Jan. 9, 2008

Auburn, Ala. - The No. 19 Auburn gymnastics team will begin its 2008 schedule on the road in Lexington, Ky., to face the No. 24 Wildcats in Memorial Coliseum at 6 p.m. CT, for "Excite Night" on Jan. 12.

Fox Sports Net South will televise the meet regionally. Live stats will be available at www.ukathletics.com.

"This is a big night for Kentucky," said Auburn head coach Jeff Thompson. "They have been doing Excite Night for over 25 years now and it draws a big crowd for them. They have sold out Memorial Coliseum the past couple of years, so this is a good way to show our freshmen what gymnastics in the SEC is all about."

Thompson hopes to see the Tigers start strong with uneven bars, their strongest event.

"We have to get off to a good start on uneven bars because that's where we have the most depth," Thompson said.

Sophomore Carmen Nelms, who has battled back from an ankle injury, will be competing in the lead-off spot on bars for Auburn.

"I've been telling Carmen for months that she will compete the first routine for us and be our first score, so she's prepared to hit it for us," Thompson said. "If we can get a good start there then we'll be in good shape."

The Tigers will open their home season on Jan. 18, to face cross-state rival Alabama at 7 p.m. Auburn will be hosting its annual "Pink Meet" to raise breast cancer awareness. An auction will be held to raise money for the Susan G. Komen For A Cure Foundation.

Gymnastics regular season tickets are available at www.auburntigers.com. Adult season passes are $20 and youth passes are $8. Family packages of four season passes are available for $48. Single match tickets are $5 for adults and $2 for children. Admission is free for Auburn students with a valid ID.