Madisonian Andy North is renowned for his achievements and commentary in golf, but the two-time U.S. Open champion has another prominent love.

North is an enthusiastic follower of the University of Wisconsin men's basketball program, a reality soon to be reflected with a sizeable gift to the school.

North and his wife, Sue, have committed to a donation that will cover the cost of the new basketball floor that will be installed at the Kohl Center for the 2008-09 season.

Bids are still being sought for the new surface, but estimates put the cost at $100,000.

North, who designs golf courses and is a respected golf analyst for ESPN, declined comment on the matter Wednesday through a school spokesman.

"They're not doing it for the publicity," UW senior associate athletic director Vince Sweeney said. "They're doing it as a show of support for the program."

What will happen to the original floor?

Sweeney said there are several options under consideration, all focused on celebrating the fact that "a lot of good things happened on it."

Since the Kohl Center opened for basketball in 1998, the Badgers have claimed three Big Ten Conference regular-season titles, won 20 or more games in a season five times, were ranked No. 1 in the nation for the first time in school history and have become a fixture in the NCAA tournament.

According to Sweeney, it's possible that pieces of the floor will be auctioned off to UW fans.

It's also possible that larger sections of the surface will be used to create displays inside the Kohl Center and the adjoining Nicholas-Johnson Pavilion.

The original basketball floor at the Kohl Center has been the site of hundreds of games -- UW men's and women's basketball as well as WIAA state tournament games for boys and girls -- and has shown signs of wear and tear.

"It's held up very well considering the number of times it's been put down and taken up," Sweeney said.

The puzzle-like surface -- each piece is 4-feet-by-8-feet -- has been dismantled more than 500 times for UW men's and women's hockey games, concerts, commencement ceremonies and banquets since the Kohl Center opened.

A by-product of that process is the boundary lines for the court have fallen out of alignment. That became especially noticeable over the past three years.

"It's just time," Sweeney said.