Auburn at Alabama

Recap

The Big Storyline: The Iron Bowl lived up to expectations, with both teams scoring vital season highs in one of the closest meets of the year. The main highlight was the trio of 10s, two from Sunisa Lee on bars and beam, as well as Luisa Blanco, who earned her second career 10 on beam, the event in which she was the 2021 national champion. 

Implications: Alabama will stay in contention for the night session of SEC championship after a slow start by the Crimson Tide’s standards. Auburn will keep its second place spot in SEC rankings and will return to the national top five.                

Records: Alabama tallied a program high on floor with a 49.700.

Preview

Current Rankings: No. 6 Auburn at No. 11 Alabama

Why You Should Cancel Plans for It: Rankings aside, NCAA gymnastics’ version of the Iron Bowl never fails to disappoint. Last year’s match-up saw the Tigers beat the Crimson Tide for just the third time in program history; can they make it two in a row without the home arena advantage? 

What Else to Know Before Tuning in: Despite falling to host Kentucky, Alabama is coming off its highest score of 2023 while Auburn had its lowest scoring meet of the season. In-state rivalry aside, this has the potential to be an incredibly tight competition.