The Auburn gymnastics team, ranked No. 11 nationally, will begin its 2026 season at home against No. 23 NC State on Friday night at Neville Arena. The meet is scheduled for 7 p.m. CT and will be available for streaming on SEC Network+.
Head coach Jeff Graba outlined his expectations for the season opener: “What I’m looking to see Friday night is a great start to our process,” Graba said. “I’m excited about the potential of this team this year. We’re going to try to get out there and start the right way. We’re going to need to see consistency Friday and need to see a team that sticks together and buys into the process. I’m really looking forward to it.”
Auburn’s opponent, NC State, holds a top-25 preseason ranking and will face Auburn several times during the regular season. Graba acknowledged their challenge: “This NC State team is really well coached,” he said. “They are a tough team to go against. I’m expecting they are going to show up and give us their best shot. But this will be a great test to start. We go against one team this year that is not in the top 25 preseason so this will be a great opportunity for us to kick things off on the right foot.”
The Tigers’ roster features many juniors and sophomores along with promising freshmen talent. Graba sees January as an opportunity to experiment with lineups: “We’ve got a lot of new people with a great group of returners,” he said. “A lot of change will be happening in our lineup this month, which is pretty exciting. There is an opportunity for these new people to show up and do things and we’re excited to see what happens this Friday.”
Returning home offers another advantage according to Graba: “It’s so amazing to see how the local community and the Auburn fanbase has embraced our team and sport,” he said. “It does a tremendous amount for our team because it’s probably one of the toughest places to compete in the country. The home field advantage here is significant. What has been created here has been fantastic and we can’t wait to see another packed Neville Arena.”
Doors open at 5:30 p.m., with pre-meet activities planned for fans who arrive early. Auburn University students attending can participate in a technology raffle by scanning a QR code upon entry; winners must be present.
Parking options include Donahue Dr., War Eagle Way lots, Coliseum lot, and Stadium Parking Deck; those needing ADA parking without an arena pass should use the ADA Lot at Wire Road and Extension Loop where accessible shuttles are provided starting 90 minutes before competition until 30 minutes after it concludes.
Further details about meet day logistics can be found on https://auburntigers.com/gym-gameday, while limited tickets remain available via auburntige.rs/GymTickets.
As hosts, Auburn begins in Olympic order—vault, bars, beam, floor—with notable contributors across all events such as juniors Olivia Greaves and Julianne Huff who may compete all-around, along with junior transfer Emma Wehry plus sophomores Sophia Bell and Marissa Neal participating broadly.
Key athletes returning experience include Paige Zancan (who posted five scores of 9.9 or higher last year), Huff (All-Freshman honoree), Bell (team scoring leader on floor), Greaves (NCAA Regional Bars co-champion), Alex Irvine (second-best bars NQS last season), Emma Grace Boyd (competed bars every meet last year), among others.
Freshman Charlotte Booth brings international credentials as an event gold medalist; fellow newcomers like Mia Leverton round out vault depth.
Following Friday’s opener, Auburn travels next week for its first road contest at No. 10 Arkansas on January 18 at Bud Walton Arena—the team’s initial Southeastern Conference matchup—which airs live on SEC Network.
