BIRMINGHAM, Alabama — Elevate the Stage, a youth and women’s collegiate gymnastics meet, has announced the participating NCAA teams for the 2019 events. The event, which features a podium competition, will travel to Toledo, Ohio, and Birmingham, Alabama, in the upcoming season. Each location will host a weekend-long club meet for girls Junior Olympic competitors Levels 2-10, Xcel, and an Open competition. The meet weekends will be headlined by an NCAA Division I Women’s Gymnastics meet featuring many of the top teams in the country. 

The NCAA teams that will be a part of the 2019 Elevate the Stage events include:

Toledo, Ohio | February 22-23

Huntington Center | Featuring teams of the Big Ten Conference | Presented by ProMedica

Session 1 – Friday, Feb. 22 at 7 PM

• Iowa
• Maryland
• Michigan State
• Nebraska
• Penn State

Session 2 – Saturday, Feb. 23 at 7 PM

• Illinois
• Michigan
• Minnesota
• Ohio State
• Rutgers

Birmingham, Alabama | March 8-9

Legacy Arena at the BJCC | Presented by BancorpSouth

Session 1 – Friday, March 8 at 7 PM

• Arkansas
• Georgia 
• Michigan State
• Minnesota

Session 2 – Saturday, March 9 at 7 PM

• Alabama
• Auburn

The Elevate the Stage is in its fifth year of operation and was created to provide a championship-caliber platform for gymnasts to compete across the country. The meet is staged on the podiums, which are typically only used at top championship meets and the Olympics. Competing on the podiums gives the gymnasts a special experience and provides an enhanced viewing experience for the fans. 

“We are thrilled to take part in a championship-caliber event that provides the opportunity to showcase the sport and all Big Ten gymnastics teams,” said Big Ten Associate Commissioner of Sports Administration Wendy Fallen. “Podium competition prepares our student-athletes for the postseason and we very much appreciate the opportunity to participate in the Knight Eady’s Elevate the Stage event."

“We’re very excited to be involved again and to bring awareness to the great charities that are a part of this event,” said Auburn head coach Jeff Graba. “This meet is always run well by Knight Eady and the attendance is consistently off the charts. With a good group of teams competing on the podium, this meet checks off all the boxes for us at that time of year.”

“We’re very excited about this year’s Elevate the Stage meet and to see it expand to include additional teams in 2019. We are so proud that along with Auburn, we were the first team to take part in an Elevate meet and to see the way it has grown over the past couple of years into a national series of meets,” remarked Alabama head coach Dana Duckworth. “I want to thank Knight Eady for helping us grow collegiate gymnastics not only in the state of Alabama, but across the country. We can’t wait to see everyone in Birmingham on March 9th.”

ProMedica is the presenting sponsor of the 2019 meet in Toledo, and BancorpSouth is the presenting sponsor of the 2019 meet in Birmingham. Elevate the Stage is owned and operated by Knight Eady, a Birmingham-based sports marketing and event management firm. Kayla Williams, Gymnastics Operations Coordinator at Knight Eady, serves as the event director. Williams was an NCAA Women’s Gymnastics champion, two-time Southeastern Conference Gymnastics champion and 2009 World Champion.

“Elevate the Stage is excited to be in Toledo for the second year in a row and return to our hometown of Birmingham in 2019,” said Williams. “We look forward to providing this unique experience for collegiate and youth gymnasts to compete on the podium and in the same weekend. We hope gymnasts and fans from across the country will join us at one of our cities in 2019 to be a part of this meet!”

Tickets for the college meet will be on sale beginning in fall of 2018. Pre-sale ticket information is available at elevatethestage.com. For additional information or to register for the club meet, visit elevatethestage.com. 

About Knight Eady Sports Group:

Founded in 2013, Knight Eady provides full-service event operations, including management and consultation of live sporting events. In addition, Knight Eady offers strategic communication plans for enhanced market exposure, branding, and corporate partner relationships. Knight Eady believes in motivating and inspiring individuals to reach beyond their potential and develop an unparalleled loyalty and passion for their sport. This is accomplished by delivering quality, consistent, cost-efficient, and creative services, while applying ethical principles that radically exceed expectations.