The two top joint NCAA-Club men’s gymnastics meets in 2009 will be held about a month apart, in locations separated by only the short expanse of San Francisco Bay.  Last week, we talked about how we would like to see the 2009 Stanford Open televised. As it turns out, another great meet, the Pacific Coast Classic , will be televised by Comcast Sports Net. The 2009 PCC will take place the weekend of February 20-22 in Oakland, CA. A Japanese collegiate all-star team will tangle with Stanford, Cal, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota and Air Force.  A complete list of participating club teams is not yet available, but it’s safe to assume that list will be quite impressive.

The stated purpose of the PCC is to provide direct assistance in preserving men’s collegiate athletic programs and increase scholarship and competitive opportunities in the United States. Proceeds from the PCC benefit organizations that significantly impact the expansion of men’s sports opportunities. One such organization is the newly formed Fairness in Sports Foundation , which is dedicated to addressing the elimination of collegiate men’s athletic programs. Its purpose is to restore the original intent of Title IX and to stop and reverse the decimation of men’s sports.

The 2008 PCC collegiate all-around champion Jonathan Horton won’t be back, however, one of Oklahoma’s top 2010 recruits, Alex Naddour, will be back to defend his Level 10 all-around title. This should be an interesting preview of the NCAA championships, with five of the top eight Division I teams battling it out.  The 2009 PCC is shaping up to be one of the premier meets of the season.