March 28, 2025/Midnight
Erie, PA.- The NCAA gymnastics circuit has evolved with the recent conference realignment schedules and battles within the rankings. The BIG 10 and SEC have certainly seen the most positive changes, due to the added schools. The SEC welcomed the most recent college gym dynasty, the six-time national champion, Oklahoma. The SEC is already a consistent powerhouse, but the dynamic has heated up, and the 2025 SEC championships proved this.
All nine SEC gymnastics teams rank amongst the top 25 for the road to nationals. However, the SEC opted to update their conference championship competition style, meaning only eight teams would advance to the competition in Birmingham, Alabama. No. 16 Arkansas is sadly the team that got left behind.
“Fans and experts were quick to point out that the issue could be remedied by adding a bye rotation. Byes are common in NCAA women’s gymnastics. Up until the 2019 season, the sport’s National Championship featured six gymnastics programs, with all six teams receiving a bye rotation” (Price, Forbes).
Arkansas has made waves throughout the past few seasons, especially after hiring Olympic coaching duo Jordyn Wieber (2012), her husband and assistant coach Chris Brooks (2012, 2016), and assistant coach Kyla Ross (2012). The team quickly joined the national rankings, as well as becoming a consistent contender for both SEC and National titles and honors. This season has also brought virality and national attention to the Razorbacks, with the 2024 Olympic alternate and World Champion Joscelyn Roberson excelling through her freshman season. Roberson has smashed the Arkansas freshman all-around record, putting up an impressive 39.525, and currently holds top ten rankings on both beam and floor. The Razorbacks this season in conference play also beat the 2024 reigning national champions and current occupants of the No.1 overall seed, the LSU Tigers.
The snub from the SEC championship this year puts the team at a much greater disadvantage going into the fight for a slot at Fort Worth. Head Coach Jordyn Wieber with the help of the Arkansas Director of athletics submitted a request to the NCAA Gymnastics Committee. The request included adding a meeting against Oregon State but was denied.
“It might be harder to win the SEC Championships than the NCAA championships” Auburn Gymnastics head coach Jeff Graba said when regarding the official SEC placements.
The LSU Tigers upset the Oklahoma Sooners yet again, regaining the top seeding, as well as going back-to-back in SEC team titles.
The 2025 NCAA National Championship will be hosted in Fort Worth, Texas on April 17-19.
