It’s been a long, cold offseason, but the sweet sounds of vault runs and stuck landings are finally back! While most of the college gymnastics universe is still shaking off the holiday glitter, a select few teams are grabbing their grips and giving us a delicious little appetizer for what’s to come. Think of this week as the perfect pre-show—a handful of exciting, must-watch meets and a few tantalizing intrasquads to whet your appetite before the full feast of week two hits! So grab your popcorn, maybe some pom poms, and prepare for some early-season 10.0 potential as the 2026 college gymnastics season officially begins!
Must-Watch Meets
Iowa and Minnesota at Utah
Friday, Jan. 2 at 9 p.m. ET | ESPN
Prediction: Utah: 91.8%, Minnesota: 8.0%, Iowa: 0.2%
In the first true competition of the year, Iowa and Minnesota will meet Utah at home to kick off the 2026 season with a striking week one performance. 2026 will debut shakeups to the NQS calculation, for which the effects won’t officially be seen until later in the season. Utah enters as a top-five powerhouse, balancing graduated routines with vast depth and incoming potential. Minnesota will be hungry. Last season, the Gophers closely trailed several top-performing Big Ten conference members, themselves rising to a No. 15 national finish. The Gophers will seek to replicate and even surpass this success, utilizing the returning experience and the talents of their newcomers. Iowa rounds out this tri-meet. The Hawkeyes have been operating on a middle-of-the-pack basis in recent seasons while experiencing coaching changes and a stream of highly talented recruits. Iowa will aim for a solid performance in this debut meet that they can build upon throughout the season. Each three participating schools finished 2025 ranked across a wide range, but as teams dust off the cobwebs of competition season, week one is guaranteed to be full of surprises.
Notes about the predictions: Beating Utah at home will be a tough task for Minnesota, but former five-star recruit Arianna Ostrum may be the one to help it do it. The freshman is predicted to be the most impactful gymnast for the Gophers this meet, with their win chances being cut nearly in half if Ostrum does not perform to her expected level.
California, Oregon State, and UCLA at Washington
Saturday, Jan. 3 at 6 p.m. ET | B1G+
Prediction: UCLA: 96.6%, California: 3.1%, Oregon State: 0.2%, Washington: 0.1%
The geography and status of these schools almost make it seem like they should be in the same conference… Too soon? Four former Pac-12 teams are meeting to bring a great week one matchup. UCLA should be the dominant team here after not losing many routines and bringing in a loaded freshman class, but this will be a great opportunity to see what California, Oregon State, and Washington will look like this season. Oregon State and California both lost at least half of the routines from 2025, and California lost its coaches to Clemson along with a slew of recruits. This will be the first time we really get to see what the lineups may look like for both of these squads that placed in the top 16 a year ago. Washington will also have a lot of lineup turnover as the Huskies had several key injuries last season and are bringing in a large freshman class. This is the first step for Washington trying to get back to the postseason.
Notes about the predictions: Last season UCLA struggled week one, going under 196 and scoring almost two full points lower than its next lowest score of the season. If the Bruins repeat that performance, their win chances drop from nearly guaranteed to just 6%, and California would become the favorite with a 65% chance to win.
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Wondering how we came up with the predictions for each meet? Read more about our methodology.
There’s Other Stuff Happening Too
We’d be remiss to let a preview for week two go by without bringing up these additional areas of interest.
- LSU is known for hosting one of, if not the first meets of the season on the first Friday night in January, but this year, that night will be reserved for the team’s preview meet, Open Mike Night. Regarding how late in the preseason the meet is happening, Clark said on the All Things Gymnastics Podcast that he felt it was too soon after the new year to compete but that he also wanted to give the home fans a chance to see the team in some way. LSU’s preview is consistently one of the most talked-about of the preseason, and with only Utah’s home meet for competition later in the night, that shouldn’t change this year.
- Tigers meet Tigers on Sunday, when Towson competes at Clemson for the latter Tigers’ first meet being coached by the Howells. From competition caliber to floor choreography to leotards, the team is expected to improve in almost all respects under its new leadership. Today will rank the first step of that journey.
- Later Sunday afternoon, Iowa State travels to Missouri for a fun Big 12 vs. SEC dual. Expectations are high for last season’s No. 3 Tigers, but Iowa State will also be a team to watch, with Ashley Miles Greig’s third season feeling make-or-break after one of impressive results and the next feeling like a dropoff.
Fantasy Corner
If you’re diving into fantasy gymnastics this year, you’re aiming to crush it—right? Fantasy Central has you covered with smart tips and strategic insights all season long. Tara Graeve and data editor Dara Tan will keep you up to speed on injuries, scoring trends, under-the-radar waiver wire gems, and everything else you need to stay ahead of the competition.
CGN Pick’em
Want to join in on the predictions? Tag us on social media with your picks, then tune into the meets to see how well you do!
How to Watch
Looking for more info on how to watch your favorite teams in action? Head to our master schedule for all the scoring, video, and live blog links, or head to our annual “How to Watch” article to see what platforms you have access to with various streaming services.
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Article by the editors of College Gym News
