CA Baptist University selects Robbins MVP for new event center

When California Baptist University officials needed the most advanced flooring system for their new state-of-the-art CBU Events Center in Riverside, there was only one name to trust – Robbins Sports Surfaces. And there was only one product that could outshine all the others – the MVP®.

Installed in August by Johnson Flooring, the project is being hailed as one of the best of the year, and was recently named a Robbins Sports Surface of the Year (SSOTY) Finalist. The SSOTY award, which will be given in May 2018, recognizes the hard work and creativity of Robbins dealers, and as a finalist, the CBU Events Center is among the elite.

That could be because the MVP is the best flooring system on the market – period. Independent research proves the innovative, patented design is unmatched in performance, comfort and safety. And because the MVP is the cream of the crop, it isn’t seen just anywhere, but it is seen in facilities with a need for a superior product with exceptional quality, like CBU.

“There are no equals to that product, the science speaks for itself,” explains Jim Colla, Robbins Western Regional Manager. “It’s not for every application in our industry but for those that want a top-of-the-line floor, there’s nothing like it.”

The MVP can be a tough sell because it is a higher priced system. However, once Robbins sales staff and dealers’ Johnson Flooring and Pacific Floor Co. collaborated, CBU awarded the contract to Robbins when they were assured that the MVP floor was the best option for their new, multi-purpose facility. It also helped that CBU officials liked the look of both Southern Methodist University’s and Loyola Marymount University’s facilities – both of which are Robbins MVP systems.

The eye-catching graphics of the CBU floor are being met with rave reviews of the bold, yet simple design highlighting the logo and new CBU graphic.

“The players have been pleased with the bounce and energy of the floor,” says Head Men’s Basketball Coach Rick Croy. “I think the floor represents the overall aesthetic feel of the CBU Events Center – classic and clean.”

But, according to Colla, it’s not always what meets the eye that counts.

“It looks great. The proof is in the pudding in terms of what the players and coaches and the university thinks,” Colla asserts. “It’s a really nice looking floor, but realistically in our business it’s not necessarily what’s on top, it’s what’s underneath that really makes up the floor.”

When Johnson Flooring installed the 16,000-square-foot MVP system, President and Owner Kevin Johnson said crews also installed a custom stop blocking feature for nearly the entire arena for durability and longevity of the floor. Multiple events, including Lancers basketball, chapel, concerts, dinners, student orientation activities and commencement ceremonies held in the events center, often require the movement of heavy equipment like portable basketball goals, scissor lifts, and staging materials, which can create a lot of stress on the floor.

According to Johnson, who has been in the industry for 25 years, the teamwork and cooperation on the project was among the best he’s ever witnessed, and is a big part of what led to the CBU project being named a SSOTY finalist.

“It’s a great story to tell because it’s the kind of calls we like to go on where we can make a difference, and where someone’s receptive to actually purchasing a better product than was initially envisioned for the entire project,” Colla says.