ARDEN HILLS, Minn. - With a new academic and athletic year about to begin, work has just been completed on replacing the floor in the Robertson Center Gymnasium. Bethel's new gymnasium floor is now the same as that used for both the men's and women's NCAA Division I Final Four basketball tournaments, Williams Arena on the campus of the University of Minnesota, and more than 75 other Division I schools and professional basketball training facilities. The new Connor brand floor was contracted by Athletic Performance Solutions out of Oak Park Heights, Minn., who have the exclusive regional rights to install Connor brand courts.

In addition to the new floor, there are new light bulbs and additional fixtures, rewired scoreboards, data ports, and an improved audio system. Funding for the flooring project came from both donors and the university as part of an initiative by President Jay Barnes for improving campus facilities.

"I'm very thankful for the donors who helped make this project a reality. We couldn't have done it without their generosity. To me, this shows a shared vision which helps us deliver the kind of campus experience we want people to have. Installing a new floor in the Robertson Center gymnasium is a project that has been in the works for a number of years. It is used for so many things including academics, athletics, and other campus events. This is an essential improvement and helps us provide a facility with the quality our students, student athletes, and others visiting our campus deserve," said Barnes.

The Connor brand court replaces the original hardwood, installed when Bethel moved its campus from St. Paul, across from the State Fair grounds, to its present location in Arden Hills in 1972. "We definitely needed something new because the floor had aged beyond the point of care, as well as the level of performance necessary to be used at this level of athletics," said Director of Athletics Bob Bjorklund.

Bethel will host its first athletic competition on the new floor when the volleyball team takes on Bethany Lutheran College on Wednesday, September 9, beginning at 7 p.m.