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GREENSBORO — No wonder they call this event the NCAA tournament . No matter where you look at the Greensboro Coliseum this week, something says NCAA.

From the marquee in front of the building to the scoreboard above the court — and on the court itself — the logo for the main governing body for college sports appears here by the thousands.

It shows up on the scorer’s table. On the basketballs. On the chairs the players sit on during games. On the towels they use to wipe sweat. On the shirts worn by coliseum staff. On the LED ribbon around the upper deck. On directional signs outside the building. On the mops used to clean the playing floor. On plastic sheeting that cover advertisements for products that either compete with — or aren’t official sponsors of — the tournament.

You get the idea.

Officials directing the competition say the logos give the event a uniform look at tournament sites around the country and give players a sense that they’re at a championship.

“We are trying to keep the buildings from site to site consistent,” said Jacqie Carpenter , director of the Division I Men’s Basketball Championship , who’s overseeing the tournament in Greensboro. “It’s not just men’s basketball. All our championships have the same standards.”

But officials at the coliseum believe the NCAA’s increasing efforts at “branding” have reduced the tournament’s local identity.

“Look at that picture,” said Matt Brown , the coliseum’s managing director , as he watched the LSU-Butler game Thursday afternoon on a television in his conference room. “That could be anywhere.”

In past years, when the coliseum hosted the tournament, officials knew their own court, with its blue/green color scheme, would be used and that the word “Greensboro” would be seen prominently across each baseline.

But this year, the NCAA brought in its own court, costing an estimated $80,000 to $100,000 . The floor, which went down Monday , also has the word “Greensboro” along the baseline, but it’s painted in blue on a black background.

Brown thinks the name is hard to read on television. And he says the ACC logos have been reduced in size.

“You can see the NCAA icon,” he said. “That’s what they want to show .... This is another step where we have lost a sense of local identity as a host.”

Brown says he has shared his concerns with the NCAA.

And the response? “That is just part of the process,” Carpenter said. “I know some of the facilities are challenged (by the requirements).”

At this tournament, Carpenter is the voice of the NCAA.

She sits at the scorer’s table with a thick notebook at her fingertips. It’s titled “2009 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship. Confidential.”

It contains the do’s and don’ts for the tournament.

If anyone has a question, they check with Carpenter.

Before Thursday’s LSU-Butler game, two coliseum officials rushed up with a problem. The LSU band needed more room. Would it be OK to move a partition?

Sure, Carpenter said with a smile. No need to check the confidential book on that one.

As she waited for the game to begin, Carpenter confirmed that the NCAA required the coliseum to cover 10,000 cup holders in the lower arena.

The reason? The holders advertised Pepsi , a competitor of tournament sponsor Coke .

But, unlike some of the other competing ads in the arena, the holders can’t be seen on camera.

“If you are sitting in a seat, you can see the cup holders,” Carpenter said.

So the cup holders were covered — with a material that shows the NCAA logo.

Contact Donald W. Patterson at 373-7027 or don.patterson@news-record.com