After an offseason filled with transfers, coaching changes and rule alterations, NCAA gymnastics officially makes its triumphant return.
And, of course, there are so many questions and storylines heading into the 2026 season. Will Oklahoma continue its dominance and win the national championship yet again? Can LSU, Florida, UCLA, Utah or anyone else challenge the Sooners in April? What rule changes will be felt the most? Who are the freshmen who could make an immediate impact? And will Jordan Chiles use any of her iconic “Dancing With the Stars” choreography in her floor routine this season?
Since winning its first NCAA team title in 2014, Oklahoma has earned six more. Yes, that’s seven titles in 11 eligible seasons (the competition was canceled in 2020 due to the pandemic). After suffering an uncharacteristic early exit during the semifinals in 2024 that denied them a three-peat, the Sooners used their “underdog” status as a rallying cry and triumphed yet again last April.
Ranked No. 1 in the preseason coaches’ poll, the Sooners will have their hands full in their second season in the SEC but certainly have what it takes to win their first conference trophy and then earn even more hardware in 2026.
Per usual, the SEC is stacked with talent, stars and, let’s just say, passionate fan bases. But how strong is the conference this season? Seven of the teams are ranked in the top 10 of the preseason coaches’ poll — and all nine teams in the conference are in the top 12.
Ranked No. 2, LSU is the defending SEC champion and won the 2024 NCAA title. With former NCAA all-around champion Haleigh Bryant now an assistant coach, the team is led by junior Konnor McClain, who is expected to compete in all four events after an Achilles rupture limited her in 2025, and sophomore Kailin Chio, who was the SEC Freshman of the Year and claimed the NCAA vault title. The Tigers are a young team, filled with many new faces, but some things simply haven’t changed.
“I would say the goal with the team stays the same,” McClain told ESPN in November. “Obviously, we want to win a national championship.”
Just how deep is this team? Florida has 11 gymnasts who can compete at vault with a 10.0 start value and, per associate head coach Owen Field, all 18 gymnasts on the roster are training at beam routines with a 10.0 start value. On paper, the Gators might just be the team to beat — but will they find a way to put it all together and win their first NCAA title since 2015?
Of course, No. 7-ranked Missouri will still be riding the momentum of its program-best third-place finish at nationals in 2025, and No. 8 Alabama, No. 9 Kentucky and No. 10 Arkansas are capable of momentous seasons. The Razorbacks return sophomore Joscelyn Roberson, who won the world bronze medal on vault in the fall, and added senior transfer Morgan Price, who had a historic career at Fisk University and won six WCGNIC titles. She joins older sister Frankie Price, also a senior, on the team.
After Chiles reached the finale on “Dancing With the Stars” and went mega-viral for her “Bow Down” freestyle, the 24-year-old returns to UCLA as the clear face of college gymnastics.
It’s not just UCLA and Oklahoma that have added exciting freshmen to their squad. There are a number of first-year gymnasts around the country who could quickly become fan favorites.
Ana Barbosu might be one of the most familiar names joining the NCAA ranks this year. The Stanford freshman has had a stellar international elite career representing her native Romania and is perhaps best known for her controversial bronze medal at the 2024 Olympic Games on floor exercise. Also the reigning European champion on floor, Barbosu impressed during Stanford’s open practice in December — and should be an immediate factor for the Cardinal.
Fellow international elite Charlotte Booth, who was an alternate for the British Olympic team in 2024 and is a former member of the U.S. junior national team, is slated to make her debut for Auburn. She ruptured an Achilles earlier but is expected to be ready, in some capacity, to compete at the start of the season and could be a major contributor on bars from Week 1.
And finally, Scarlett Sonnenberg, who claimed the all-around title at USAG’s level 10 nationals in May, is the first five-star recruit in BYU’s history and could be a game changer for the program. Also a national champion on beam, Sonnenberg is capable of high scores in all four events.
Though there are rule changes every year, 2026 will see a few differences that could have huge implications. Most notably, the formula in determining the national qualifying score has been radically altered and limitations have been set on neutral site meets.
In a helpful explainer from College Gym News, the organization determined that multiple teams would have been affected by this rule change had it been implemented in 2025: Oklahoma would have replaced LSU for the top ranking, and West Virginia and UC Davis would not have qualified for regionals. (With George Washington and Washington instead taking those spots).
The season officially gets underway Friday as Utah hosts Iowa and Minnesota, with a slate of other meets happening throughout the weekend, including a quad featuring former conference foes California, Oregon State, UCLA and Washington. Things quickly get even more interesting next weekend as eight of the nation’s top teams travel to West Valley City, Utah, for the Sprouts Farmers Market Collegiate Quad comprising two meets on Jan. 10. The season concludes April 18 in Fort Worth, Texas, with the crowning of a national champion.
The team graduated reigning all-around champion Jordan Bowers and 2024 NCAA bars and beam champ Audrey Davis, and saw the early retirement of graduate student Danae Fletcher due to injury. But senior Faith Torrez — who finished third in the 2025 all-around competition as well as second on floor and third on beam — remains, as does a trio of talented sophomores in Lily Pederson, Addison Fatta and Elle Mueller. And the Sooners are bringing in the top-ranked recruiting class in the country with Mackenzie Estep, Ella Murphy, Kamila Pawlak and Blakely Roten.
Florida is ranked No. 3 and has a mind-blowing amount of star power. Although Leanne Wong has graduated (and won the all-around silver medal in October’s world championships), there is no shortage of big names. Skye Blakely, a fellow member of the United States’ world team, returns for her sophomore year, and Kayla DiCello, a 2024 Olympic alternate and the 2023 SEC Freshman of the Year, is back after two seasons away. Riley McCusker, another former national team member and bars standout, is back for a fifth year, and Anya Pilgrim, a four-time All-American, looks to make even more of an impact during her junior campaign. Senior Selena Harris-Miranda, who earned the conference vault title after transferring from UCLA, will look to close out her decorated collegiate career in style, as will California transfer eMjae Frazier, a 10-time All-American.
Performing her Prince routine for the last time, @ChilesJordan gets another point for #TeamJolly! pic.twitter.com/L8gvyOTHSc
Here’s everything you need to know ahead of the new season.
Added Sullivan, who was seated next to Chiles: “Everyone wants it so bad this year.”
Feelin’ good heading into the holidays 🙌 pic.twitter.com/4eSXrsdBa0
back on the beam#GoGators | @Publix pic.twitter.com/IACU9OOeGd
three weeks until showtime…⏳ pic.twitter.com/6JfKBAJTAX
Heard someone was asking for Ana footage?#GoStanford pic.twitter.com/HJJ6P5tLNx