TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - The most storied rivalry in collegiate gymnastics is renewed Friday at 7:30 p.m. when No. 4 Alabama welcomes No. 1 ranked Georgia to Coleman Coliseum.

"This rivalry has helped college gymnastics grow," Alabama head coach Sarah Patterson said. "The excitement and enthusiasm this meet generates, the crowds, it's something that programs all across the country want. I think this rivalry has been very good for college gymnastics."

The meet will be broadcast on a tape-delayed basis by Fox Sports Network. Alabama is 3-0 overall, 2-0 in Southeastern Conference competition coming into Friday's meet while Georgia is 3-1, 2-0 in the SEC. The Bulldogs' lone loss came in the season's first meet at No. 2 ranked Utah. Since then the Bulldogs are undefeated, including a win over then No. 1 Florida in Gainesville by a slim .025 margin.

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - It is without a doubt one of the biggest meets in the nation this season and there are still tickets available for Friday's Alabama-Georgia gymnastics meet that will get underway at 7:30 p.m. in Coleman Coliseum.

Tickets are available through the Alabama Ticket Office (205.348.2262) located in the lobby of Coleman Coliseum and online at RollTide.com.

And while the competition gets underway at 7:30 p.m. the fun begins much earlier. The doors open at 5:30 p.m. and the barber shop quartet of Stacked Deck will be performing on the concourse. Fans will be able to meet Big Al and Big Alice on the concourse as well. The always popular Lamb Family will be performing on the floor before the meet begins and there will be several giveaways before the lights go down for the introduction of the two teams at 7:30 p.m.

TUSCLOOSA, Ala. - After two weeks of stability at the top of the national gymnastics rankings, week three's shuffle finds newly-minted No. 1 Georgia traveling to Tuscaloosa this Friday to face No. 4 Alabama in a showdown of top-5 squads.

Tickets for the Alabama-Georgia meet are on sale through the Alabama Ticket Office (205.348.2262) or online at RollTide.com. The meet gets underway at 7:30 p.m. but fans are encouraged to arrive early to see enjoy all the action, including contests and giveaways that will start well before the introductions.

LEXINGTON, Ky. - The No. 3 ranked Alabama Gymnastics team posted its third consecutive 196-plus score to defeat Kentucky here in Memorial Coliseum tonight, downing the Cats 196.300-193.525.

"I thought we were very consistent tonight, very solid," Alabama head coach Sarah Patterson said. "Our team quote before the meet had a lot to do with meeting challenges and we certainly did that. It was a total team effort out there. Kayla Hoffman could not go in all-around for the first time this season. She has been sick since Wednesday and we felt it best to hold her out. Brittany Magee stung her ankle and took her out of the balance beam lineup where Ashley O'Neal and Morgan Dennis stepped in. It was nice to see people step in at the last moment and do a nice job."

The Alabama Crimson Tide (196.425) maintained their unbeaten streak of 93 consecutive victories over the Auburn Tigers (195.900) despite a challenging and inspiring performance by the orange and blue that just came up short.  It was great to see Bama go 24 of 24 routines but it should be noted that they had some surprising execution errors on floor that made this meet closer than it should have been.  Freshman Kayla Hoffman won her first of what promises to be many all around titles, going 39.475, followed closely by sophomore Kassi Price (39.400), who also scored the meet's highest individual score on any event with a 9.95 on uneven bars.  Sophomore Morgan Dennis was back in magnificent form on the floor, tallying a 9.90 to match Hoffman's score on this same event, while junior Brittany Magee and sophomore Casey Overton anchored the balance beam "total team effort" with matching 9.85 scores.  Another highlight of the evening was sophomore Jacqueline Shealy's successful return to competition on the uneven bars, where she nailed a soaring Tkatchev release and a new Comaneci dismount for a respectable 9.725.  Her parents' presence and loud cheering made the moment that more special.  Senior Terin Humphrey sat out the meet to continue resting her back but is expected to reenter the line-up in the next few weeks.  On to the highlights... 

LEXINGTON, Ky. - Despite the fact that the No. 3 ranked Alabama Gymnastics team has never lost to Kentucky, the Crimson Tide's head coach Sarah Patterson does not expect an easy meet Friday at 7 p.m. ET here in Memorial Coliseum.

"For whatever reason, Kentucky is always a tough meet for us," Patterson said. "They've come very close to us several times in the last few years. It is going to be very much like Auburn last week. We won't be able to have a bad meet and win. We will have to go to the balance beam last event and hit."

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - The Alabama Gymnastics team is third in the national rankings for the second week in a row while sophomore Kassi Price jumped to No. 1 on the Uneven Bars.

Price scored a 9.95 on the uneven bars last Friday at Auburn, bettering her season average to 9.925 pushing her into the nation's top spot. Price is eighth in the all-around, ninth on the floor exercise

AUBURN, Ala. -Auburn kept it close here tonight in Beard-Eaves Memorial Coliseum, but in the end the Alabama Gymnastics team was just too much for their in-state rivals and the Crimson Tide came away with its 93rd consecutive win over the Tigers, winning 196.425-195.9.

The Tide's score was more than a tenth better than its score last week in its opener while the Tigers were four points better than their first meet of the season last week at Kentucky.

"I told our ladies, this is life in the SEC," Alabama head coach Sarah Patterson said. "I knew that we would bring out the best in Auburn and that we would have to work hard for the win. I was very proud of how our ladies handled the pressure tonight. They had to win it on the balance beam while Auburn was on the floor exercise. We couldn't fall apart and win the meet. Our ladies really came through."

The Alabama Crimson Tide (196.300) and the Illinois Fightin' Illini (192.775) opened the 2008 NCAA collegiate gymnastics season in Coleman Coliseum Friday Night to an eager, partisan crowd of 11,134.  The Tide set the table early and coasted to victory over a talented but inconsistent Illinois team that no doubt will prove to be a more competitive, challenging team later on in the season.  Freshman Kayla Hoffman quickly became a crowd favorite with the highest score on vault (9.875) and floor (tied at 9.90 with teammate Kassi Price).  Seniors Terin Humphrey (9.825 on bars) and Kaitlin White (9.85 on bars and floor) were looking strong right out of the chute as well.  Here are some of the Tide's post-meet notes for each routine:

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. The No. 3 ranked Alabama Gymnastics team returns to action this Friday, taking on the Auburn Tigers in Beard-Eaves Memorial Coliseum starting at 7 p.m.

For the Crimson Tide, it will be the first road and first Southeastern Conference meet of the season after opening at home with a win over Illinois last Friday. It is the Tiger's first home meet of the year after falling to Kentucky last weekend in their season opener in Lexington, Ky.

Alabama puts its nearly three-decade long streak against the Tigers on the line once again Friday. The Tide has won 92 consecutive outings against Auburn dating back to the 1979 season, Sarah and David Patterson's first coaching Alabama.

The deadline for submitting nominations for the 2008 Sarah Patterson Distinguished Alumni Award is Thursday, January 31^st. The award will be presented during the "Drive 4 the Cause" - Breast Cancer Awareness meet versus Arkansas on February 8^th

All Medalist Club members are eligible to nominate a candidate for this award. In addition, if you are a former Alabama gymnast, coach, or staff member you are also designated by the Medalist Club as an eligible nominator. Please refer to the Sarah Patterson Distinguished Alumni web page for additional information and specific instructions for submitting your nomination.

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - The Alabama Gymnastics team is third in the nation in the first rankings of the 2008 season.

Alabama made it a one-two-three sweep for the Southeastern Conference with Florida starting out the regular season at No. 1 and Georgia, the three-time defending NCAA Champions coming in at No. 2.

Alabama opened up its season with a 196.300 score to beat Big 10 foe Illinois at home Friday night. It was the second highest opening-meet score in Tide history. Sophomore All-American Kassi Price led the Tide, winning the season-opening all- around competition for the second year in a row.

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - The Alabama Gymnastics team got the 2008 season, Sarah and David Patterson's 30th coaching the Crimson Tide, off to a very good start here in Coleman Coliseum tonight.

The Pattersons, now 29-1 in home openers, saw their squad post the second highest opening score in school history, beating Big 10 foe Illinois 196.300-192.775. The Crimson Tide drew 11,135 fans on the night, its fourth highest opening tally ever.

"I was looking for a great start, not a perfect start, but something that we can build on," Sarah Patterson said. "I was looking for team unity; I was looking for us gaining confidence. While we weren't perfect tonight, I think our ladies know that we could be a pretty good team down the road. I think they will be excited to come in and work on the mistakes we had."

It's that time again, gymnastics season! For fans coming to Coleman Coliseum for the meet, and for fans following along on the radio and online, we have a few announcements, reminders, and, hopefully, helpful links:

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - After months of preparation and training, the 2008 Alabama Gymnastics team gets its season underway Friday at 7:30 p.m. in Coleman Coliseum against the Illinois Fighting Illini.

"We're ready to get started," Alabama head coach Sarah Patterson said. "The ladies are at the point where we're probably won't get much better without seeing where we are in competition."

The 2008 season marks Sarah and David Patterson's 30th as Alabama's coaches, a tenure that includes four NCAA Championships and 25 consecutive NCAA Championship appearances as well as 21 individual NCAA titles and 223 All-American honors.

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - The Alabama Gymnastics team starts the 2008 season off with a great meet against No. 23 ranked Illinois in the Crimson Tide's home opener Friday, Jan. 11 starting at 7:30 p.m.

And while fans will be treated to outstanding competition and the chance for its first look at an Alabama team striving for its fifth NCAA Championship, the fun starts long before the meet gets underway. As a matter of fact it starts the moment fans walk in the door of Coleman Coliseum.

The Crimson Tide's 2008 team schedule poster and magnetic schedules will be given away at the door as long as supplies last. Fans will have a chance to have their picture taken with Big Al or Big Alice prior to the meet in the coliseum lobby.

Fans will also be able to go on camera and "Ask the Coach" prior to the meet in the lobby. If their question is selected, it will be answered either on the Sarah Patterson Show or on the Jumbo-tron at a future meet.

The Alabama Crimson Tide Gymnastics team is ready to showcase another terrific season of top notch tumbling in their quest for SEC title #6 and NCAA National Title #5. We had a chance to scout the team as they went through extensive workouts on Saturday and Sunday of this past weekend in Tuscaloosa, including several intra- squads on the uneven bars and balance beam. We have come up with our predicted line-ups for each event, keeping in mind that these positions are fluid and could change according to nicks and bruises that may arise leading up to the opening meet. Without further ado...

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - The 2008 Alabama Gymnastics season gets underway this Friday night at 7:30 p.m. when the No. 6 ranked Crimson Tide facing No. 23 Illinois in its first home meet of the year.

And for the new season the University of Alabama has made getting to the meet easier than ever before.

The new Soccer lot, located off University Boulevard, is now available for Coleman Coliseum athletic event parking. For convenience sake, starting one hour before the meet starts, the Crimson Ride transit system will run a direct route that will transport fans from the Soccer Lot to the front of Coleman Coliseum free of charge.

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - The Alabama Gymnastics team had another outstanding semester in the classroom, posting a 3.515 team grade point average as well as having four gymnasts named to the President's List after earning perfect 4.0 GPAs for the fall semester.

"I am extremely pleased with the performance of our ladies in the classroom this fall," head coach Sarah Patterson, in her 30th season at the Capstone, said. "Academics are our number one priority and I am proud of the dedication, discipline and effort our ladies put into their studies. We set high individual academic goals this fall and it is rewarding to see our student-athletes obtain such a standard of excellence."