OU Women’s Gymnastics Unveils 2023 Schedule

NORMAN – Coming off its fifth NCAA Women's Gymnastics Championship in April, a challenging and exciting season awaits the Oklahoma women's gymnastics team in 2023.

Head coach K.J. Kindler and Vice President and Director of Athletics Joe Castiglione revealed Tuesday the Sooners' full competition slate which features matchups with the second and third-place finishers at the 2022 NCAA Championships, Florida and Utah, along with 2021 NCAA champions, Michigan, and 2021 Big 12 champions, Denver. In addition, OU will face at least four opponents from the Southeastern Conference (SEC) for the upcoming season.

"This schedule is a unique one with many twists and turns throughout," Kindler said. "Our philosophy has always been to schedule incredible matchups that we know will prepare our team with the confidence necessary to excel in Championship moments. From January to March, we will see a majority of the best teams in the nation including each of the 2022 Four on the Floor qualifiers. Finally, we are thrilled to have a total of three podium opportunities which are absolutely essential to prep for April. It's going to be a wild ride."

The most anticipated matchups of the 2023 season will take place inside Lloyd Noble Center (LNC) with a pair of teams that participated in the 2022 NCAA Championships Finals. In its home opener, the Sooners will face Utah who's coming off a third-place finish at the NCAA Championships. Slated for Sunday, Jan. 22 at 6:15 p.m. CT, the meet will host a number of festivities including the 2022 National Championship Celebration and Alumni Night.

OU welcomes SEC foe and NCAA runners-up Florida at 7:45 p.m. CT, Friday, March 3, for Military Appreciation Night. Fans are encouraged to wear red in support of the Sooners for the event.

In another exciting matchup in the LNC, the Sooners welcome Arizona State at 1:45 p.m. CT on Sunday, March 12 to Norman for their regular season finale and Senior Day.

Other home meets include a pair of Fridays at 6:45 p.m. CT in February against a couple of Big 12 opponents – Iowa State (Feb. 3) and West Virginia (Feb. 24). Friday's meet against the Cyclones will serve as First Responder and Healthcare Worker's Appreciation Night. Our meet against the Mountaineers will serve as Educator Appreciation Night and we will have our own White Out where fans are encouraged to wear white for the event.

Fans will be able to watch OU women's gymnastics home meets on various ESPN networks, including select meets on ESPN+. Additional television coverage will be announced at a later date.

"Five strong competitors come to Norman this season in the electric environment of the LNC," Kindler noted. "We get started with a bang when Utah comes to town for the home opener. Florida provides a rematch from last year's finals which is going to blow the roof off the LNC in early March. Our season ticket holders and OU student attendance continues to grow at an astonishing rate and our fans are gracious and loyal. The show we have developed enhances the beauty and athleticism of our sport and keeps the audience engaged from beginning to end."

OU will face a series of tough opponents on the road for the upcoming season. The 2023 season officially opens Saturday, Jan. 7 with an announcement of meet and location coming soon. Following the season opener, the Sooners will travel to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to go head-to-head with LSU inside the Pete Maravich Assembly Center (PMAC) for the first time since 2016, on Monday, Jan. 16. The Sooners will conclude the month of January with its conference opener at Denver, 3 p.m. CT on Sunday, Jan. 29.

OU will look to defend its title at the Metroplex Challenge inside the Fort Worth Convention Center in Texas at 7:30 p.m. CT on Saturday, Feb. 11. The Sooners will get a chance to compete on podium before nationals in a star-studded field that includes Alabama, Arkansas and Stanford. OU will return to the Dallas-Fort Worth area the following weekend for a matchup up against Texas Woman's at 2 p.m. CT on Sunday, Feb. 19.

In its last road challenge of the regular season, OU will make the journey to Ann Arbor, Michigan, to face the Wolverines at 4:30 p.m. CT on Monday, March 6, inside Crisler Center for the first time since 2019. Both Kindler and Michigan head coach Bev Plocki are the only two active head coaches to have won an NCAA Championship.

OU opens the postseason in Morgantown, West Virginia, for the 2023 Big 12 Championship, at the WVU Coliseum on Saturday, March 18 with a 6 p.m. CT start time. The Sooners will be vying for their 14th Big 12 Championship and 13th under Kindler.

The journey to the NCAA Championship will run through Norman with the NCAA Regionals coming to the LNC for the second-straight year from March 29-April 1. Alongside OU, Denver, UCLA and Pitt will also be serving as host sites for the three-day regional competition.

The nine-team Regional will begin on Wednesday, March 29 with two teams at each site competing in the first round. On Thursday, March 30, eight teams will compete in two sessions of four in the second round, and the top two in each session will advance to the regional final. For the final day on Saturday, April 1, the top two teams from the regional final will advance to the NCAA Championship.

"OU has the honor of hosting the NCAA Regional Championship which determines two of the final eight competitors at NCAA Semifinals in Fort Worth," Kindler said. "We are invested to provide the BEST atmosphere available to all competitors. Fans simply cannot miss this event, which only comes to Norman about once every five to six years. The talent in NCAA gymnastics continues to rise and the excitement of counting each and every tenth to determine a winner is intoxicating! OU fans will have a front row seat!"

The 2023 NCAA Championships will be held at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas, April 13-15. Four teams will compete in each semifinal on Thursday with Four on the Floor slated for Saturday.

In addition to its 2023 competition slate, the Sooners will host their annual Intrasquad at 6:30 p.m. CT on Friday, Dec. 9 in Sam Viersen Gymnastics Center to give fans their first look at the 2023 Sooners.

The Sooners return eight gymnasts who combined for 20 All-America honors in seniors Ragan Smith, Olivia Trautman and Allie Stern; junior duo Audrey Davis and Katherine LeVasseur; and sophomores Jordan Bowers, Danielle Sievers and Danae Fletcher.

Trautman and Stern have opted to use their extra year due to COVID-19. In addition to the returners, the Sooners bring in freshmen Faith Torrez and Ava Siegfeldt, who are both former elite gymnasts.

SEASON TICKETS ON SALE

Season tickets for the 2023 season are currently available for purchase. Reserved season tickets are $50 each. General admission season tickets cost $25 for adults, while senior (55+), youth (6-18), OU faculty/staff and letterwinner season tickets cost $20. Discounted tickets are available for $3 for groups of 10 or more. Group tickets must be purchased at least 24 hours prior to the event. Fans can reserve their seats online through SoonerSports.com or contact the OU Athletics Ticket Office by phone at (405) 325-2424. More information can be found here.

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