From bold textures to retro revivals, the 2025 leotard landscape was anything but boring. Every season brings a new wave of experimentation, and this year delivered everything from delicate florals and ribbed fabrics to nostalgic callbacks and daring color combos. In this roundtable, our editors look back at the standout designs, debate the best (and worst) trends, and predict what’s coming next in NCAA leotard fashion.
What was your favorite leotard of the 2025 season?
Elizabeth: I gave Michigan State’s national semifinal design a perfect 10 in leotard rankings, so I feel like I’m obligated to put that one. The Spartans’ design from March 2 is a close second for me, though.
KT: I really loved UCLA’s Blue Diamond. Blue is my favorite color, so a blue leotard automatically has a head start, but I just loved how clean it looked. You could really look at this leotard as an art piece; it blends futurist geometry, and modernist chromatic theory with a nod to art deco. The gradients between light and dark blues evoke the illusion of dimensionality and motion!
Savanna: I love a sentimental leotard and UW-Whitewater’s in memory of Kara Welsh was simple, but one of my favorites from this season.
Katherine: With the usual disclaimer of me being a Florida State Seminole out of the way, Florida’s Spurrier leo was actually my favorite of the season. Florida tends to go for more…nuanced ways to show school spirit in its leos if it does so at all, so I loved its uniqueness in that respect, and the straps and neckline were also really cool and different.
Sara: I loved Penn’s Legacy leo. The geometric design really stands out and the blue and dark red work together perfectly.
Peri: Brown debuted one new leo this year, and it’s easily my favorite of the season. The open back and attention to detail with the red and black stones to me reads as a summary of all our favorite leo trends post-2020.
Penny: The leo I absolutely loved this season was Missouri’s new leo this year that debuted on March 14th. The Mizzou lettering around the whole leo with the gold diamond’s behind it, made it stand out while being unique to the school. Personally the leo theme reminds me of MLB’s city connect uniforms, and I hope more teams in the future follow suit.
Which leo trend turned heads in the best way?
Elizabeth: This season seemed to feature more interesting fabric textures than in the past. We saw more ribbed fabric being used in GK designs, as well as waffle and even subtle patterns. These features gave more depth to the designs without making things appear too busy. I also liked seeing more teams experiment with different-sized and shaped rhinestones this season.
KT: I was a big fan of the ribbed texture too, but I also liked the cursive/non-college font script that appeared on a few leotards this season, like Auburn’s SEC championship one and Nebraska’s regionals debut.
Savanna: I saw a lot of leotards that created a logo using negative space like Arizona State or this one from Georgia. It was a subtle but fun little twist to some designs.
Sara: I also agree with the sparkle logos. They were really cool and added a unique twist on incorporating school spirit. I also liked the really strappy back designs like this one from Air Force, alongside these from Iowa State and Michigan. The straps can really bring out a leo in a different and positive way.
Peri: Asymmetrical leos stole my heart this season and held their ground in the leo rankings this year. Nebraska’s ‘Making Waves’, Stanford’s Golden Gate Bridge, and Minnesota’s Big Ten Championship leo stand out to me, and I hope it’s a sign of more asymmetry to come next winter.
What trend felt overdone or missed the mark?
Elizabeth: I have to call out Washington and its new but not actually that new leotards in 2025; six total new leos, four of which were just re-dos of recent designs to make them GK rather than the original brand. I am begging teams to be smarter with their budgets and also not have exclusivity contracts (which is what we’re guessing was the case here). If you’re going to debut a new leo, make it actually new.
KT: Can we retire lace-up back straps now? I love a criss-cross back design, but if there’s threading or faux threading involved I’m out and I think the trend should be too.
Savanna: If we’re going to keep using the back straps, they need to be all one size. I’m so tired of the mixture of thick straps and thin straps–let’s pick a size and stick with it. I’ve also made several comments in leotard rankings about how much I hate the straight lined waist because it looks too much like a diaper for my liking and that needs to go far, far away.
Katherine: I am done with high neck/thick collar designs. Is this solely based on my personal preference? Yes. But I just don’t want to see them anymore.
Sara: This is going to sound weird, but I would go with small open hole cutouts in the back of a leotard. A couple examples include this leo from San Jose State and this leo from Sacramento State. Now, I’m not talking about the one that is very open back like this, but for teams to have the opportunity to design their leotards, it just seems odd to still pick that specific design when there are so many different things to work with.
Penny: Can leotards please stop having weird cutouts, and I am not talking like a weird back cutout. The biggest one that comes to mind is the leo LSU wore for session II of the NCAAs. The cutout going from the back and then up to the one shoulder was an interesting and honestly distracting choice. If the cutout on top of the shoulder didn’t exist, I wouldn’t have minded the leo, the cutout just completely ruins it for me.
Which team had the most consistent leotard game all year?
Elizabeth: Is the answer any team other than Michigan State? Always killing the leo game, rarely faltering. However, if I were to choose another team, I was really pleased with Missouri’s designs this year. Every one was a hit for me.
KT: The correct answer is, of course, Michigan State (they did have one lace-up back this season, but we’ll give it a pass). Aside from MSU, it’s very rare I don’t like a Florida leotard- probably means they don’t take enough risks, but their whole locker room stash is solid.
Savanna: I too am joining the Michigan State train. I was next to Elizabeth at nationals when it debuted the semifinal leotard and WOW, talk about a stunner. I will also say that Auburn debuted some beautiful leotards this season as well, making it a very close second.
Katherine: I didn’t see a lot of discussion about Temple’s new leos this season, but I’d rank the Owls right up alongside Michigan State as one of the very best leo teams. The first one features a logo that started popping up more in university branding at the end of my time there, and I liked its use here. Night Vision looked amazing with the sparkles and script “Owls,” and of course Temple crushed another lighter red and white design to finish out the season.
Sara: I do agree with everyone on Michigan State but I would also say Oregon State had some awesome leos. This one in particular was gorgeous with the use of the V-shaped design.
Penny: I am also on the Michigan State train, but I would also like to add that Ohio State’s leotards they debuted this season were unique, showing school spirit, while also being gorgeous.
What leo felt the most innovative or daring in 2025?
Elizabeth: Minnesota really swung for the fences with its conference championship design, and I think for the most part it was successful. The concept is just so unique and unlike anything the Gophers have done before.
KT: Everything Clemson does is daring…
Savanna: Sacramento State’s updated tie-dye leotard. The design was innovative when it first debuted, so why not update it? It’s an out-of-this-world design and one of a kind.
Sara: I’m going to take a different approach and go with Georgia’s pink leotard. I feel like pink is so hard to pull off and work with in general since it is used for breast cancer awareness and is not a standard color for teams. But, the white strap design and hot pink color both compliment each other so well.
Katherine: I have to shout out this Michigan design debuted by Sophia Diaz at nationals. It is super different from the Wolverines’ usual looks, and the block Ms dotted around the design could have gone a lot of ways, but I think it overall worked. Like I talked about with Florida’s Spurrier design, I appreciate a successful attempt to be different.
Peri: Utah State’s Dee Glen Smith Spectrum leo pushed the envelope in such a playful way when we first saw it in February. We’ve seen nods to buildings before, but this design wasn’t shy about deviating from team colors to make its point.
Which design gave you instant nostalgia or classic NCAA vibes?
Elizabeth: It’s literally a remake of an older Maryland leotard already, but I loved the Terps’ Maryland pride design this season. The flag design in rhinestones was so classic Maryland but with a modern twist.
KT: Arizona’s regionals leotard. Perfectly nostalgic; sporty, 90s vibes with the block A and a bonus for the white! There were just enough sparkles to make it feel modern and the back with a delicate neck clasp brought it up to the moment.
Savanna: Missouri’s block M from regionals! I love the classic vibes of the design. It gives off a real sporty vibe while incorporating some of today’s elements like the ombre from white to black.
Katherine: Savanna discusses Utah’s Drum and Feather leo in a later response; this one took me back to the first years of MyKayla Skinner and Missy Reinstadtler at Utah, which is when I started watching college gymnastics. It’s a reimagined version of a leo from that era, and I loved the execution.
Sara: Oklahoma’s leotard from nationals is such a classic. The crimson color just screams NCAA National Championships.
Peri: Missouri’s black leo with the gold diamonds! Perfect balance of collegiate and glamorous.
Penny: Pittsburgh’s The Script P leotard really gives me nostalgia due to the colors and blocking.
Were there any leos that grew on you over time?
Elizabeth: I didn’t really like Arizona’s all-red design at all when I first saw it, but it did grow on me the more I looked at it. I just think monochromatic concepts can be really boring, but the back saved the design here.
KT: I really love an architecture inspired leotard so I automatically want to love any design based on a building! But Utah State’s Dee Glen Smith Spectrum design along with Kentucky’s Historic Memorial Coliseum didn’t wow me at first. However as time went on I definitely grew to appreciate their uniqueness and individuality.
Savanna: I wasn’t a fan of Stanford’s Golden Gate Bridge leotard initially. I think it was just because I personally didn’t get what it was going for initially. The longer I looked at it, it is actually a really clever design and it’s just another addition to an already stellar leotard closet.
Sara: Initially looking at the Princess leotard from Arizona State, it was really interesting but the front straps kind of threw me off a bit. Being able to look at it now, it seems like the design makes the leo stand out better than if it was just the jewels.
Are you Team Matte, Team Velvet, or Team Sparkle?
Elizabeth: This is a nearly impossible question for me to answer. I love all of these features in the right context. If I had to choose, I think I’d go with velvet just for the novelty.
KT: Oh, this is so hard to answer! I love a bit of sparkle, but you just can’t beat a well-done velvet leotard.
Savanna: Team Velvet, all the way. I love sparkles, but velvet leotards always stand out just a little bit more to me.
Sara: I am Team Sparkle. I feel sparkles add to leotards in such a unique way (although matte is stunning when done correctly).
Peri: Team Matte all the way! Between the fabric’s texture, ability to hold printed designs, and how it takes a backseat to sparkle, it’s my favorite.
Penny: Team Sparkle. The more sparkles the better, those are always my favorite leos.
What school stepped up its leo game the most this season?
Elizabeth: Missouri was a really pleasant surprise this season. I also have to shout out Auburn. Not only were Auburn’s designs well-executed, but they were also pretty unique, which I feel like is increasingly hard to do with so many new leos being debuted each season.
KT: Illinois got four new leotards for the first time this season, previously debuting just two or three, and I really love the direction they are going in. They’ve got pretty solid colors to work with, but I especially love how they incorporate the orange. The ombre on this sleeve was great, and the orange detailing on this is just perfect
Savanna: I am a well-known Clemson leotard hater, but there wasn’t a single leotard I disliked from the Tigers this season. It was a vast improvement from year one and can only go up from there with the addition of the Howells as co-head coaches.
Sara: I feel like LSU did a great job with leos. Each one looked amazing and the styles on both the Halo Effect and Crown Jewel are unique and different than what was shown last year. I also loved Utah’s leotards. Given that the Red Rocks just celebrated their 50th season, it’s fitting that they debuted so many; my two favorites are the Legacy Leotard and Tokyo, paying homage to both the alumni and Olympians.
Peri: Wilberforce gave us five(!) leos in their inaugural season, and none of them were pink or the all too familiar black-with-rhinestoned-team-logo. All five are distinguishable from each other, and make clever use of a multitude of fabrics.
Penny: Ohio State and Auburn definitely both stepped up their leo game this season. Both had well-executed new leos that were exciting to see in competition.
What leotard trend or specific design would you love to see come back?
Elizabeth: I love a low-back moment, like this Utah design or this from Minnesota. Additionally, I’ll never say no to more velvet. I’d also love a return to more athletic designs like we saw in the “adidas era” of the sport.
KT: I love the retro mascot trend from recent years and I would love to see a few more teams take a risk with incorporating mascots into the designs.
Savanna: The colored one-sleeve trend. It’s a fun one and gives a lot of teams opportunities to showcase some of the color combinations they may not always get to use. A lot of people may not enjoy it, but I for one enjoy it.
Sara: Metallic. I know it’s bold and crazy but I think it can work well if a team wants to add a combination of colors to a plain, single colored leotard. It’s something different than just sparkles all the time (although I love that) and looks really appealing to gymnastics fans.
Penny: I am going to second KT. The retro mascot trend is so fun and unique and teams should incorporate it more in designs.
Predict a new leo trend you hope to see teams try in 2026.
Elizabeth: I think it would be really interesting to see embroidered elements on leotards—with proper lining to avoid itchy situations. I think it could add a unique element and create some fun depth for certain designs.
KT: It’s not a trend, but Nebraska, we are begging for you to give us a full corn-themed leotard! Subtle sparkles aren’t enough! But maybe a more general trend I’d love to see is more schools embracing inspiration from their state; Maryland’s state flag designs are a perfect example.
Savanna: I’m OK with more throwback leotard designs. Utah, for example, had a reimagined version of its Drum and Feather leotard that I enjoyed. Some teams had some incredible designs from years past that deserved a “reimagined” look.
Penny: I would love to see something similar to MLB’s city connect uniforms to come to life in leotards. For example, like what KT brought up, a full corn-themed leotard for Nebraska, or an orange themed leotard for Florida. Overall it seems fun to incorporate themes in a leotard from a school’s state or city.
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