COLUMBIA, Mo. – The Mizzou gymnastics team will host five home meets in 2017, Head Coach Shannon Welker announced on Thursday (Sept. 8). The challenging slate includes matchups with five of last season's Super Six Team Finals competitors and five additional programs that finished 2016 ranked in the top-25.
The Tigers will look to build upon a stellar 2016, where the squad continued its rapid ascent under Welker. The team finished the season ranked 19th in the nation, ahead of Southeastern Conference foes Arkansas and Kentucky. Additionally, Mizzou posted its highest NCAA Regional finish (third) since 2010 and defeated a top-10 team (No. 9 Georgia) for the first time since 2012.
Mizzou's home schedule features matchups with Southeastern Conference foes Alabama, Auburn and Kentucky, as well as non-conference opponents Ball State, Illinois and Iowa State.
All home meets will begin at 7 p.m. CT, although start times for Southeastern Conference competitions are liable to change for television. The SEC and ESPN will announce the official television schedule at a later date.
After the Black & Gold exhibition on Friday, Dec. 9, Mizzou officially opens the 2017 schedule at home against non-conference opponents Ball State and Illinois on Friday, Jan. 6.
Mizzou opens the conference portion of its schedule on Friday, Jan. 13 when the team travels to Fayetteville, Ark., to face Arkansas. Just two days later on Sunday, Jan. 15, the Tigers have a quick turnaround with the State of Missouri Meet against host Lindenwood and Southeast Missouri in St. Charles, Mo.
A home matchup against Alabama on Friday, Jan. 20 opens a three-meet league stretch. Following the meet against the Crimson Tide, the Tigers hit the road to take on Georgia (Friday, Jan. 27) and LSU (Friday, Feb. 3). All three teams made the Super Six a season ago.
After a home meet against Iowa State on Friday, Feb. 10, Mizzou returns to St. Charles, Mo., to compete in the GymQuarters Invitational on Friday, Feb. 17. Mizzou will take on defending national champion Oklahoma, as well as Georgia and LSU, at the Invite.
Three more SEC clashes conclude the regular season. Missouri travels to Gainesville, Fla., on Friday, Feb. 24 to face Florida before a home meet against Auburn on Friday, March 3. The Tigers then celebrate Senior Night on Friday, March 10 as the team hosts Kentucky.
The 2017 SEC Gymnastics Championship will be held on Saturday, March 18 at Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida. Two weeks later on April 1, the NCAA Regionals will take place as six predetermined sites, as a precursor to the 2017 NCAA Championships held at Chaifetz Arena in St. Louis, Missouri.
Season tickets can be purchased from the Missouri Athletic Ticket Office by calling 884-PAWS locally or 1-800-CAT-PAWS.