Iba Arena opened on December 9, 1938 and was originally named Gallagher Hall in honor of legendary wrestling coach Ed Gallagher. It also became known quickly as the “Madison Square Garden of the Plains” located at the University known as the “Princeton of the Plains”.
Legendary basketball coach Henry Iba’s name was added to the building’s name in 1987. It was Mr. Iba, according to legend that selected the original maple floor for the basketball court. That surface has been there from the beginning. It is resurfaced virtually every year, and as Reece pointed out even with all those shaves, it is still a more sturdy and thick basketball floor than the new ones that are installed, most of them are mobile and in pieces so they can be put out and taken up, depending on events and the time of the year.
During the reconstruction project that turned the 6,500-seat facility into the current 13,000 plus seat arena. The floor was covered and protected with the hope it could survive and with great care and ingenuity in the process, it was.
In 2005, the historic white maple floor was renamed Eddie Sutton Court in honor of Coach Sutton, as he passed his former mentor, Coach Iba, in career wins at Oklahoma State. Sutton had played and briefly coached under Iba back in the mid to late 1950s.
Players on both the Cowboys and Cowgirls basketball teams over the years have spoken of the floors home court advantage as over the years it has developed hallow spots and defenders have been know, like the great Cowboy and NBA defensive player Tony Allen, to lead opposing ball handlers to one of those spots that caused on irregular dribble and set up prime opportunities to steal the basketball.
Now after a new resurfacing, the floor will be there for the advantage and pride of all Cowboy and Cowgirl players and the fans.
