BATON ROUGE – When No. 1 LSU and No. 9 Alabama meet at 7:30 p.m. CT Friday, it is expected to be in front of a standing-room only crowd of more than 12,000 fans in an important match up of two Southeastern Conference teams.
The Tigers (2-0, 2-0 SEC) and Crimson Tide (1-1, 1-0 SEC) will meet on the SEC Network for the second part of Friday Night Heights. Bart Conner (play-by-play), Kathy Johnson-Clarke (analyst) and Laura Rutledge (reporter) will have the call. First vault teams is scheduled for 7:35 p.m. CT.
Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards, LSU Athletics Director Joe Alleva and LSU President Dr. F. King Alexander will be on hand for the match up. Governor Edwards and Alleva will honor LSU gymnastics head coach D-D Breaux prior to the meet for her 41 years of commitment to the University and state of Louisiana.
Meet Promotions
The first 1,500 fans in attendance will receive a bobble head of LSU All-American and 2017 NCAA Floor Exercise champion gymnast Ashleigh Gnat. More than 50 alumni will also be on hand from both the men’s gymnastics team and women’s teams over the years. The group will be recognized prior to the meet.
Arrive Early
With a sellout expected for the meet on Friday, LSU officials are encouraging all fans to arrive to the PMAC early. Doors for students will open at 5:45 p.m. The remaining doors to the arena will open at 6 p.m.
Buy Tickets before Friday
Fans who have not purchased tickets yet are encouraged to buy ahead of time to guarantee a spot for Friday’s meet. Tickets for the meet are available at www.LSUTIX.net or by calling the LSU Ticket Office at (225)578-2184 or toll-free at (800)960-8587. LSU students are admitted free with a valid student ID.
Geaux Clear
Fans are reminded that LSU’s Geaux Clear policy is in effect for all sports. The following bags are permitted inside LSU Athletic venues: clear 12” x 6” x 12” or smaller bags, clear 1-gallon freezer bags & clear or non-clear 4.5” x 6.5” (approximately the size of a person’s hand) wallets/wristlets/clutches. For more information regarding the clear bag policy, please visit lsusports.net/geauxclear.
Breaux Previews SEC Showdown
“The Alabama meet is always exciting, and we know we are going to have a huge crowd behind us tomorrow night,” head coach D-D Breaux said. “The goal for our team is to be able to thrive and each event have quality performances. We have to break that 49.200 in every event to feel like we can contend for a championship and get better. Although this meet is important, we are going to try and go in there and keep everything in perspective. It’s all about the team performance.”
Tigers Get Out to Strong Start with Wins at Florida
LSU went into Gainesville and posted a score of 197.250 for its fourth-straight win over the Gators during the regular season. Senior Myia Hambrick took home the all-around title with a score of 39.550 as well as the floor title after posting a 9.95 in the anchor spot. Junior Lexie Priessman won the vault title with a career-high score of 9.925.
LSU-Alabama Rivalry over the Years
The two schools have meet every year since 1981 and all but a three-year stretch (1978-80) since the LSU program started in 1975. Alabama leads the all-time series over LSU, 24-96-2, with the Tigers owning a 12-16-2 record at home. LSU has won the last four regular-season meetings over Alabama and the last two meets inside the PMAC. In 2016, a school-record sellout crowd of 13,256 fans watch No. 4 LSU defeat No. 3 Alabama, 197.925-196.225.
Fans can follow the Tigers on the team’s social media channels: @LSUgym on Instagram, Twitter and Snapchat, www.Facebook.com/lsugym and at YouTube.com/lsugymnastics.