The NCAA's brand identity

Fire up a video of Christian Laettner's shot against Kentucky in the 1992 NCAA tournament, and you'll see the colorful old court of Philadelphia's Spectrum.

If that game were played today, it would be on a dull-hued floor stamped with generic "NCAA." This year, the association had its own courts installed at each of the four Sweet 16 arenas and will do so for the Final Four. When the games are over, the surfaces are packed up and hauled away. Next year, all rounds will have them.

It's part of a branding mandate by the NCAA (headed, appropriately, by Myles Brand) geared toward sterilizing tournament venues of nonsanctioned logos — and as a result, their character.

Any fans hoping to catch a glimpse of the Boston Celtics' 17 championship banners and the parquet during Thursday's and Saturday's games at TD Banknorth Garden were out of luck.

Of course, it also means someone had to go to each of the 63,000-plus seats at Lucas Oil Stadium and tape over the Indianapolis Colts logos on the cupholders.

At the core of it all is the great dichotomy of the NCAA: embracing amateurism and an "educational mission" (and tax-exempt status) on one hand while burnishing its billion-dollar brand with the other.