Friday, January 16
Gainesville, FL
6:45 p.m.
Florida Gators
vs
Alabama
Sophomore Ly Bui got the Gators season off to a strong start, hitting a collegiate best 9.925 vault as Florida's first performer in the Jan. 9 opener. Friday, the top-ranked Gators play host to No. 4 Alabama for the nation's top dual of the week.
Nation's Top Dual Friday in O'Dome: No. 1 Florida vs No. 4 Alabama
Wednesday, January 14, 2026 | Gymnastics
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The nation's top gymnastics dual meet of the weekend is also the start of Southeastern Conference action for both No. 1 Florida and No. 4 Alabama.
Competition for Flashback Friday presented by Publix is set to begin at 6:45 p.m. in the Exactech Arena, with gates opening at 5:30 p.m.
Did You Know?
This is the sixth time UF opens league action at No. 1 and first time since 2021.
Florida opens SEC action for the fourth time with both teams bringing a top-5 ranking and first since the 2023 SEC home opener with No. 5 Auburn and No. 2 Florida (197.825-197.20 UF win).
About Friday's Meet:
Florida brings the No. 1 ranking into Friday's meet, its first top ranking since the 2021 season (UF top ranked team throughout 2021 regular-season action). This is the 25th meeting between the two programs since 1989 both teams bring a top-four ranking into a meeting, and first since the 2016 NCAA Super Six team final.
How did Florida and Alabama get to these lofty early season rankings? Florida opened home action by posting the nation's top total of this young season (197.725) to win a home dual versus preseason No. 24 North Carolina (196.675), Temple (193.875) and West Virginia (193.45). Alabama started the 2026 season with a road win at Clemson, outscoring the Tigers on every event to tally the nation's fourth-highest total of 197.475.
Swamp Moments:
Want to add to your game-day experience at Gators Gymnastics? Check out this season's Swamp Moments opportunities.
Arrive Early to Cheer Your Gators
Here's some tips to expedite your trip to the Exactech Arena Friday:
Getting TO the Arena:
Getting IN the Arena:
O'Connell Center Now Cashless Venue:
The Stephen C. O'Connell Center is going cashless starting at the Friday, Jan. 16 gymnastics meet against Alabama—making meet day faster, easier and more convenient for fans.
All concession and merchandise locations will accept credit cards, debit cards, Apple Pay and Google Pay, helping reduce lines and speed up service. Fans who bring cash can easily exchange it for a gift card at concession stand 222 inside Gate 1.
Friday's Promotions:
How to Follow the Gators:
Follow the action live:
Last Time Out for the Gators:
Florida opened its season January 9 with a big performance, rolling to a quad-meet victory behind the second-highest season-opening score in program history and the current national leader in front of 7,237 at the Exactech Arena at the Stephen C. O'Connell Center.
UF's score of 197.725 is just shy of the program's opening-meet record of 197.75 set in 2023. Florida gymnasts won three event titles. Sophomore Ly Bui equaled her collegiate best of 9.925 to win her first vault title. Senior All-American Selena Harris-Miranda won both uneven bars (9.95) and balance beam (9.975). The beam mark is the nation's high for 2026.
After her performance on Jan. 9, Harris-Miranda earned the first SEC Specialist of the Week honor. It is her fourth SEC weekly honor since she joined the Gators in 2025, as Harris-Miranda picked up the SEC Gymnast of the Week three times last season.
Competition for Flashback Friday presented by Publix is set to begin at 6:45 p.m. in the Exactech Arena, with gates opening at 5:30 p.m.
Did You Know?
This is the sixth time UF opens league action at No. 1 and first time since 2021.
Florida opens SEC action for the fourth time with both teams bringing a top-5 ranking and first since the 2023 SEC home opener with No. 5 Auburn and No. 2 Florida (197.825-197.20 UF win).
About Friday's Meet:
Florida brings the No. 1 ranking into Friday's meet, its first top ranking since the 2021 season (UF top ranked team throughout 2021 regular-season action). This is the 25th meeting between the two programs since 1989 both teams bring a top-four ranking into a meeting, and first since the 2016 NCAA Super Six team final.
How did Florida and Alabama get to these lofty early season rankings? Florida opened home action by posting the nation's top total of this young season (197.725) to win a home dual versus preseason No. 24 North Carolina (196.675), Temple (193.875) and West Virginia (193.45). Alabama started the 2026 season with a road win at Clemson, outscoring the Tigers on every event to tally the nation's fourth-highest total of 197.475.
Swamp Moments:
Want to add to your game-day experience at Gators Gymnastics? Check out this season's Swamp Moments opportunities.
Arrive Early to Cheer Your Gators
Here's some tips to expedite your trip to the Exactech Arena Friday:
Getting TO the Arena:
- Season parking holders can enter the O'Connell Center lot off Lemerand Drive OR SW 2nd Avenue.
- A complimentary parking shuttle transports fans from which originates at Garage 109 (located at corner of Archer Road and Lemerand Drive to the O'Connell Center. The parking shuttle begins at 5 p.m. Parking map for Gator Gymnastics.
- Use the Waze app to provide the best route to parking shuttle.
- For 5-10 minutes following Gator gymnastics meets, Lemerand Drive will close for north and south bound traffic from University Avenue to Stadium Road to provide pedestrians a safe exit.
- More information at 2026 Meet Guide
Getting IN the Arena:
- To get tickets ahead of Friday's meet, visit the FloridaGators.com ticket site or stop by the Gator Ticket Office (open Monday-Friday, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.).
- Gates 1 and 2 will be open for each gymnastics meet. UF students should enter at Gate 3.
- Check out the Exactech Arena's apparatus layout.
- All Gator Athletics tickets are mobile. Visit Mobile Ticketing Guide to help expediate your entrance into the arena. To help zip through the entrance, be sure to add your tickets to your digital wallet in case of possible connectivity issues outside the gate. Then have tickets up on device to present for scanning.
- Everyone will go through the O'Connell Center metal detectors when entering. Please follow staff instructions for screening. After that, tickets will be scanned and then you are ready to cheer your Gators!
O'Connell Center Now Cashless Venue:
The Stephen C. O'Connell Center is going cashless starting at the Friday, Jan. 16 gymnastics meet against Alabama—making meet day faster, easier and more convenient for fans.
All concession and merchandise locations will accept credit cards, debit cards, Apple Pay and Google Pay, helping reduce lines and speed up service. Fans who bring cash can easily exchange it for a gift card at concession stand 222 inside Gate 1.
Friday's Promotions:
- Gymnastics Belt Bag – First 600 students receive a Gators gymnastics belt bag.
- Gate 1 Giveaways – Be sure to pick up 2026 Gators Gymnastics season poster, schedule magnet and 10.0 fan cards when you enter at O'Connell Center Gate 1.
- O2B Kid's Corner – Located on the Practice Courts near Gate 4, kids can get free giveaways, temporary tattoos, play games, make posters, meet the mascots & Dazzlers, and more!
How to Follow the Gators:
Follow the action live:
- ESPN2 - action called by Gator National Champion Bridget Sloan and fellow Olympian John Roethlisberger
- Live scores
Last Time Out for the Gators:
Florida opened its season January 9 with a big performance, rolling to a quad-meet victory behind the second-highest season-opening score in program history and the current national leader in front of 7,237 at the Exactech Arena at the Stephen C. O'Connell Center.
UF's score of 197.725 is just shy of the program's opening-meet record of 197.75 set in 2023. Florida gymnasts won three event titles. Sophomore Ly Bui equaled her collegiate best of 9.925 to win her first vault title. Senior All-American Selena Harris-Miranda won both uneven bars (9.95) and balance beam (9.975). The beam mark is the nation's high for 2026.
After her performance on Jan. 9, Harris-Miranda earned the first SEC Specialist of the Week honor. It is her fourth SEC weekly honor since she joined the Gators in 2025, as Harris-Miranda picked up the SEC Gymnast of the Week three times last season.
🤸♀️ SEC Specialist of the Week | Jan. 13
— Southeastern Conference (@SEC) January 13, 2026
🐊 Selena Harris-Miranda, @GatorsGym #SECGYM | presented by @Allstate pic.twitter.com/5DWcUXrxAj
Players Mentioned
Trust Your Training | Unbreakable
Thursday, January 15
Florida Gymnastics | Ly Bui Media Availability
Wednesday, January 14
Ly Bui Media Availability
Wednesday, January 14
Florida Gymnastics | Head Coach Jenny Rowland Media Availability
Wednesday, January 14
