New Orleans to host 2019 SEC Gymnastics Championships

ST. LOUIS – The Southeastern Conference announced Thursday that the 2019 SEC Gymnastics Championships will be hosted at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans on March 23.

“We’ve wanted to bring the SEC Championships back to Louisiana for many years,” LSU Gymnastics Head Coach D-D Breaux said. “New Orleans is a fabulous place for a big event like this, and the city has hosted numerous gymnastics meets that have been successful and well attended. The state of Louisiana and everyone in New Orleans have been supportive of bringing this meet back home.”

LSU played host to the inaugural SEC Championships in 1981 in Baton Rouge and once again in 1992 and 1998. This will mark the first time the meet will take place in the state of Louisiana since moving to neutral sites in 2001. Previous host sites include: Birmingham, Ala. (2001, 2002, 2003, 2006, 2011 and 2014); Duluth, Ga. (2004, 2005, 2008, 2012 and 2015); North Little Rock, Ark. (2007, 2013 and 2016); Nashville, Tenn. (2009), Jacksonville, Fla. (2010 and 2017); and St. Louis, Mo. (2018).

“We are excited about the opportunity to bring the SEC Gymnastics Championships to New Orleans for the first time in 2019,” SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey said. “New Orleans has a rich tradition of hosting championship events in all sports and the SEC is proud to have played a significant role in that legacy. The SEC Gymnastics Championship is annually a preview of competition at the national championship meet, and we know this will be another successful event that will produce life-long memories for our student-athletes, coaches and fans in the sport of gymnastics.”

“The Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation is honored to have partnered with SMG to attract the 2019 SEC Gymnastics Championships,” Jay Cicero, President/CEO of the GNOSF said. “The popularity of New Orleans as a fan favorite destination and the tremendous growth in interest in the sport of college gymnastics should be the perfect recipe for an exciting Championship in 2019. Gymnastics fans from the entire state and SEC footprint are going to love it.”

The Smoothie King Center is a state-of-the-art venue adjacent to the Mercedes-Benz Superdome and situated on the 55-acre campus of the Louisiana Stadium and Exposition District. It is home to the New Orleans Pelicans, and has previously hosted regionals for the NCAA Division I Men’s and Women’s Basketball Tournaments and the Women’s Final Four.

LSU won the first SEC Gymnastics Championship in 1981 and once again in 2017. The Tigers will compete for their second-straight title at 6 p.m. CT Saturday in St. Louis, Missouri. The meet will be televised live on ESPN2.

Fans of the LSU gymnastics team will have eight chances to see the team in the state of Louisiana during the 2019 season. LSU will host six meets during the regular season inside the Maravich Center. The Tigers will then compete in New Orleans at the league meet. Two weeks later, the squad will compete in the PMAC for an NCAA Regional for the first time since 2014.

LSU is now accepting new season ticket requests at LSUtix.net. There will be new tickets opened on the 300 level of the south side of the PMAC for next season. Current season ticket holders will have a chance to renew for the 2019 season later this spring. Details on ticket information for the 2019 SEC Gymnastics Championship in New Orleans are being finalized. Fans interested in receiving advance ticket information can go to www.gnosports.com to register their name, email and favorite SEC school.