TUSCLAOOSA, Ala. – The Alabama Gymnastics team’s 2009 schedule, released today, features all but one member of last year’s NCAA Super Six Finals and 11 teams that were among the nation’s top-25 at the end of last season.



“This is another packed schedule, one that I’m sure our fans will enjoy and one that will prepare us for the championship season,” Alabama head coach Sarah Patterson said. “We have seven teams from last year’s NCAA Championships on our schedule which will make things very challenging. We’re also hosting an NCAA Regional which is always such an exciting event to have on campus as will be striving for our 27th consecutive NCAA Championship bid.”



The Crimson Tide is coming off another record breaking season in terms of fan support. Alabama sold out back-to-back meets for the first time last season, drawing 15,075 to the Georgia and Auburn meets, and averaged over 12,000 fans per meet for the season. It marked the fifth year in a row that the Tide has averaged over 10,000 per meet at home. This year, Alabama’s six regular-season home meets make up another season of “Tuscaloosa Toyota Fun Family Fridays” with all the meets being held Fridays starting at 7:30 p.m. in Coleman Coliseum.



The Tide opens its season at in-state rival Auburn on Jan. 9 before opening at home against Kentucky on Jan. 16. The Tigers will then travel to Tuscaloosa on Feb. 27 for Alabama’s fifth-annual “Power of Pink” meet. Patterson’s highly successful “Power of Pink” initiative helps raise awareness for the fight against breast cancer. Alabama has sold out the coliseum for each of the last three “Pink” meets, including a school and SEC record 15,162 in 2006.



The Tide’s home schedule also includes 2008 NCAA Championship teams Denver and LSU on Feb. 6 and 13 respectively. The Tide finishes off the regular season at home with a pair of teams that finished in the top 10 a year ago, including Stanford, which was third last season, on March 6, and Oklahoma, eighth in 2008, on March 13. North Carolina will also be on the slate for the March 13th meet.



On the road, Alabama will face four-time defending NCAA Champion Georgia on Jan. 23 as well as NCAA Championship squads Arkansas (Jan. 30) and Florida (Feb. 20). The Tide closes out its regular season road schedule in University Park, Penn. on March 1 when they will take on top-20 powers Penn State and Ohio State.



Alabama begins the postseason in Nashville, Tenn. with the Southeastern Conference Championships which will be held March 21 in the Sommet Center. The Tide then returns to Coleman Coliseum to host the NCAA Regional Championships on April 4. The NCAA Championships will be held April 16-18 in Lincoln, Neb. The last time nationals were held in the Devaney Center, Alabama finished second just behind UCLA.



UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA

2009 GYMNASTICS SCHEDULE



DAY DATE EVENT SITE TIME

Friday January 9 Auburn (Pink) Auburn, Ala. 7:00 p.m.

Friday January 16 Kentucky Tuscaloosa, Ala. 7:30 p.m.

Friday January 23 Georgia Athens, Ga. 7:30 p.m.

Friday January 30 Arkansas Fayetteville, Ark. 7:00 p.m.

Friday February 6 Denver Tuscaloosa, Ala. 7:30 p.m.

Friday February 13 LSU Tuscaloosa, Ala. 7:30 p.m.

Friday February 20 Florida Gainesville, Fla. 7:00 p.m.

Friday February 27 Auburn (Pink) Tuscaloosa, Ala. 7:30 p.m.

Sunday March 1 Penn St & Ohio State University Park, Penn. 2:00 p.m.

Friday March 6 Stanford Tuscaloosa, Ala. 7:30 p.m.

Friday March 13 Oklahoma & UNC Tuscaloosa, Ala. 7:30 p.m.

Saturday March 21 SEC Championship Nashville, Tenn. 4:00 p.m.

Saturday April 4 NCAA Regional Championship Tuscaloosa, Ala. 6:00 p.m.

Thursday-Saturday April 16-18 NCAA Championships Lincoln, Neb.



All Times Local.

Courtesy: Alabama Media Relations