NCAA gymnastics takes center stage this week, as top college programs kick off the five-round college tournament ahead of the April 18th four-team championship.
No. 1 Oklahoma returns as both top seed and reigning NCAA champion, followed by No. 2 LSU, No. 3 Florida, and No. 4 UCLA.
The Sooners earned this year's No. 1 seed by posting the highest National Qualifying Score (NQS) at 197.937. LSU follows at 197.917, Florida at 197.700, Alabama at 197.500, and UCLA at 197.478. Oklahoma additionally holds Top 5 rankings across all four individual events, including No. 1 on vault and No. 2 on balance beam.
"It's a make-or-break situation," Sooners head coach KJ Kindler said of the NCAA gymnastic tournament's seeded second round. "You come with it or you don't qualify… It's definitely more intense."
This week's first round sets up the rest of the regional bracket. Each consecutive round subsequently narrows the field before two teams advance to the NCAA final in Fort Worth. The gymnastics championships feature a five-round format that tests consistency and execution under pressure.
Individual athletes will also compete for event and all-around titles. LSU’s Kailin Chio and UCLA's Olympic gold medalist Jordan Chiles emerged as frontrunners for individual honors, as Chiles brings championship experience and momentum from UCLA's Big Ten title.
"We're coming for y'all," Chiles said after the Bruins' Big Ten championship win. UCLA now looks to avenge last year's NCAA final loss to Oklahoma.
How to Watch the 2026 NCAA Gymnastics Championships
The NCAA gymnastics tournament begins today at 2 PM ET, with the regionals streaming live on ESPN+.
