As always, we'll have links to scores and coverage posted for Saturday afternoon. Here's a brief overview of the meets.
Athens Regional, 4 p.m. ET
#6 UCLA, #8 Georgia, #18 LSU, #26 NC State, #28 Maryland, #29 West Virginia
With the way the Regionals are seeded, the teams in ranks 5 to 8 are usually paired with seeds #17 and #18. This produces a challenging situation for any of the teams in the Regional field to surpass either of the teams in the top two positions. That's made even more difficult when one of the Top 2 seeds is also a host. Hosting gives a distinct advantage to the host, even with the diverse four-judge panels in place at the Regional meet. The equipment is usually familiar, and the gym and its spatial cues (the lighting, the ceiling height, the give in the subfloor, etc) are familiar. What's more, the host gets to sleep in their own bed, eat familiar food, and perhaps most of all, get the support of a large and partisan crowd.
All three seeded teams have experienced some inconsistency during the year, but it may not be enough, barring a complete meltdown, to shake up the final standings. Host UGA is coming off a strong performance at the SECs, while UCLA is building back consistency. A stable performance should be enough to stay ahead of the rest of the field, led by a young LSU squad.
Norman Regional, 4 p.m. CT
#5 Oklahoma, #7 Utah, #17 Washington, #32 New Hampshire, #33 Missouri, #35 North Carolina
This is the other top heavy regional, with the combined total of the top two seeds being "12", the lowest total of any Regional. Host OU has been strong all season, with its highest score coming on the road. Despite a young squad and some injuries, Utah has remained consistent all season long. #3 Seed UW upset the then #3 Stanford at the Pac 10s, and has performed equally well on the road as at home. But, OU and Utah will look to stay consistent and avoid major mistakes that might lead to an upset.
Ann Arbor Regional, 6 p.m. ET
#4 Stanford, #9 Michigan, #16 Ohio State, #21 Iowa State, #23 Minnesota, #24 Kent State
Stanford and host Michigan will look to hold off a young Ohio State squad, plus one of the strongest 1-6 seeded fields. Stanford is coming off a somewhat lackluster performance at the Pac-10s. A repeat of that meet or counting a fall ould leave them vulnerable. The Cardinal have been very consistent all season long, however, not even counting a fall at the Pac-10s. Both of the top two seeds will look to stay not only major mistake free, but must not give up easy tenths on steps, OOB, and wobbles along the way. For the young Buckeyes, the UB rotation could prove to be key, while VT and FX remain strong. Both Iowa State and Minnesota hope to not lose too much ground on VT while remaining consistent on the other events, in hopes of an opportunity.
Corvallis Regional, 4 p.m. PT
#3 Oregon State, #10 Nebraska, #15 Iowa, #31 Southern Utah, #34 San Jose State, #36 Michigan State
Host Oregon State will look to continue their momentum while holding off any upset, in order to advance. Like the Beavers, NU is coming off a big conference championship win. Both teams are very clean and have demonstrated good consistency in the 2nd half of the season. This makes the job especially tough for Iowa, which is experiencing one of its best seasons in quite a while. This is the weakest of the Regional fields, however, with the three lower ranked teams hampered by injury and inconsistency.
Tuscaloosa Regional, 6 p.m. CT
#2 Alabama, #11 Penn State, #14 Illinois, #22 Auburn, #25 Central Michigan, #30 Kentucky
#2 Bama is another high seeded host who will be difficult to knock off, barring any major issues with the young Tide lineup. Thus, it will be #11 PSU that will have the big target drawn on them by the rest of the field. The BB is often the decider, and it will be the key event to watch here. The pressure of Regionals and an unfavorable rotation draw makes it a tough task for the #2 and #3 seeds in each Regional. PSU gave a close challenge to Michigan in the Big 10s, but Illinois was not far behind. AU, CMU and UK look to stay as close as possible as well.
Denver Regional, 6 p.m. MT
#1 Florida, #12 Arkansas, #13 Boise State, #19 Denver, #20 Arizona, #27 BYU
#1 Florida may have lost the SEC title, but if they compete confidentally at DU, they should advance. #12 Arkansas, with a young squad, was upset by #27 BYU earlier in the season. Although Arkansas has been building momentum in the 2nd half of the season, that earlier upset illustrates just how close this meet could be. Tensions will mount, and the first two rotations will be critical. Host DU has a built-in home and rotational advantage, but Boise State has had strong performances from their stars. For all six squads, the atmosphere will be a high altitude pressure cooker that may produce some unexpected results.