The postseason is here, and the race for the national title has never been tighter. With LSU peaking at just the right time, the reigning champs leap into the top spot after a dominant SEC title run. Oklahoma—historically the postseason favorite—slides to No. 2 with a chance to reclaim momentum at regionals. Utah, Florida, and UCLA round out a top five packed with talent and potential, all vying to prove they have what it takes to contend for the championship in Fort Worth. With high-stakes matchups looming and upsets always in play, the road to nationals is officially heating up.
1. LSU
Last Week: No. 2
The reigning champs’ title defense starts now, as a fourth-straight 198 pushed LSU to the SEC title and top overall seed over Oklahoma—peaking at just the right time. Much of that is thanks to Haleigh Bryant, who is showing no signs of her early season nagging elbow injury that limited her events, making her the favorite to defend her all-around title as the postseason begins. She and top-10 ranked all-arounder Aleah Finnegan will be looked upon to lead with their championship-winning experience, but freshman phenom Kailin Chio was the difference-maker in the regular season and will need to be at her best to be the X-factor for her first team title. The Tigers are the first team to beat Oklahoma twice in one season since Alabama did so in 2013, with a 2-1 win-loss advantage over the Sooners heading into postseason play.
2. Oklahoma
Last Week: No. 1
Despite a less-than-ideal SEC Championships and sliding off the top spot, the Sooners still enter the postseason with plenty of positive momentum, thanks in part to a regionals draw that shouldn’t pose many challenges. As the favorite heading into most regionals in recent memory, the two-seed may relieve the pressure of winning that we saw take down Oklahoma in last year’s NCAA semifinal. The Sooners rely on freshmen routines more than any other title contender, meaning an unfamiliar postseason environment could cause challenges in composure. But after making it through the regular season without any issues, there’s little reason to believe that will be the case. While seeding won’t change, a strong regionals could easily see the Sooners regain the top spot in terms of momentum ahead of nationals.
3. Utah
Last Week: No. 4
While the Utes’ conference championship-winning score from Big 12s wasn’t as inflated as other Power Four conference title winners and runners-ups, it was more than enough to secure the top seed for their home regional and make the Red Rocks favorites to continue the accolade of never missing the NCAA championships. Utah hasn’t lost since falling to Florida in a neutral tri-meet in early February, with that win streak including a win against the regional’s next-best team, UCLA, less than a month ago. History and recent success are on the side of the Red Rocks, and with top-10 all-arounders Grace McCallum and Makenna Smith in full force, the Utes are fully in the title conversation entering the postseason as the top challengers outside of the SEC.
4. Florida
Last Week: No. 3
Before fading away on beam in the final rotation of the SEC championship, the Gators were living up to their underdog status, using an NCAA record 49.850 on bars to be in the thick of things at the end of rotation three. Florida was the most 10-happy team of the weekend, with Selena Harris-Miranda earning her second perfect score of the year on vault before Leanne Wong and Riley McCusker earned 10s on bars, showcasing flashes of brilliance that could absolutely carry the Gators to its first title since the end of the three-peat a decade ago. As the top seed in the Alabama regional, the road to Fort Worth is favorable for the Gators, but they can’t have an off day in SEC territory with a few dark horses lurking.
5. UCLA
Last Week: No. 5
The Bruins’ first Big Ten championship in their debut year in the conference was incredibly momentum-building—their winning 198.450 is good for the fourth-best high score in the country and erased any question marks surrounding their scoring potential heading into regionals. After a remarkably consistent regular season, UCLA got 10-happy at Big Tens, with that combination making the Bruins incredibly dangerous at the right time. Should UCLA maintain its average, getting to Fort Worth shouldn’t be too challenging, especially with extra motivation from last year’s upset exit in the regional semifinals.
6. Missouri
Last Week: No. 7
Hanging tough in the evening session of SECs and earning a favorable regionals draw gives the Tigers tons of positive momentum entering the postseason, seeking their second NCAA bid in the last four years after a fifth-place finish in 2022. That year’s run was from a string of postseason upsets, while in 2025, Missouri enters regionals on the good side of the nationals bubble. SEC specialist of the year Helen Hu has proved a difference-maker despite competing just beam and Amari Celestine’s emergence into a top-15 all-arounder are why the Tigers are in this position, just needing to take down league foes Georgia and Auburn for a second time this season to get to Fort Worth.
7. California
Last Week: No. 6
Of all the championship contenders, the Golden Bears had the worst conference meet weekend: dropping the ACC championship in upset fashion to a Stanford squad they had beaten three times already in 2025 and then getting placed into the Alabama regional—where the Crimson Tide lurk as an extremely dangerous three-seed. It’s not that California performed poorly, once again showcasing consistency and hitting for a high 197, but it showed how susceptible it can be to a regionals-seed who happens to put it all together at the right time. However, the reigning runners-up know what it takes to stand on the podium in Fort Worth, making the Golden Bears plenty capable of getting momentum back on track, regardless of circumstance.
8. Michigan State
Last Week: No. 8
Better late than never—with scoring potential the major concern surrounding the Spartans heading into conference championships, Michigan State showed out, posting its first 198 of the season and its best road score ever to take second place at Big Tens. While seeded into the always-tricky No. 8 versus No. 9 regionals matchup with Kentucky, the new season high that ranks fifth nationally is several tenths above the Wildcats, giving them a solid edge. Had Michigan State not scored as well at Big Tens, the scenario would be a lot more precarious, but the Spartans seized momentum in its favor as they begin the postseason as a firm nationals favorite.
Up Next: Alabama, Oregon State, Stanford, Georgia, Kentucky
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Article by Brandis Heffner
