No. 5 Alabama takes on No. 8 Georgia today at 4:00 at UGA Steadman Coliseum. This is Bama biggest gymnastic rivalry by far. This article by RollBamaRoll.com takes you into the history of the Alabama Gymnastic program and specifically into the history of the Bama-UGA rivalry. This is a good read for all Bama fans but a must read for for fans that follow the fantastic gymnastic program that CSP has built.
Since the NCAA introduced the sport in 1982, Bama and UGA are two of only four schools that have ever won the NCAA Women's Gymnastics National Championship (Utah and UCLA being the other two). With Alabama and UGA being in the same conference and being border states, it sets the rivalry at a heated level that isn't seen with Bama's other "typical" rivals (Auburn, LSU, Florida).
This is the 131st all-time meeting between the two schools, with Georgia holding a 79-49-2 advantage, though the majority of those meets have been held in the postseason. In 42 dual meets against Alabama, the Gym Dogs are 31-11. Alabama has won eight of the last nine meetings, including the last seven straight. Georgia last beat Alabama in a dual meet in 2009, 197.175-196.275 in Athens.
Georgia has won ten NCs, including five straight from 2005-2009 under coach Suzanne Yoculan, but there have been two changes of the guard since then: 2009 with head coach Jay Clark taking over after Coach Yoculan's retirement, and Donna Durante assuming control after Coach Clark's resignation in 2012. Following up Coach Yoculan "Under the Lights" at Stegman Coliseum has been a difficult task and the Gym Dogs haven't finished in the top 5 since Coach Yoculan's retirement (except in individual competitions).
Bama is closing in on Georgia with six National Championships and is looking for a threepeat this year. Coach Sarah Patterson and her husband David have been with Alabama since 1978 , when she was hired by Coach (and Athletic Director) Paul Bryant. When asked about what it was like to work for him, she stated, "It's all true what you hear. I'd come into his office and he'd be asking a player if he had called his mama that week. He put great emphasis on the team as a family - a philosophy I continue today. His insistence on always doing the right thing influenced players throughout their lives. He cared about their personal and professional lives as much as he did about their performance on the field."
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