The start of the 2017 NCAA gymnastics season is quickly approaching, and there are plenty of high-profile meets to look forward to in Week 1. As we prepare to get our first glimpse at this year's teams, here's the lowdown on how they match up in next weekend's season openers.

An SEC Battle: Georgia at LSU

The season kicks off on Friday, Jan. 6, with several big competitions between the top teams in the country, including a Southeastern Conference matchup between Georgia and LSU. Both teams made it to the Super Six last season, with LSU finishing in second place and Georgia finishing in sixth. Georgia beat LSU early on last year in a February meet, but LSU prevailed at every subsequent faceoff that season.

LSU has strong upperclassmen to lead its team, including Ashleigh Gnat, Sydney Ewing, Shae Zamardi​, and Myia Hambrick. We can also expect to see more from the sophomore class this year -- especially from McKenna Kelley, Sarah Finnegan, and Lexie Priessman, who will potentially be competing in more events. The Tigers have also added some important freshmen, including Ruby Harrold and Kennedi Edney.

See Edney's explosive Yurchenko 1.5 from LSU's recent intrasquad:



Georgia will be looking to fill the void left by Brittany Rogers, Brandie Jay, and Mary Beth Box. Fortunately, the team has strong upperclassmen who will be returning this season, including Ashlyn Broussard, Vivi Babalis, and GiGi Marino. Sophomore Sydney Snead will also likely make big contributions this year, as will incoming freshman Sabrina Vega.

You can catch all the action from this competition on the SEC Network at 6 PM CT.

Can Alabama finally beat Oklahoma?

Oklahoma opens its season against Alabama at home on Friday. Oklahoma had a fantastic 2016 season, winning the Super Six for the second time in three years. Alabama was not far behind them, placing third. The two teams actually did not compete against each other until the NCAA semifinals last season, but Oklahoma has been the victor in every meet in the previous two seasons. The Tide have not won a meet against the Sooners since 2013.

We're looking forward to seeing world medalist Maggie Nichols in her freshman debut at Oklahoma, likely competing all-around. She'll be joined by the Sooners' returning stars Chayse Capps, Ali Jackson​, and Brenna Dowell, to name a few. Meanwhile, Alabama has a stellar senior class to lead the way, including Katie Bailey, Amanda Jetter​, and Aja Sims, as well as newcomers such as Maddie Desch.

Check out Nichols' stunning floor routine from Oklahoma's intrasquad earlier this month:



The competition can be watched live on Sooner Sports TV at 6:45 PM CT.

The Red Rocks Host Michigan

Moving on to Saturday, we have another day full of competitions. One of the highlights will be Michigan at Utah. Michigan had an amazing start to its season last year, but the Wolverines faltered a bit toward the end and did not make the Super Six. Similarly, Utah was strong all season but had some mistakes in the NCAA semifinals and also didn't make the Super Six. Both teams will be looking for redemption this year. Michigan has also not beat Utah in competition since 2014.

Utah has a lot of new talent to help its lineups this year, most notably freshman MyKayla Skinner. We will also hopefully see more from some of the returning underclassmen such as sophomores Makenna Merrell and Sabrina Schwab. Michigan has a lot of its strong gymnasts returning this year as well, including seniors Nicole Artz and Talia Chiarelli and sophomore Olivia Karas.

Check out Merrell's nearly flawless beam routine from the Red Rocks Preview earlier this month:



You can check out the competition live on the Pac-12 Network at 5 PM MT.

The Pioneers Head to Minnesota

The Minnesota Gophers will host close rival the Denver Pioneers on Saturday. The two teams were close in the rankings last season, with Minnesota finishing in the No. 12 spot and Denver finishing in the No. 15 spot. The two teams went back and forth last year -- Denver beat Minnesota in a March meet, and Minnesota beat Denver at another meet later that weekend. At regionals, Minnesota prevailed, beating Denver by 0.475 points.

Both teams will be looking to the fill the voids left by some of their star seniors -- notably Lindsay Mable for Minnesota and Nina McGee for Denver. Minnesota has added a huge freshman class this year, including two-time Canadian national team member Ivy Lu and Junior Olympic qualifier Paige Williams, who finished second in the all-around in 2016. Denver has added three key freshmen, including strong JO gymnasts Maddie Karr and Courtney Loper as well as Sam Ogden, who placed ninth in the all-around at the 2014 Secret Classic.

Check out Karr's beautiful and unique beam routine from preseason training:



You can catch all the action live on BTN Plus network at 6:30 PM CT. 


Related:
2017 NCAA Women's Gymnastics Complete Schedule
NCAA Throwback: The Top 5 Best First Meet Scores of the 2016 Season
Meet the Team: LSU Tigers 2016-2017
Georgia's Trio of Freshmen Looking to Boost the Gymdogs to Success
Oklahoma Ups the Game with Big Vaults, 'E' Tumbling, and Creative Combos
Olivia Karas Opens Up About Six Newcomers on Michigan's 12-Gymnast Team
Recap: Utah Red Rocks Preview
Alabama Freshmen Ready to Shine for the Crimson Tide
Denver Freshmen Look to Build on Pioneers' Success
Minnesota Gophers Thrilled with Addition of Seven New Freshmen