FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Jill Skotarczak (jskotarczak@sec.org)
September 5, 2019
SEC Announces New Orleans as Site for 2021 Gymnastics Championship
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Southeastern Conference will host the 2021 SEC Gymnastics Championship at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, it was announced Thursday.
“New Orleans proved to be a successful location for the SEC Gymnastics Championship in 2019, and we are pleased we will return to the Smoothie King Center in 2021,” said SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey. “This event continues a long tradition of outstanding SEC competition in the City of New Orleans, which is widely known for hosting high-caliber championship events in all sports. I am confident that once again New Orleans will be the site of another successful SEC Gymnastics Championship that will produce life-long memories for our student-athletes, coaches and fans.”
“The Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation is proud to once again partner with SMG to bid upon and manage the SEC Gymnastics Championship in New Orleans,” said Sports Foundation President and CEO Jay Cicero. “The record-breaking raucous crowd was a testament to the enthusiasm for SEC Gymnastics, especially for DD Breaux, Jay Clark and the LSU Tigers. I would like to thank Commissioner Greg Sankey, Associate Commissioner Tiffany Daniels, and the SEC Athletic Directors and Presidents for their confidence and trust in our two organizations. We are extremely excited to host the event in New Orleans and to be given the opportunity to set another SEC Gymnastics Championship attendance record.”
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.
“We are thrilled the Southeastern Conference has chosen to bring the SEC Gymnastics Championship back to New Orleans and the Smoothie King Center in 2021. The 2019 event was not only exhilarating but set attendance records as well. South Louisiana has demonstrated its appreciation for elite gymnastics, and the SEC has rewarded this support with a quick return to New Orleans,” said SMG and Smoothie King Center General Manager Alan Freeman.
The SEC Gymnastics Championship returns to New Orleans after setting the neutral-site attendance record of 10,505 at the Smoothie King Center in 2019. Previous host sites of the SEC Gymnastics Championship 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); St. Louis, Mo. (2018) and New Orleans (2019).
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