Each college gymnastics team goes into the season with the goal of doing its best, but for some programs, there exists extra pressure to do so. Whether it’s due to recent struggles, coaching changes, or controversies resulting in exposure, the following teams are facing more scrutiny than most to outperform recent results in 2025.
North Carolina
North Carolina is one of those teams that definitely has what it takes to be successful in the postseason, but that breakthrough year has to be soon. The Tar Heels gained momentum in the back half of the regular season in 2024 but missed out on regionals by six positions. Since 2020, they have hovered around this same spot in the national rankings but certainly have the ability to break out of the regionals bubble with the talent on the team. The main thing holding North Carolina back has been consistency, so hopefully this will be the year the team can turn that around and have its breakthrough.
Georgia
Days after the team narrowly missed moving on to the Gainesville regional final in 2024, Georgia finally cut ties with embattled head coach Courtney Kupets Carter. That move, as well as the hiring of Cecile Canqueteau-Landi to join Ryan Roberts as the new leaders of the program, make it clear that Georgia is officially in “win now” mode. Some leeway will be afforded, but with Simone Biles’s head coach at the helm, results will be expected eventually .
Michigan
Coming off its national title in 2021, Michigan has been struggling for the past couple of seasons to repeat that energy. The Wolverines have suffered some big losses, but this might be the year to build back up. The seven-member freshman class consists of six five-stars and one four-star, meaning it could be a game-changing group, depending on how immediately they adjust to college. 2025 may not be a immediate rebound, but it should, at the very least, be back to Michigan’s normal—a trip to the regional final with a nationals berth realistically in its sights.
Iowa
It’s a new era in Iowa City after Larissa Libby’s departure, one of the NCAA’s longest-tenured coaches, following an investigation into misconduct in Iowa’s program. Last season was a low point for the Hawkeyes, who went from No. 26 in 2023 to just missing out on regionals at No. 37 in 2024.. New head coach Jen Llewellyn has a known ability to turn programs around, and with a star-studded freshman class coming in, the upcoming season looks primising already. Success right out of the gate would be a big confidence boost to a program that’s gone through a lot of change.
Rutgers
For the better part of a decade, Rutgers has not wavered from the mid-forties in the national rankings. This is the program’s seventh season under head coach Umme Salim-Beasley, with the Scarlet Knights’ best finish coming in 2021 at 40th. Six seniors and eight additional gymnasts will not return for 2025 while eight gymnasts enter as freshmen, providing quite a new look for the Scarlet Knights. It will be interesting to see how the team will perform with this much change and relative inexperience.
West Virginia
West Virginia had a significant drop in national rankings over the past year, moving down 23 spots and out of regional contention for the first time in over a decade. The Mountaineers hit 196 only once last year, so to jump back into regionals contention in 2025, it will need to repeat that more frequently. The good news is it has the gymnasts to do it, including seven freshmen and grad transfer Trinity Macy from Eastern Michigan. Make these newcomers will inject new life into the Mountaineers.
LIU
Few teams have experienced the amount of consistent turmoil LIU has in its short history as a program. This offseason saw the clearest indictment against the team yet when several of the former LIU gymnasts spoke out against alleged misconduct, most of which involving head coach Randy Lane. The team is now under more of a microscope than ever, and while the scores haven’t been dismal, a significant step forward—and a decrease in roster turnover—is likely needed lest major changes are made.
Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh took a big swing for the fences in 2023 Samantha Snider’s dismissal and Casey Jo MacPherson’s hiring away from Missouri. The following year was an improvement for the Panthers, especially toward the end of the season. But with the resources the school has put into the program lately, returning to regionals contention at a minimum will be the expectation.
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I would add UCLA to that list. They have under-performed ever since Miss Val left, and since they started paying more attention to leo design, social justice causes and “going viral” on floor then consistently hitting their routines. And now they’ve lost their most reliable athlete from the past two seasons.