No. 18 Auburn gymnastics is still seeking its first conference victory of the season as the surging No. 3 Alabama Crimson Tide comes into town to compete for state bragging rights.
The Tigers currently sit at 2-7 (0-5 SEC) and are averaging 196.367 per meet, ranking No. 13 nationally on vault, No. 13 on beam, No. 34 on bars, and No. 16 on the floor.
Auburn is coming off a performance at the 2026 Metroplex event in Fort Worth that saw them go 1-2 in the quad meet, losing their two matchups by a combined score of 0.325 to North Carolina and NC State. The Tigers did, however, defeat the Boise State Broncos convincingly by a score of 196.075 - 194.825. This performance was good for third place in the quad meet. Auburn was led by sophomore Marissa Neal, who won the floor title with a 9.900 and finished second on both beam and vault.
“Marissa has been fantastic and is a true competitor,” Auburn head coach Jeff Graba said. “I can’t say enough about her drive and determination, and we’re hoping to get her back in the all-around soon.”
Auburn has struggled to overcome the hurdle of defeating ranked teams so far this season. This trend has become increasingly worrisome after a No. 2 LSU team stood their ground at home with a convincing 1.500-point victory in the battle of the Tigers two days prior to the Metroplex event. However, the Auburn Tigers showed promise in their performance against LSU, tallying 196.825 points, which is their best road performance to date.
“I was very proud of their effort tonight,” said Graba after the defeat against LSU. “It’s a tough thing to start a meet with lineup changes, but they stayed together. It was so encouraging to see how they came together tonight and built off each routine and rotation. I’m very happy.”
For Auburn to be consistently competitive in the SEC, it must start with an improvement on the bars, where the Tigers are currently ranked 34th nationally. Despite an improvement on this apparatus in Baton Rouge, where they scored 49.000, an increase from their 48.854 average, the Tigers are still looking for a sense of consistency on the bars to push them over the edge and win their first in-conference meet.
Despite struggles on the bar, the Tigers have shown consistent improvement on the beam, scoring 49.1250, 49.4000, and 49.5250, respectively, in their last three meets. Their impressive 49.5250 showing in Fort Worth was led by Marissa Neal and junior Alex Irvine, who both put together scores of 9.925 at the end of the lineup for this apparatus.
The importance of the beam in SEC play is not lost on Jeff Graba.
“Beam is a separator in this sport,” said Graba. “You have to do beam well to compete in the SEC, and I think their performance showed how tough we are.”
Alabama is coming off a 197.950 - 196.900 victory against the No. 7 Arkansas Razorbacks at home and currently sit at 4-2 (2-2 SEC). The Crimson Tide ranks No. 7 nationally on the vault, No. 3 on the bars, No. 9 on the beam, and No. 3 on the floor.
Alabama is led by senior Gabby Gladieux, who has excelled in the all-around so far this season, recording a total of 236.25 points. In a stark contrast to the Tigers, Alabama excels on the bars on the back of junior Chloe LaCoursiere, who has scored a team high of 59.700 total points on this apparatus over the course of the season.
The Tigers will certainly be tested in one of the testiest, fiercest rivalries college sports has to offer. Alabama will be looking to establish itself among the SEC’s elite in a conference loaded with talent, while Auburn looks to ignite a spark that will propel its season forward into a slew of SEC victories. There is little doubt that each team will be looking to not only prove a point about their legitimacy, but also put down their archrival in the process.
No. 3 Alabama will travel to No. 18 Auburn on Friday, Feb 20th. The meet begins at 7:45 CST and will be televised on the SEC network.
Do you like this story? The Plainsman doesn't accept money from tuition or student fees, and we don't charge a subscription fee. But you can donate to support The Plainsman.
Noah is a senior majoring in business administration. He joined the Plainsman in spring 2026.
