Florida Gators

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – It's a top-10 match-up between two unbeaten teams next for Gators gymnastics.
 
No. 8 Florida opens 2024 Southeastern Conference home action Friday with No. 6 Alabama for Alumni Night presented by GFL in front of a sold-out Exactech Arena at the Stephen C. O'Connell Center crowd. The Tide finished second to Florida in the last two SEC Championship meets.
 
The meet starts at 6:45 p.m. in the Exactech Arena at the Stephen C. O'Connell Center. Gates open at 5:30 p.m.
 
Friday's competition is the 20th dual meet since 2003 that both Florida and Alabama bring a top-10 ranking.
 
Gators Gymnastics Alumni Night:
More than 30 who span from the program's first season in 1973 to Florida's 2023 SEC champion and NCAA runner-up team are welcomed back Friday for Gator Gymnastics Alumni Night. These Gators played a role in the program's four national team championships, 15 Southeastern Conference titles, 27 national individual crowns and earned more than 500 All-America honors in the program's 52 seasons.
 
Top Freshmen Classes:
Florida and Alabama are 1-2 in the 2024 CollegeGymFans.com annual ranking of gymnastics recruiting classes. Five of Florida's six freshmen have performed 17 competitive routines in the Gators' two meets of 2024. Two of Alabama's three freshmen performed 10 routines in three meets.
  
Arrive Early to Cheer Your Gators
Be in your Exactech Arena seat by 6:45 p.m. to take in the floor projection show which leads into the Gators entrance for the 2024 SEC home action. Get ready to raise your phone with Gator Lights during the floor projection.
 
Here's some tips to expedite your trip to the Exactech Arena Friday:
 
Getting TO the Arena:

• Season parking holders can enter the O'Connell Center lot off Lemerand Drive OR SW 2^nd Avenue.
• A complimentary parking shuttle transports fans from which originates at Garage 109 (located at corner of Archer Road and Lemerand Drive to the O'Connell Center. The parking shuttle begins at 5 p.m. Parking map for Gator Gymnastics.
• Use the Waze app to provide the best route to parking shuttle.
• Check the Parking Lot Availability Tracker to see your options in real time.
• For 5-10 minutes following Gator gymnastics meets, Lemerand Drive will close for north and south bound traffic from University Avenue to Stadium Road to provide pedestrians a safe exit.
• More information at 2024 Meet Guide

 
Getting IN the Arena:

• Friday's meet is sold out. Shop for tickets by verified resellers.
• Gates 1 and 2 will be open for each gymnastics meet. UF students should enter at Gate 3.
• All Gator Athletics tickets are mobile. Visit Mobile Ticketing Guide to help expediate your entrance into the arena. To help zip through the entrance, be sure to add your tickets to your digital wallet in case of possible connectivity issues outside the gate. Then have tickets up on device to present for scanning.

• Bags are checked before entering the building. Everyone will go through the O'Connell Center metal detectors when entering. When using the metal detectors fans need to empty their pockets prior to screening, then walk through the detector. After that, tickets will be scanned and then you are ready to cheer your Gators!

 
Friday's Promotions:

• Student Tailgate – Arrive early at Gate 3 to get enjoy a free doughnut (250 available).
• Gators Gymnastics Accessory – First 500 fans get a Gators gymnastics hair clip
• Gate 1 Giveaways – Be sure to pick up 2024 Gators Gymnastics season poster, schedule magnet and 10.0 fan cards when you enter at O'Connell Center Gate 1.
• O2B Kid's Corner – Located on the Practice Courts near Gate 4, kids can get free giveaways, temporary tattoos, play games, make posters, meet the mascots & Dazzlers, and more!

 
How to Follow the Gators:
Follow the action live:

• TV: ESPN2 with U.S. Olympians John Roethlisberger and Gator Great Bridget Sloan calling the action. Taylor Davis covers action from the sideline
• Live Stats:    StatBroadcast

 

In Florida's SEC Opener:
Florida opened SEC action with a 197.325 – 197.025 road win on Jan. 19 in front of Auburn's sold-out Neville Arena. The Gators' 197.325 is the fifth highest road opening score in the program's history and just a tick behind the 197.35 set at Alabama in 2023.
 
Junior All-American Leanne Wong won sole possession of three event titles, including winning her 2024 all-around debut (39.625). That win was the 10^th of her Gator career, making her the 14^th in the program's 52-season history with 10 or more all-around titles. She also used 9.95s to win uneven bars and floor exercise.
 
Among the five Gators with collegiate-best marks at Auburn was junior Bri Edwards, who led off the vault lineup with a collegiate-best 9.875. She shared second with freshman teammate Anya Pilgrim and AU's Cassie Stevens. Junior teammate Sloane Blakely shared third on balance beam at 9.875 with Wong. It was Blakely's 2024 debut on the event.
 
The Alabama Crimson Tide in 2024:
Alabama opened 2024 at the Super 16 Challenge in Las Vegas on Jan. 6. The Tide won their session at 197.125. Other team scores from the evening session included California (196.85), UCLA (196.55) and Auburn (196.60).
 
The Tide started SEC action with a pair of home meets. Alabama opened SEC action with a 197.225 – 196.475 win over then No. 3 Missouri. Graduate Luisa Blanco set Alabama's season all-around high of 39.675 to claim a share of the Jan. 16 SEC Gymnast of the Week honor.
 
In the nation's top dual of the weekend, then No. 3 Alabama and No. 4 Arkansas tied a 197.525 in front of more than 11,000 at the Coleman Coliseum. The meet came down to the final performance as Alabama junior Lilly Hudson anchored the floor lineup with the team's high of 9.95 to tie Arkansas. The Tide's last tie came Jan. 25, 2020 at the Metroplex Challenge in Fort Worth, Texas, as UA and Denver tied for second (196.575) behind Oklahoma (197.525).