05 Dec Missing the Olympics? NCAA Gymnastics could be your fix!
Missing the Olympics? NCAA Gymnastics could be your fix!
By Della Fowler
The energy is unmatched. An arena is filled with adoring fans, with signs sprinkled throughout the stands spotlighting words of support. Leotards are sparkling under the bright lights and chalk fills the air.
Although I’ve never been to the Olympics, this is how I imagined the energy inside Bercy Arena at the 2024 Paris Olympics. From the comfort of my couch thousands of miles away, I could feel the electricity in my bones. A select few get to experience this feeling, but if you miss this feeling (even if you were on your couch like me!) NCAA gymnastics could be the next best thing.
The collegiate scene can be quite overwhelming at first. I mean, when you’re watching the Olympics it’s very simple because you root for Team USA (plus all of your other favorites if you’re deep into the gymterverse). With NCAA, it can be hard to find someone to cheer on – if your college didn’t have a gymnastics team, who are you supposed to cheer for?
Well, the good news is that YOU can pick! And, there are so many powerful programs to choose from. My suggestion is to pick one gymnast you admire or think does really great gymnastics. From there you’ll likely start watching whatever school they attend and ultimately find the collegiate team for you!
Now, this is where it gets even more fun. Like any sport, once you choose an athlete or team to get invested in, you can fall down a rabbit hole, but in the best way. Soon enough you’ll be spending Friday nights and weekend afternoons cuddled on the couch complaining about over or underscoring!
Collegiate gymnasts right now are at the highest caliber of talent they have ever been. On any given Saturday, you can witness Olympians from all over the world competing on the NCAA stage, throwing some of the coolest skills you’ve ever seen and sometimes even see school or conference history-in-the-making.
Although individual awards and accolades are awarded in the NCAA, every collegiate gymnast I have ever spoken to has told me that their focus is on the team. Having so many different people work together on one goal is breathtaking in and of itself, that’s why sports are successful. But when it comes to gymnastics, the energy is unlike anything I’ve ever seen.
From the moment an athlete crosses the threshold onto the floor or mounts the beam, you can audibly hear the entire team cheering them on. These athletes live for hyping each other up, so not only do you have the energy of an audience, but the competitors themselves cheer like fans.
Another magical thing about collegiate gymnastics is the improvement you get to see in a season week after week. At competitions like the Olympics, most of the time you see one routine and it’s over. However, in the NCAA you get to witness teams grow. Week 1 could have falls on every event, but by Week 12, a team can turn rock solid and punch a ticket to Regionals.
The art of the underdog is not forgotten in this sport either. Growing up a USA Gymnastics fan, I was spoiled expecting Team USA to take home a medal every Olympics. On the collegiate scene though, you never know who’s going to come out on top that day. For example, last year the Stanford women had a Cinderella story upsetting some of the best teams in the country and making it all the way to the Elite 8. Any day is an opportunity for the unexpected to happen.
Lastly, especially if you are heavily invested into the elite scene for both the women and the men, collegiate gymnastics is a great way to see elite gymnasts in action. Whether they compete in elite and collegiate like Olympic and world medalists Jordan Chiles, Jade Carey, Leanne Wong, Asher Hong, Frederick Richard and Paul Juda, or if they’re on the way up in the elite scene, there is so much to enjoy. Many times, depending on meets and health, elite athletes will do some of the same skills they have in their Olympic routines at a college meet. This is a great opportunity to watch a skill that only a select few can complete successfully. ( See our look at the NCAA Impact on the Olympics Here!)
It’s also a great opportunity – and maybe the best thing of all – to watch athletes who may not have made huge names for themselves on the World or Olympic scene, but who thrive under the high-energy lights of college gymnastics. For the love of the sport and the rush of competition, many athletes compete in college to enjoy gymnastics for as long as they can. Seeing these athletes soak up the beauty of competition is exhilarating.
There are many reasons to enjoy this sport, so why not watch more of it? I encourage you to give collegiate gymnastics a chance if you’ve been a strictly Olympics enthusiast. Because after all, every meet could be the start of a gold medal moment.
If there is one thing to know it’s that this year’s college gymnastics is not one to miss. From freshman to fifth years these gymnasts will be putting on quite a show. The 2025 season kicks off on Jan. 3.
Coming Soon:
Interviews with Lily Smith, Joscelyn Roberson and Grace McCallum!
For More:
Paul Juda Readies for Gold Over America
Frederick Richard Is Ready to Bring the Noise
See the full 2025 NCAA schedule coming soon to InsideGym.com!
Stay tuned to InsideGym.com and follow us @InsideGym for all the latest!
For our look at the Class of 2026, Click Here!
Photos by Lloyd Smith for Inside Gymnastics
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