The Alabama gymnastics program released its 2005 schedule today, featuring five teams that finished in the top-7 at last year's NCAA Championships.

The 2005 schedule features perennial powerhouses Georgia, Stanford, LSU and Florida along with up and coming programs UNC, Iowa State and Auburn.

"I don't think our schedule ever gets easier," head coach Sarah Patterson, in her 27th season at the Capstone, said. "Once again I think we've put together a 'fan's schedule' while mixing in some new faces at home. I think fans will be especially excited to see the match up of co-NCAA Floor Exercise Champions Ashley Miles and UNC's Courtney Bumpers. Overall I think it's a great schedule and it will certainly get us ready for the postseason."

And it will be a postseason that takes place within driving distance of Tuscaloosa. The Southeastern Conference Championships will be in Duluth, Ga. again this season while the NCAA Central Regional will be held in Tuscaloosa for the ninth time. The NCAA Championships will be just down the road in Auburn, Ala. in Beard-Eaves Memorial Coliseum.

The Crimson Tide will again start the season off with the Super Six Challenge, Friday, January 7 in Gainesville, Fla., an event they have won three of the six years it has been in existence including last year. In addition to host Florida, Alabama will face Arizona, Georgia, Iowa and Penn State. The seventh annual Super Six Challenge will be broadcast on a tape-delayed basis on ESPN.

Nine of the Tide's 10 regular season meets will be on Friday this season, including the entire home schedule in a continuation of last season's theme of "Fun Family Fridays".

"Our fans really seemed to appreciate the move to all Friday nights last season," Patterson said. "I think it really provides a great opportunity for families to get together and enjoy some outstanding entertainment."

The Tide's home slate starts off with Iowa State on Friday, Jan. 14. It will mark the first time Alabama has seen the Cyclones in Tuscaloosa since the 2000 NCAA Central Regional, when both team's advanced to the NCAA Championships.

The Tide's first Southeastern Conference dual meet comes the next weekend, Friday, Jan. 21 against LSU, a meet that will be featured on ESPN2 on a tape delayed basis. The Tigers have a veteran squad this year including SEC Gymnast of the Year April Burkholder.

Alabama will see Auburn on Friday, Feb. 4 in Tuscaloosa. The Tigers have been cutting the Tide's margin of victory ever smaller over the last several seasons and will be looking for their first win over the Tide in over 25 years. The next weekend sees Kentucky coming to Tuscaloosa on Feb. 11. The last two times the Wildcats have been in Coleman Coliseum the meet has come down to the last event and the last competitor.

The home and regular season schedule finishes out with UNC on March 18. In addition to having the Miles-Bumpers match-up to look forward to, the ladies of Chapel Hill are one of the nation's up and coming programs and have been on the verge of an NCAA Championships berth the last few years. The Tarheels were regular Tide opponents in the mid-80s, but the two squads have met only once in the regular season, 2000, since then. The UA-UNC meet will also be Senior Night for the Tide, honoring Shannon Hrozek, Michelle Reeser and Alexis Brion.

On the road, Alabama will see Georgia (Feb. 18), who finished second at nationals last season, Florida (Jan. 28) who finished fifth last year, three weeks after facing the Gators in the Super Six Challenge and Arkansas (Feb. 25). Alabama will finish out its regular season road trips at Stanford for the first time ever. The Tide and the Cardinal tied for third at last year's NCAA Championships. This meeting will be the two team's third regular season meeting with the last coming at the 2001 Super Six Challenge in Tuscaloosa. It will also be only the second time in more than 10 years that the Tide has competed in California during the regular season.

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