Breaking down the tiers of all-time NCAA women's gymnastics programs

A lot has happened in the 41-year history of NCAA gymnastics: Dynasties have been secured, postseason Cinderella runs have been made and teams have firmed up their spots in the collegiate gymnastics landscape. Now, it’s time to take a look at each Power Five conference program’s results (plus a few key mid-majors) and break them into tiers, comparing and contrasting the legacies of the seven members of the champions club to the teams still waiting to make their mark. More importantly, everybody in between, too!

Blue bloods

Georgia, Utah, UCLA, Alabama, Oklahoma, Florida, and Michigan

*Years of title wins denoted in bold

These are the only seven teams that have won an NCAA championship. Though the Gymdogs haven’t cracked the top 10 since 2019, they remain the sport’s winningest program with 10 titles to their name. Meanwhile, nine-time champion Utah last won in 1995 but has remained a fixture in the top six since. It, along with the Bruins and the Crimson Tide, dominated the postseason from the inaugural tournament in 1982 until 2013, when the Gators won the first of three consecutive championships (they shared the prize with the Sooners in 2014). Speaking of Oklahoma, it has been the team to beat for the last decade: It’s come out on top in six of the last nine finals and only finished off the podium once since 2010. The Wolverines — who bested the Sooners in 2021 — are the newest team to earn membership to this exclusive club.

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Powerhouses 

Arizona State, LSU, Nebraska, Oregon State, Penn State, and Stanford

Though none have taken home the title, all of these teams have advanced to the national championship at least 15 times since its 1982 inception. The Sun Devils thrived early on, racking up three second-place finishes from 1983 to 1986, followed by three Super Six appearances in the late ’90s. The Beavers have been a mainstay in the top 16 for over 40 years (give or take the occasional 10-spot swing in the rankings). It took until the late ’90s for the Cardinal to really find its footing, but the team made up for lost time by snagging six top-five finishes between 2004 and 2015. Boasting an impressive 26 berths to nationals and 18 top-six finishes, Nebraska is one of the most successful programs in NCAA gymnastics history despite its recent struggles to crack regionals. Similarly, the Nittany Lions are looking to reclaim their place in the national conversation after a decade-long slump. LSU is arguably the strongest college gymnastics team to have never won a national championship. The Tigers have been a fixture in the top 10 for four decades and — thanks to an unusually deep and battle-tested roster — have a legitimate shot at finally claiming their first title in 2024. 

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Championship contenders

California, Kentucky, Arkansas, BYU, Denver, Auburn, Minnesota, Washington

Rarely finishing outside of the top 36, these are your postseason mainstays: You can never bank on these teams qualifying for nationals, but — having proven capable of taking down top teams — it’s not particularly surprising when they do. The Razorbacks secured a place in this tier by virtue of missing the postseason just once since their 2003 inaugural season. Kentucky, Washington and Minnesota have been their respective conferences’ sleeper teams for as long as anyone can remember, and reigning Olympic all-around champion Sunisa Lee helped boost Auburn's resume with a team final appearance two seasons ago. Meanwhile, the BYU Cougars have only finished outside the top 36 once since the turn of the century. Topping off the list are California and Denver, both of whom factor into the championship landscape heading into the 2024 season after qualifying to last year’s national semifinals.

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Consistently solid

Iowa, Missouri, Michigan State, Arizona, Illinois, Ohio State, Iowa State, and West Virginia

More likely than not, you’ll see these schools in your postseason bracket (though they’ve all been susceptible to rebuilding periods at one time or another). Iowa, West Virginia and Arizona flourished in the 2000s, establishing themselves as postseason fixtures. The Cyclones — who snagged back-to-back NCAA appearances in the mid-2000s — will presumably spend 2024 recalibrating under a first-year head coach, the legendary Ashley Miles Grieg. The Illini dropped out of the top 20 last season but have popped off more than once in the past decade. Meanwhile, Ohio State and Missouri are known for out-kicking their coverage in both the regular and postseason; underestimate these teams at your peril.

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Dark horse high-majors

Maryland, North Carolina, Pittsburgh, Rutgers, N.C. State, and Clemson

These teams don’t have the postseason clout or consistency of other Power Five programs but have proven capable of hanging with the big dogs when they hit. Well-known grinders Maryland and Rutgers are making moves within the Big Ten and beyond: Last season, the Terps cracked the top 25 for the first time in a decade while the Scarlet Knights set or tied multiple program records. New kid on the block Clemson will make its program debut in January, joining the Tar Heels, Wolfpack, and Panthers as charter members of ACC gymnastics. The three EAGL expats are no strangers to the postseason and could realistically become fixtures in the top 30 now that they have Power Five sponsorship at their backs.

Relevant mid-majors

Boise State, Towson, Utah State, Kent State, New Hampshire, and Southern Utah

These teams are currently reorganizing after conference realignment but are the most consistent underdogs, regardless of affiliation. The Salt Lake City area has become a gymnastics hub, with even the two mid-major schools consistently flirting with the top 20 (at least), while the Aggies, Golden Flashes, Wildcats and Tigers have all been to the national championships after a Cinderella run through the postseason. The Broncos ranked in the teens eight times during the 2010s, and with last year’s NCAA runner-up on vault back on the roster, they will be looking to return to that status.