Alabama Announces 2010 Gymnastics Schedule
10/29/2009 12:00:00 AM | Gymnastics
Oct. 29, 2009
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - The University of Alabama Gymnastics team announced its 2010 schedule this week which includes five home meets and six opponents that were at last year's NCAA Championships.
"We have once again put together a very challenging schedule," head coach Sarah Patterson said. "It's not a schedule that is conducive to going undefeated, but it will prepare us for the end of the season and the championships."
Alabama opens the season at Auburn on January 8 and then welcomes five-time defending NCAA Champion Georgia to Tuscaloosa the next week for the first of "Five Fun Family Fridays" in Coleman Coliseum.
"We've got a great home schedule that includes three teams that made the NCAA Championship Super Six last year," Patterson said. "Our fans want to see great gymnastics and this schedule will certainly bring that kind of talent to the Coliseum."
In addition to Georgia, Alabama will also face Southeastern Conference rivals and 2009 Super Six teams Arkansas and Florida at home as well as national powers Michigan and Arizona. The Arizona meet on Feb. 12 will be the Crimson Tide's annual "Power of Pink" meet, which has drawn sellout crowds of 15,000-plus each of the last four years.
In addition to traveling to Auburn, Alabama will also see Penn State, Minnesota, LSU, Kentucky and Oklahoma on the road this season. It will mark the first time Patterson and company has traveled to Norman, Okla., to face the Sooners during the regular season since 1991.
Alabama gets the postseason underway in Jacksonville, Fla. where the Tide will look to defend their 2009 SEC title. It will mark the first time the league championship has been held in Jacksonville.
"One of the benefits of the challenging regular season schedule that we put together each year is that by the time we hit the championship portion of season, we're not looking over our shoulder," Patterson said. "We have seen the best and we can focus solely on our team and what we have to do."
After the NCAA Regional Championships, which could see Alabama at any of the six regional sites, the Tide will be looking for a trip to Gainesville, Fla., and its 28th consecutive NCAA appearance. Alabama will also be looking to improve on last year's second-place finish and win national championship No. 5.
Season tickets are now on sale through the Alabama Ticket Office (205.348.2262) and online at RollTide.com.
