With a possible bid to the national championship on the line, the No. 3 seed Auburn gymnastics team will host the NCAA regional tournament Saturday at Auburn Arena.
Coach Jeff Graba said competition during the tournament could be the best the arena has ever seen.
"The competition is going to be pretty fierce," Graba said. "It's going to be, top to bottom, six teams that are pretty darn viable teams. In the group of six, we're going to have Georgia who's been to 15 of the last 16 national championships and won eight of them.
"We do feel that we can compete against them, but everybody is going to feel the pressure. You have to hit in this meet obviously, and move on to the next level."
Aside from Georgia, the Tigers will face Oregon State, which has competed in six national championships in a row, Michigan, who has been to 16 straight national championships, and West Virginia, who finished in first place at the EAGL Championship in Pittsburgh March 24.
Michigan State will also compete in their seventh straight appearance at the NCAA regionals.
Georgia coach Jay Clark told georgiadogs.com that while competing close to home is convenient, it is not a reason to slack off.
"I don't think it's a regional that any team can take for granted," Clark said. "There are some tough teams in this regional. We know Auburn competes well at home, and Oregon State is a pretty tough team from top to bottom. We know Michigan has been injured for most of the year, but can still be a dangerous team. West Virginia just won their conference meet with a pretty good score, so it's going to be a battle."
Oregon State coach Tanya Chaplin told Oregon State athletics that competing in Auburn is a great opportunity for her squad.
"We are looking forward to traveling to Auburn for regionals," Chaplin said. "We know that Auburn puts on a great meet. This will be an exciting regional competition."
Auburn must finish in the top two teams to advance to the national championship.
Planning for regionals has taken more than six months, and Graba said the administration has been a huge help in preparing for such a large event.
"Myself and my staff are just more or less consultants, making sure that everything is done the right way, that we have the right equipment and that type of stuff," Graba said. "But our administration has been carrying the weight on that and they have been doing a phenomenal job. Basically I get to coach, so I'm looking forward to that."
This will be Auburn's first time hosting the NCAA championships since 2003.
Georgia and Oregon State hold the Nos. 1 and 2 seeds, respectively, Auburn sits in the No. 3 spot and Michigan, West Virginia and Michigan State round out the field.
The first 200 student tickets will be given away free Saturday, and Graba said the student section is one reason the Tigers can claim home field advantage.
"This weekend we need the students to show up because they're an energized force," Graba said. "It's obviously going to be a high pressure meet, and it makes you feel a little more comfortable when the crowd is behind you and they're loud.
"For us, I think this team has proven that they're really good at home this year, so it's definitely an advantage for this particular team."
Regionals will begin at 6 p.m. and tickets will be available at the door for $5 for students and children and $10 for adults. They can also be purchased online at AUBTix.com.
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