It’s NCAA gymnastics season, and the leotards are as sparkly as ever. With new designs come your favorite series: Leotard Rankings! Each week we’re analyzing leotard debuts to find our weekly faves. There will be up to three points for design, up to one point each for fabric and sparkle, school spirit and uniqueness, and up to three points for overall appearance. This week Carolyn, Claire and Katherine are joining editor in chief Elizabeth to help judge. Don’t agree with our ranking? Let us know your thoughts on this week’s leos in the comments or on social media!
And don’t forget to vote in the poll at the end of the article each week. We’ll be tabulating all the votes to find the overall fan favorite design at the conclusion of the 2022 season!
Ball State: 8.875
View the images of this leotard here.
Elizabeth: 9.700
Design 2.9/3, Fabric 1.0/1, Sparkle 0.9/1, School Spirit 1.0/1, Uniqueness 1.0/1, Overall Appearance 2.9/3
I LOVE this leo! Everything about it is perfect, from the subtle cardinal feathers to the shades of red used *takes deep breath* to the ombre to the strappy back to the material… I can’t think of one thing I’d change besides maybe making “Cardinals” easier to read/see.
Carolyn: 7.500
Design 2.1/3, Fabric 0.4/1, Sparkle 0.3/1, School Spirit 1/1, Uniqueness 1/1, Overall Appearance 2.7/3
I gasped when I first saw this leo. I mean, it possesses an amazing use of school spirit. I do, however, have some things I would change: place “Cardinals” somewhere else, make the fabric thicker and add some more back straps to the open back.
Claire: 9.000
Design 2.7/3, Fabric 1/1, Sparkle 0.6/1, School Spirit 0.8/1, Uniqueness 1/1, Overall Appearance 2.9/3
This is excellent. Those feathers pack a major visual punch for being so beautifully airy and delicate. Ball State was wise to let the impact of the graphics speak for itself and go with a simpler leo design and fabric. Proof that a leo doesn’t have to be over the top to be memorable!
Katherine: 9.300
Design 2.6/3, Fabric 0.8/1, Sparkle 0.8/1, School Spirit 0.8/1, Uniqueness 0.7/1, Overall Appearance 2.6/3
The subtle feathers are very pretty and a nice nod to the Cardinal mascot; it’s a cool way to casually incorporate school spirit. I also like the soft red colors used. The one thing I don’t love is the back; maybe one or two more straps would look better, but that’s a minor complaint.
California: 8.875
View a video of this leotard here.
Elizabeth: 8.100
Design 2.2/3, Fabric 0.7/1, Sparkle 1.0/1, Theme Spirit 1.0/1, Uniqueness 1.0/1, Overall Appearance 2.2/3
This is great. I much prefer it to Pitt’s Pride leo. The straps are my favorite part I think, plus the super sparkly script Golden Bears on the back. I don’t know how I feel about the thick stripe belt, but I like the sleeve cuffs. Maybe one or the other would have been fine to go with the back? The chest rhinestone design and colors are great too.
Carolyn: 7.400
Design 1.8/3, Fabric 0.5/1, Sparkle 1/1, Theme Spirit 1/1, Uniqueness 1/1, Overall Appearance 2.1/3
I am all for turning a leo you already have into a themed leo like Oregon State did with one of its leos, and I feel the same about this one. I can’t help but think it might have gone overboard with the colors, though. The straps are wonderful in theory but a little bit messy in reality. I will say I admire the rainbow stripes on the waist and the continuation of them on the wrists.
Claire: 10.000
Design 3.0/3, Fabric 1.0/1, Sparkle 1.0/1, Theme Spirit 1.0/1, Uniqueness 1.0/1, Overall Appearance 3.0/3
The inspiration for this leo is one of my all-time favorites, and Cal has only made it better! THIS is how you accentuate the Power Pride flag with sparkles. I love that this leo sends a very distinct and powerful message: We are the California Golden Bears gymnastics team, and we undeniably support equality.
Katherine: 10.000
Design 3.0/3, Fabric 1.0/1, Sparkle 1.0/1, Theme Spirit 1.0/1, Uniqueness 1.0/1, Overall Appearance 3.0/3
This has to be my favorite “theme” leotard I’ve seen, whether it’s a pink leotard or a social justice-oriented one. It’s the perfect combination of school spirit and reference to the theme; the rainbow accents are just to-die-for. Everything about it is so original and cool.
Kent State: 8.600
View an image of this leotard here.
Elizabeth: 9.700
Design 2.9/3, Fabric 1.0/1, Sparkle 0.9/1, Theme Spirit 1.0/1, Uniqueness 1.0/1, Overall Appearance 2.9/3
I think I’m obsessed with this leo? It’s not something I would normally like, but I love it so much. It’s serving real Easter galaxy vibes, and I’m here for it. The tie dye ombre with pink and Kent State blue, the flattering cut, the carefully places sparkles—it’s perfect; one of my all-time favorite pink leos.
Carolyn: 8.000
Design 2.4/3, Fabric 0.7/1, Sparkle 0.5/1, Theme Spirit 0.9/1, Uniqueness 0.8/1, Overall Appearance 2.7/3
I actually like this one more than I thought I would? The sleeves seem so fun and the blue throughout this leo goes so well with the light pink. I usually hate this type of leo design, but I dig it in this instance!
Claire: 9.200
Design 2.7/3, Fabric 1/1, Sparkle 0.8/1, Theme Spirit 1/1, Uniqueness 1/1, Overall Appearance 2.7/3
Who knew pink meet leos could be so bad ass? This leo is pure lightning-struck, acid-washed delight.
Katherine: 7.500
Design 2.4/3, Fabric 0.8/1, Sparkle 0.6/1, Theme Spirit 1/1, Uniqueness 0.4/1, Overall Appearance 2.3/3
Most of this is nice; it reminds me of Florida’s recent pink leo, which I enjoyed. The lack of sparkles actually works for me. I’m just not a big fan of the neckline and the straps on the shoulders.
Pittsburgh: 7.650
View a video of this leotard here and more images here.
Elizabeth: 7.300
Design 1.7/3, Fabric 0.7/1, Sparkle 1.0/1, Theme Spirit 1.0/1, Uniqueness 0.9/1, Overall Appearance 2.0/3
I love that Pitt did a real Pride leo, but I’m not obsessed with it like some people. The multi-colored details on the back sort of look like an afterthought—I don’t really get the design of it and how it fits with the rest of the leo design. I love the front though, and the use of multi-colored rhinestones.
Carolyn: 7.200
Design 1.9/3, Fabric 0.7/1, Sparkle 1/1, Theme Spirit 1/1, Uniqueness 1/1, Overall Appearance 1.6/3
This leo looks heavy to wear with all those sparkles. My favorite part is definitely the flag on the sleeve; it shows how committed Pitt is to supporting the LGBTQIA+ community. I am puzzled by the back as it looks like the flag, trailing sparkle design and transition between fabrics all look a tad bit unfinished or at least like they were slapped on there at the last second?
Claire: 9.100
Design 2.7/3, Fabric 1/1, Sparkle 0.5/1, Theme Spirit 1/1, Uniqueness 1/1, Overall Appearance 2.9/3
There is nothing I love more than different crystal colors in the same design! Black is the perfect background to let those colors shine, and the front is a home run for me. I love the Progress Pride flag accents on the back, but wish they didn’t have to compete with the sparkles. Overall, though, this is a great leo on many levels.
Katherine: 7.000
Design 2.0/3, Fabric 0.4/1, Sparkle 0.6/1, Theme Spirit 1/1, Uniqueness 0.8/1, Overall Appearance 2/3
Compared to California’s Pride design, which so perfectly combined school spirit with the Pride theme, this leo feels a little generic. The back and front are very different, which is odd. They’re both nice individually, but California set the bar high.
Towson: 7.000
View a video of this leotard here.
Elizabeth: 8.200
Design 2.2/3, Fabric 1.0/1, Sparkle 0.8/1, Theme Spirit 1.0/1, Uniqueness 1.0/1, Overall Appearance 2.2/3
This leo is horrendous, but also I love it so much because that’s exactly what a throwback should be. From the weird flower rhinestone design to the full velvet, I can’t get enough.
Carolyn: 3.800
Design 0.6/3, Fabric 0.7/1, Sparkle 0.3/1, Theme Spirit 1/1, Uniqueness 0.8/1, Overall Appearance 0.4/3
Ohhhhhh. While this Towson throwback leo is better than their last one, I still strongly dislike it solely because of the sparkle patterns. That just repulses me. However, I do like the velvet? So that is something?
Claire: 9.200
Design 2.7/3, Fabric 1/1, Sparkle 0.8/1, Theme Spirit 1/1, Uniqueness 1/1, Overall Appearance 2.7/3
This would have been my dream leo as a gymnast in the ’90s, and I adore it just as much now. This is a fabulous throwback, and I will fight any Gen Z-er who disagrees. I bet Catalina Ponor would, too.
Katherine: 6.800
Design 2.4/3, Fabric 0.4/1, Sparkle 0.5/1, Theme Spirit 1/1, Uniqueness 0.5/1, Overall Appearance 2/3
It’s a throwback design I don’t hate! Perhaps that’s because the high neck and front pattern make it feel more modern. The velvet is definitely a dealbreaker, though.
San Jose State: 6.825
Elizabeth: 7.400
Design 2.2/3, Fabric 0.7/1, Sparkle 0.6/1, Theme Spirit 0.9/1, Uniqueness 0.8/1, Overall Appearance 2.2/3
I appreciate when a school incorporates both school and theme spirit into the same leo. Too often a pink leo disregards the school completely, but I want to know what school is competing as well as what the theme is. I love the arms on this design—the shade of pink used is great. I also don’t hate the giant Spartan head, maybe because it’s off to the side and not too in your face.
Carolyn: 6.400
Design 1.6/3, Fabric 0.9/1, Sparkle 0.4/1, Theme Spirit 0.8/1, Uniqueness 0.4/1, Overall Appearance 2.3/3
I simply can’t get over how the body black doesn’t match the arm black. I understand that it is solid fabric meeting mesh, but it’s all I see when I glance at this leo!
Claire: 7.400
Design 2.5/3, Fabric 0.7/1, Sparkle 0.5/1, Theme Spirit 1/1, Uniqueness 0.7/1, Overall Appearance 2/3
I’m a sucker for black and hot pink, so we’re already off to a good start. I also appreciate that this is a callback to another SJSU leo, and the sparkly ombre sleeves are absolute perfection! What I’m not quite sold on are the disparate shades of pink (particularly the piping around the neck) and the gemstones on the Spartan head.
Katherine: 6.100
Design 2.1/3, Fabric 0.6/1, Sparkle 0.3/1, Theme Spirit 1/1, Uniqueness 0.6/1, Overall Appearance 1.5/3
This has nice elements but is missing some things. I like the hot pink against black, but the whole design could use more sparkles. While I like the placement of the Spartan head, I don’t like how the white outline looks amidst the darkness of the black and pink design. Maybe a silver or grey outline would have alleviated that look.
Michigan State: 6.775
View more images of this leotard here and a video here.
Elizabeth: 7.800
Design 2.4/3, Fabric 0.8/1, Sparkle 0.7/1, School Spirit 0.8/1, Uniqueness 0.7/1, Overall Appearance 2.4/3
I loved this from when I saw it on Michigan State’s media day back in the fall, and I loved it even more in motion. The stripes are very Adidas and athletic, and I love the neckline used as well. Plus, this shade of green with mesh is fantastic.
Carolyn: 7.500
Design 2.1/3, Fabric 0.7/1, Sparkle 0.7/1, School Spirit 0.8/1, Uniqueness 0.8/1, Overall Appearance 2.4/3
We’ve seen this design in a few preseason promos, but this was the first time it was used in competition. It did not disappoint. The Andes-mint color is unusual to use in leos, but it fits very well into the overall theme.
Claire: 5.900
Design 1.5/3, Fabric 0.7/1, Sparkle 0.5/1, School Spirit 0.7/1, Uniqueness 0.7/1, Overall Appearance 1.8/3
This shade of green is gorgeous, particularly paired with black. I also really like the athletic stripes and sparkly “Michigan State” on the back. I wish they’d backed off the faux deep V and the crystals, though. You can certainly do sporty and still sparkle, but the execution has to be just right. This feels more like an attempt at power clashing.
Katherine: 5.900
Design 2/3, Fabric 0.6/1, Sparkle 0.6/1, School Spirit 0.7/1, Uniqueness 0.6/1, Overall Appearance 1.4/3
I like the stripes, but they just don’t fit with this design for me. Either remove them or incorporate them into something else; here they just look out of place.
Iowa: 6.700
View more images of this leotard here.
Elizabeth: 6.500
Design 2.0/3, Fabric 0.6/1, Sparkle 0.7/1, School Spirit 0.7/1, Uniqueness 0.5/1, Overall Appearance 2.1/3
I know a lot of people have said this is just another black and white leo for Iowa, but it’s just another black and white design I like. The back is great, and the front elegant. Iowa doesn’t always do black and white leos well, but it did with this one.
Carolyn: 6.600
Design 2.4/3, Fabric 0.5/1, Sparkle 1/1, School Spirit 0.7/1, Uniqueness 0.2/1, Overall Appearance 1.8/3
Iowa, this is lovely, but just PLEASE SWITCH IT UP! This looks just like your Tesla leo, and I need something new! Perhaps a beautiful black to yellow to white ombre leo?
Claire: 7.700
Design 2.3/3, Fabric 0.7/1, Sparkle 1/1, School Spirit 0.7/1, Uniqueness 0.5/1, Overall Appearance 2.5/3
I’m never going to be mad at a black leo, and I really love the geometric, stud-like rhinestone design. As long as this is the quality of B&W leo we get, keep doing your thing, Iowa!
Katherine: 6.000
Design 2.1/3, Fabric 0.5/1, Sparkle 0.5/1, School Spirit 0.4/1, Uniqueness 0.4/1, Overall Appearance 2.1/3
This is fine, but I see nothing new or unique about this design for Iowa. It’s nice, but it feels like a carbon copy of all the other black and white designs it’s put out over the years. That has to bring down the design a few tenths for me.
Stanford: 6.400
View a video of this leotard here and more images here.
Elizabeth: 7.400
Design 2.4/3, Fabric 0.6/1, Sparkle 0.6/1, School Spirit 0.7/1, Uniqueness 0.6/1, Overall Appearance 2.5/3
This is a bit different than what Stanford usually wears, and I like it. It’s very Oklahoma. My favorite part is the back, closely followed by the rhinestone block S logo on the sleeve and the white mesh arms. I would have preferred a non-mystique fabric for the body (see my Denver comments on the fabric), but overall it works.
Carolyn: 7.200
Design 2.0/3, Fabric 0.2/1, Sparkle 0.8/1, School Spirit 0.7/1, Uniqueness 0.9/1, Overall Appearance 2.6/3
Don’t love the front, do love the back. I think the mystique fabric is just throwing me off too much. I thought we were starting to move past that in college gymnastics leos? Anyway, it’s a cute little leo that you can’t go wrong with.
Claire: 5.700
Design 2/3, Fabric 0.5/1, Sparkle 0.5/1, School Spirit 0.5/1, Uniqueness 0.5/1, Overall Appearance 1.7/3
If this didn’t say “Stanford” in three inch letters, I never would have guessed because this has big Oklahoma energy (which isn’t a bad thing!). I like the overall design, but—like the new Denver leo—the entire thing being holographic is really overwhelming.
Katherine: 5.300
Design 1.8/3, Fabric 0.7/1, Sparkle 0.4/1, School Spirit 0.5/1, Uniqueness 0.4/1, Overall Appearance 1.5/3
This is all fine except for the scalloped pattern on the front. That makes what was a “meh” design for me even worse. I feel like it’s a little Stanford-reminiscent, but maybe that’s just because it’s a common color scheme and design pattern for other schools too.
Michigan: 6.375
View a video of this leotard here.
Elizabeth: 6.800
Design 2.0/3, Fabric 0.7/1, Sparkle 0.7/1, School Spirit 0.8/1, Uniqueness 0.6/1, Overall Appearance 2.1/3
Michigan, like Iowa and especially Florida, sticks to a similar design theme for most of its leos: blue body, mesh sleeves, maize accents. I like the use of yellow rhinestones here, and the white to blue ombre sleeves are a nice way to mix things up. I don’t love the design itself, but overall it’s a solid if not revolutionary leo.
Carolyn: 6.300
Design 1.5/3, Fabric 0.6/1, Sparkle 0.8/1, School Spirit 0.7/1, Uniqueness 0.3/1, Overall Appearance 2.4/3
I don’t know what it is, but this leo reminds me in more ways than one of this Rutgers leo. However, if we are looking at the above leo alone, I adore the dark blue color with the yellow sparkle accents but am confused on the overall theme.
Claire: 6.600
Design 1.5/3, Fabric 0.7/1, Sparkle 0.7/1, School Spirit 0.7/1, Uniqueness 0.5/1, Overall Appearance 2/3
It makes me very happy when Michigan uses white along with blue and maize, so that’s a plus! I love the back and I like the front, but the two simply don’t go together. It looks like halves of two different leotards with similar colors were accidentally sewn together.
Katherine: 5.800
Design 1.8/3, Fabric 0.5/1, Sparkle 0.7/1, School Spirit 0.6/1, Uniqueness 0.3/1, Overall Appearance 1.9/3
The color and sparkles are OK, but there’s a lot of weird shapes and lines going on here. That dissonance, plus this being pretty much a variation on every other Michigan leo makes me not a huge fan of the design.
LSU: 6.200
View more images of this leotard here.
Elizabeth: 5.300
Design 1.0/3, Fabric 0.4/1, Sparkle 0.6/1, School Spirit 0.9/1, Uniqueness 0.9/1, Overall Appearance 1.5/3
I have a few issues with this leo, the first being the only thing I can see is a deer head. The second is that the “mask” “eyes” make me think of Regina George’s boob cutout shirt from Mean Girls. The third is the fact that the back mesh isn’t lined, meaning the gymnasts have to wear the crappy clear bra when it would have been so easy to just line the material. I love the script Tigers though!
Carolyn: 6.400
Design 1./3, Fabric 0.8/1, Sparkle 0.6/1, School Spirit 0.8/1, Uniqueness 1/1, Overall Appearance 1.9/3
LOVE the back, indifferent about the front. If someone at LSU could explain the significance of the design on the front to me, I would greatly appreciate it as right now all I can see is an elk. I do love the commitment to the Mardi Gras colors though!
Claire: 5.600
Design 1/3, Fabric 0.5/1, Sparkle 0.8/1, School Spirit 0.9/1, Uniqueness 0.9/1, Overall Appearance 1.5/3
This is “Laissez les bon temps rouler!” meets “Fear the Deer!” I absolutely adore the colors, the sleeves and the back (though, I’d prefer if it were lined), but the mask (deer head) pulls focus from all of those great elements.
Katherine: 7.500
Design 2.2/3, Fabric 0.5/1, Sparkle 0.6/1, School Spirit 1/1, Uniqueness 1/1, Overall Appearance 2.2/3
You have to admire leaning into your motif. The deer-esque design is super weird, though. I think an opportunity was missed to replace it with the school’s tiger logo in some combination of those same colors. I do love the sparkles below it, though, and the script Tigers is a great touch.
Denver: 5.850
View a video of this leotard here.
Elizabeth: 6.000
Design 1.8/3, Fabric 0.4/1, Sparkle 0.7/1, School Spirit 0.6/1, Uniqueness 0.7/1, Overall Appearance 1.8/3
I’m not sure I like the mystique fabric used here. It’s holographic almost and just not my preference. The sparkle design looks good in motion atop the sweetheart neckline, and unlike some people, I like the back hole. But it’s not an overly exciting leo in the grand scheme of things.
Carolyn: 5.200
Design 1.9/3, Fabric 0.2/1, Sparkle 0.6/1, School Spirit 0.4/1, Uniqueness 0.2/1, Overall Appearance 1.9/3
In my opinion, this is just another Denver leo; nothing too crazy, nothing too out of the box. I wish there was some more silver or ombre used to liven this design up.
Claire: 5.200
Design 1.7/3, Fabric 0.3/1, Sparkle 0.5/1, School Spirit 0.5/1, Uniqueness 0.7/1, Overall Appearance 1.5/3
I’m calling this the New Kia Logo leo. The entire body being holographic plus the big crystal stripes extending past the bodice is all just a little overwhelming. The color is excellent, though, and reminds me that I’d like a glass of wine.
Katherine: 7.000
Design 2.4/3, Fabric 0.8/1, Sparkle 0.6/1, School Spirit 0.5/1, Uniqueness 0.4/1, Overall Appearance 2.3/3
This gives me discount Oklahoma vibes. The stripes in the front seem like a cool idea in theory, but the whole thing is just kind of boring. It’s not terrible, though, and I actually do like the holographic fabric.
Auburn: 5.575
View a video of this leotard here.
Elizabeth: 5.500
Design 1.4/3, Fabric 0.6/1, Sparkle 0.4/1, School Spirit 0.8/1, Uniqueness 0.7/1, Overall Appearance 1.6/3
What’s with deer heads this week? The rhinestones in the V on the front of this leo definitely look like one. I like the back of this leo, and the arms are nice, but I really don’t like the sleeve rhinestone hearts (?) at all. Less is more for this one I think.
Carolyn: 4.000
Design 1.2/3, Fabric 0.9/1, Sparkle 0.4/1, School Spirit 0.2/1, Uniqueness 0.4/1, Overall Appearance 0.9/3
Meh. Doesn’t really do anything for me—just another Auburn leo. I like how there isn’t a cutout around the collarbones that we usually see with high collars, so that’s fun. Another fun thing I noticed on the broadcast with this leo is that the bottom orange color blended perfectly into the color of the warmup pants so it looked like the team was wearing the German gymnasts’ unitards when they weren’t competing. Just something fun to notice.
Claire: 7.400
Design 2.3/3, Fabric 0.5/1, Sparkle 0.7/1, School Spirit 0.8/1, Uniqueness 0.6/1, Overall Appearance 2.5/3
This is a very pretty, inoffensive leo. Nothing bad about it, but nothing particularly groundbreaking. My favorite part is the mixed gemstones on the bodice, and I wish more teams used this deep V on the back. Maybe I spent too much time looking at LSU’s Mardi Gras leo, but the chest design looks like a deer to me.
Katherine: 5.400
Design 1.5/3, Fabric 0.5/1, Sparkle 0.6/1, School Spirit 0.5/1, Uniqueness 0.5/1, Overall Appearance 1.8/3
This is just OK for me. I like the V sparkles on the front, but the deer-esque design on the chest distracts from it. The same goes for the design on the sleeves; what even is it? It’s not my favorite of Auburn’s.
Northern Illinois: 5.100
View more images of this leotard here.
Elizabeth: 4.800
Design 1.2/3, Fabric 0.4/1, Sparkle 0.6/1, School Spirit 0.6/1, Uniqueness 0.4/1, Overall Appearance 1.4/3
I guessed which design NIU would debut based on its hints the past two new leos, which means they’re not very unique. That being said, I was excited when I saw the gunmetal. However, I’m a little disappointed at the execution. The silver vs. the black mesh looks weird. I like the white piping and the rhinestone details, though.
Carolyn: 5.500
Design 1.5/3, Fabric 0.5/1, Sparkle 0.7/1, School Spirit 0.3/1, Uniqueness 0.2/1, Overall Appearance 2.3/3
YES NIU! They started stepping up their leo game last season, and it looks like the momentum is continuing this season. The gunmetal is a fun touch, but I wish there were some more school-specific spirit shown somewhere (like perhaps on the arms?) Besides that, I don’t really mind the stock leo choice, as long as it is executed nicely like the one here.
Claire: 5.200
Design 1.3/3, Fabric 0.5/1, Sparkle 0.7/1, School Spirit 0.5/1, Uniqueness 0.7/1, Overall Appearance 1.5/3
I love, love, love the stripes and sparkles accents. I also really dig the combination of red and gunmetal. I don’t love the chunky, inverted V panels, the high collar or the mesh sleeves. I do appreciate the boldness of this design and am glad to see NIU try something outside the box!
Katherine: 4.900
Design 1.5/3, Fabric 0.4/1, Sparkle 0.4/1, School Spirit 0.3/1, Uniqueness 0.5/1, Overall Appearance 1.8/3
I don’t love this. The front design is a little too throwback for me, and I’ve never liked gunmetal fabric much. It also doesn’t scream “NIU.”
Fan Poll
Congrats to Penn State for winning the week six fan poll! Vote for your favorite from week seven here.
READ THIS NEXT: Leotard Rankings: Week 6
Article by Elizabeth Grimsley, Carolyn Lien, Claire Billman and Katherine Weaver
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