Another NCAA gymnastics season is on the horizon, and with the 2026 campaign officially underway, storylines from last year are far from finished. The 2025 season brought conference shakeups, coaching moves, and unexpected postseason breakthroughs that reshaped the national landscape—and many of those plotlines are still unfolding. From Utah’s Big 12 takeover to Oklahoma’s continued dominance, Missouri’s rise, and the Howells’ headline-making move to Clemson, last season’s drama sets the stage for another thrilling year.
Utah Dominates Newly-Realigned Big 12
Conference realignment is always a big storyline, and 2025 was no exception. Utah’s arrival in the Big 12 signaled a new era— the Red Rocks swept the regular season and conference championship titles, and Grace McCallum and Avery Neff each captured awards at the end of the season. As Utah prepares to defend its title, it will once again face new competition, as Oregon State becomes an affiliate member for the 2026 season, alongside stronger teams in the conference, such as Arizona and Denver. With the conference adding depth, the Big 12 will be a conference to watch in 2026.
Oklahoma’s Dynasty Continues with Seventh National Title
After its unexpected and early exit from nationals in 2024, Oklahoma bounced back with a dominating performance in 2025 to capture the program’s seventh national title. Despite losing now-legendary Sooners Audrey Davis and Jordan Bowers, by nabbing the former top-two recruits of the 2025 class in Mackenzie Estep and Kamila Pawlak, the Sooners have reloaded with a top-five recruiting class for 2026, and return some of the top scores in the country – including their top all-around NQS scorer, Faith Torrez. With this much talent, we’ll have our eyes on Oklahoma to be on the hunt for its eighth national title.
Missouri’s Cinderella Story
The Tigers spent the entire 2025 season on the national bubble, so it was no surprise to see them end their year in Fort Worth. However, after a remarkable semifinal, Missouri was able to stun the country to finish the postseason in the Four on the Floor final, ultimately securing third place. With the likes of Hannah Horton and recent world championships all-around finalist Kaia Tanskanen returning, as well as adding former five-star recruit Kimarra Echols, the Tigers are, once again, expected to be a nationals contender. So, don’t ever count Missouri out despite the SEC projecting to be as deep as ever.
California and Clemson, What’s Next?
Every offseason, the coaching carousel offers up some drama. This season, it was the unexpected, cross-country, intra-conference move from Justin Howell and Elisabeth Crandall-Howell that took the top headline. Just seasons after taking California to a runner-up finish at the NCAA championships, the duo is now at the helm of Clemson, a program just a few years into its existence. It was the right move for the Tigers, as the Howells are experienced in building a program. They made the Golden Bears a title contender after inheriting the program shortly after it was saved from being cut, with Clemson clearly aiming for similar national relevance with this massive coaching hire. Expectations have now been raised for the Tigers, while eyes will also be on California and new head coach Geralen Stack-Eaton to see how it responds.
Rhode Island Builds on Historic 2025 Finish
Led by nine-time All-American Olivia Keyes, Rhode Island qualified to its first NCGA National Championships as a team since 1998 on the heels of a program-record 192.725 at NCGA-East regionals. With now-sophomore Aaliyah Krause leading the way, the Anchorwomen will be fighting to return to nationals in back-to-back seasons and to not have to wait another 27 years for an opportunity.
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Article by Brandis Heffner, Savanna Wellman, and Allison Freeman
