No college gymnastics conference has looked stronger from start to finish than the SEC has in 2024. The conference has four teams ranked among the nation’s top 10.
On Saturday, the SEC’s eight college gymnastics programs will duke it out at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, Louisiana, with the highly coveted title of SEC Champions on the line.
The SEC Championship will be split into two sessions based on each team’s National Qualifying Score, with the bottom four seeds in Session I and the top four in Session II.
Here’s everything you need to know about the top eight SEC squads going into Saturday, including their National Qualifying Score:
No. 1 LSU (198.125 NQS) 
While LSU is set on a national title, an SEC Championship would only add to its resume before April.
The Tigers are led by arguably the best gymnast in the country, Haleigh Bryant. Her ability to put up perfect 10s in every event while consistently scoring 9.9s and higher is astonishing to watch, as she’s spearheaded LSU’s 2024 Championship campaign. 
But it doesn’t just start at the top; this Tigers team has depth. Aleah Finnegan, the first Philippine gymnast to qualify for the 2024 Olympics in Paris, France, has been a great second option for LSU to lean on in big moments. Kiya Johnson has also been super reliable for the Tigers in every event all season long.
KJ Johnson has been LSU’s spark plug, bringing much of this team’s energy, swagger and confidence. The standout freshman duo of Konner McClain and Amari Drayton continue to turn heads and have helped the Tigers round out their roster.
It’s safe to say that LSU head coach Jay Clark and the rest of the Tigers’ staff have assembled an incredible roster that looks prepared for April.
LSU can be just as dominant as the reigning champion Oklahoma Sooners at times, but its lack of consistency has held them back from reaching new heights.
An SEC Championship would help show that the Tigers have truly separated themselves from the rest of the pack with their first conference championship since their three-peat from 2017-2019. They’re ready to compete for a title on the national stage this April.
No. 2 Florida (197.905 NQS)
What a season it’s been for Florida. The Gators made a late push to upset LSU and claim the SEC regular-season title, making it their sixth consecutive year of winning at least a share of the title.
While Florida might not have the most complete roster from top to bottom, there’s something that they’ve strived at all season long: playing their best when it matters most. 
Leanne Wong has embodied this mindset for the Gators: she arises for big occasions. Wong led her squad past the LSU on a walk-off, photo finish perfect 10 on the floor that guaranteed Florida a share of this year’s SEC title a month ago.
While they may not have the most talented roster in the SEC, watch out for Wong and the Gators as they look to secure a conference three-peat on Saturday.
No. 3 Kentucky (197.810 NQS) 
What Kentucky has done this season is simply unheard of, a complete turnaround seemingly out of nowhere to bring this program back from the dead.
The Wildcats have not earned a perfect 10 since 1996. This season, Kentucky has posted three.
The Wildcats had never beaten Alabama on the road. This season, Kentucky went into Tuscaloosa, shocking the Crimson Tide for the first time in program history. 
The Wildcats have made it to the NCAA Championships twice but never to the tournament’s final day. Could this be the year Kentucky makes a run at a national title? With Raena Worley’s spectacular storybook senior season and Makenzie Wilson spearheading on vault, the Wildcats have title hopes for the first time in program history.
This was different from how 2024 was supposed to go. Kentucky has been fighting for relevancy throughout most of the program’s four-decade lifespan. In 2024, the Wildcats are relevant for the first time in their existence, and they are a dangerous threat to some of the country’s top teams.
Even if it can’t win its first SEC Championship in program history, Kentucky has had an extremely successful season and can ride any momentum it gains on Saturday into April.
No. 4 Alabama (197.760) NQS)
Alabama has been under the radar throughout 2024 while still being one of the nation’s top teams.
It’s one of the only teams in the country who could top California-Berkley head-to-head and even went into Gainesville to knock off Florida.
But once senior Makarri Doggette announced that she had torn her Achilles in warmups against Georgia at the end of February, it felt as if the Crimson Tide’s title hopes had melted away right in front of them.
Saturday is a massive test for Alabama. How can they salvage this season and make one final push for an SEC and possibly even a National Championship?
The Crimson Tide are Saturday’s biggest X-Factor.
No. 5 Arkansas (197.445 NQS)
Arkansas fell out of the national title conversation early this season, but through it all, one word comes to mind: resilience. 
In late February, Arkansas was dealt a terrible hand by the schedule makers, forced to compete in two quad meets in Fort Worth, Texas, in three days, followed by another road trip the next Friday to play emerging Kentucky.
The Razorbacks didn’t seem to care, though, going into Barnhill Arena and knocking off the Wildcats 197.400-197.150 in their most impressive victory of the 2024 campaign. 
That Razorback resilience has Arkansas hungry to make noise once again. Don’t be surprised to see them shake up the final standings come Saturday.
No. 6 Missouri (197.420 NQS) 
Missouri’s massive upset win over LSU earlier this season put the SEC and the rest of the nation on notice. It was the highest-ranked win in program history, the most significant victory in the two decades of Mizzou gymnastics. Were the Tigers serious threats to take this year’s national title?
We all learned pretty quickly that Missouri was not. The Tigers went winless throughout the rest of SEC play (0-4) and haven’t had a statement meeting since that fateful night against LSU. That win was Missouri’s peak, maybe even a fluke even, that it hasn’t been able to replicate since.
If lightning finds a way to strike twice, the Tigers are expected to leave New Orleans empty-handed.
No. 7 Auburn (197.315 NQS)
Auburn has held relatively solid throughout the entire 2024 season. Unfortunately, solid in the SEC isn’t good enough to compete with the best.
The Tigers can beat teams they should, but they have not hit a punch above their pay grade all season. Even then, Auburn found a way to end Georgia’s horrific six-meet losing streak, a team it should’ve cleared smoothly.
Expect more of the same from the Tigers on Saturday. They will finish near the bottom of the final standings.
No. 8 Georgia (197.030 NQS)
Georgia is one of the more disappointing teams in 2024. The Bulldogs hoped to compete with some of the SEC’s finest in 2024 but could never get off the ground.
Following an opening-night home victory against unranked North Carolina State, Georgia dropped six straight meets in an abysmal stretch to start the season, as it just couldn’t find ways to top the teams across from it.
While the Bulldogs may be dead last heading into Saturday’s action for good reason, don’t be surprised to hear one name early and often: Lily Smith.
The freshman has been a bright spot in an otherwise disappointing season for the Bulldogs. Smith is a threat to score big on all four events, and she deserves to have this opportunity to show off her skills and hone her development on the brightest of stages.