Good morning. After earning the second-highest opening night score in program history in the Super 16 Gymnastics Championships in Vegas, Auburn climbed six spots in the rankings to No. 11.

"What I took out of Las Vegas and what I'm excited to see at Kentucky is new people in new positions or old people in new positions, and trying to see how they rise to the occasion and what they can do for their team," Auburn coach Jeff Graba said.

Six days after competing against three top 10 teams in Las Vegas, Auburn competes Friday in its home opener against No. 9 Kentucky before welcoming preseason No. 2 Florida to the Plains the following Friday, Jan. 19.

"We're just excited to get in Neville Arena,” Graba said. “This is what they all signed up for. You can taste the excitement in our practice facility.”

What else can you find mixed into today’s Brew?

🥎 Auburn Softball releases 25 additional contests to its 2024 slate
🐎 Greg Williams becomes member of Equestrian Inaugural Hall of Fame Class
🐅 And much, much more!

📹 WAREAGLE+: ONE-ON-ONE: BP

WarEagle+ features behind-the-scenes access, captivating interviews, never-before-seen archival material and documentary films, plus premium storytelling video—such as this one-on-one interview with Auburn head men’s basketball coach Bruce Pearl and Andy Burcham.

📈 STOCK UP

🔼 Gymnastics With an Edge. “I love the fact that we have top 10 teams coming. My goal is to beat them by the end of the year,” Auburn head coach Jeff Graba said. To achieve that goal, the Tigers will need to eventually score in the mid to upper 197s, be healthy and adjust routines based on judges' feedback. In other words, they’ll need to squeeze every possible tenth from each routine.  

"I love it,” Graba said. “You're not going to get any easy matchups in the SEC."

Fans will see a blend of newcomers and seasoned returners in different lineup spots than in previous seasons.

In the past two seasons, with gymnasts like Suni Lee and Derrian Gobourne on the roster, Auburn's lineups were set early on. That's not the case in 2024.

"In January, we're throwing caution to the wind, and we're going to give opportunities," Coach said. "In February, we need to become a little bit more predictable, and in March, it's set.”

Competition for lineup spots, says Graba, keeps everyone sharp in the gym.

"We tell the girls all the time it should be difficult to select lineups," he said. "If it's not difficult to select lineups, the edge goes off. That means it's too predictable.”

As for meet attendance, Graba says, "I hope the fans show up, bring the excitement, give us an edge and get to know the team because this is going to be a fun team to follow."

🔼 Near Miss Against Ole Miss. Auburn fought back from an 18-point deficit to get within one point in the final minute but could not complete the comeback in a 58-55 loss at Ole Miss on Thursday night.
 
A bucket-and-one from Honesty Scott-Grayson with 1:01 to play got the Tigers within one point at 54-53, and twice in the final minute, the Tigers had the ball in the frontcourt with a chance to tie or take the lead. Scott-Grayson was fouled both times, making one shot each time to keep the deficit at one.
 
A pair of Rebel free throws with 12 seconds to play pushed the lead back to three, and the Tigers had an open look at a 3-pointer in the final seconds but could not connect.
 
"This team, I'm really proud of them for how tough they played," Auburn head coach Johnnie Harris said. "They battled back, and they didn't quit. We're right there. This is a really good team we played.
 
Auburn returns to the friendly confines of Neville Arena for its toughest test of the season so far as No. 7/4 LSU visits the Plains. Game time is 2 p.m. CT Sunday with a national broadcast on ESPN.
 
Tickets for Sunday's matchup are going fast; fans are encouraged to purchase in advance by visiting AUBTix.com.

🔼 Leading the Charge. Auburn equestrian's Greg Williams has been announced as a member of the National Collegiate Equestrian Association's (NCEA) Inaugural Hall of Fame Class.
 
"This means so much to me," Williams said. "Building this sport and the association has been my main mission not just at Auburn but nationwide. To be recognized in the inaugural class is so meaningful and an enormous honor to me. I look forward to continuing to work with the NCEA for many years to come and to continue to grow this sport."
 
"Congratulations to coach Greg Williams on this richly deserved honor," Auburn athletic director John Cohen said. "Thanks to Greg's visionary leadership and tireless work ethic, Auburn's program has become collegiate equestrian's standard-bearer. To his long list of achievements, including a combined 12 conference and national championships, it's entirely appropriate to add the title, Greg Williams, NCEA Hall of Famer." 
 
After 28 years of leading the Auburn program, Williams transitioned to head coach emeritus following the 2022-23 season.
 
In addition to excelling in competition, Williams' teams also produced in the classroom. Auburn totaled 106 NCEA All-Academic honorees since the organization began recognizing the honor in the spring of 2013.

🔼 Hard Hitting Softball News. Four tournaments at Jane B. Moore Field highlight Auburn softball's non-conference schedule as the program released 25 additional contests to its 2024 slate.
 
Auburn's 2024 schedule also includes the already announced Puerto Vallarta College Challenge and its Southeastern Conference dates.  
 
Opening Day on the Plains is set for Friday, Feb. 9, versus Virginia Tech as part of the Tiger Invite. Belmont and Illinois are also scheduled to compete in the three-day tournament.  
 
Auburn's final tournament of the regular season comes in April during its break from SEC action as the Tigers face Louisiana Tech and Georgia Tech in the War Eagle Classic on April 5 and 6.
 
In addition to its four home tournaments, Auburn announced four midweek contests versus in-state opponents UAB and Troy.  
 
Television assignments and any outstanding game times will be announced in the coming weeks. Fans are encouraged to visit the Auburn softball schedule page on AuburnTigers.com for the most up-to-date information.

🤔 TIGER TRIVIA

Go For Gobourne. A recent article on AuburnTigers.com mentioned that “In the past two seasons, with gymnasts like Suni Lee and Derrian Gobourne on the roster, Auburn's lineups were set early on. That's not the case in 2024.”

In last year’s home opener for the Tigers, Gobourne got an incredible score on her floor routine. Today’s trivia question—do you recall what that score was?

Think you know the answer? Scroll down to the bottom to find out!

🐅 ONE BIG THING

More Than a Cat Fight. It’s Tigers V. Tigers at home this weekend, and it’s a huge matchup in prime time! Auburn women’s hoops face off against No. 7 LSU on Sunday in Neville Arena. Tickets are going fast for one of the biggest games of the season, so get yours today.

🏆 ON TO VICTORY

We’re calling on YOU to be part of our On To Victory movement! 

Become a member of On To Victory today to support Auburn student-athletes. Your support fuels their success and our success. Let's go, Auburn Family!

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📅 THE WEEK AHEAD

Friday 1/12

🌊 Swimming & Diving @ TYR Pro Swim Series

🤸🏼‍♂️ Gymnastics vs. Kentucky @ 7:30 p.m. CT on SEC Network | Tickets

Saturday 1/13

🌊 Swimming & Diving @ TYR Pro Swim Series

🎾 Women’s Tennis @ South Carolina Invite

🏀 Men’s Basketball vs. LSU @ 5 p.m. CT on SEC Network | Live Audio | Live Stats | Tickets

Sunday 1/14

🎾 Women’s Tennis @ South Carolina Invite

🎾 Men’s Tennis vs. Samford @ 10 a.m. CT | Live Video | Live Stats

🎾 Men’s Tennis vs. Alabama State @ 3 p.m. CT | Live Video | Live Stats

🏀 Women’s Basketball vs. LSU @ 2 p.m. CT on ESPN 100.3 Live Video | Live Audio | Live Stats | Tickets

🐅 Click here to view the entire Auburn Athletics Calendar

🎉 TRIVIA ANSWER

Answer: 9.95!

Gobourne added a pair of 9.85s on bars and vault to help Auburn beat Arkansas 197.5-196.675.

🐅 Have a great Friday, y’all!