The 2025 NCAA Women’s Gymnastics Championships are heating up, and Minnesota’s Golden Gophers have clawed their way into the fray with a performance that’s got everyone buzzing. After a gritty battle at the Salt Lake City Regional, Minnesota punched their ticket to Fort Worth, Texas, for the nationals, set for April 17-19 at Dickies Arena. But while Minnesota faithful across the country were taking in the glory, there was one person who really understood just how special this run is. But who is he?

Enter longtime NCAA commentator John Roethlisberger, a former Gopher himself. And he just couldn’t hide how enthusiastic he is about this whole thing. “It is such a fun team to watch,” Roethlisberger said. “I think they’ve been knocking at the door the last few years, and so for them to finally be in this competition,” With a regional score of 196.825, the Gophers showed they can hang with the best, but what got them there?

Minnesota’s road to the championships was no cakewalk. At the Salt Lake City Regional, hosted by Utah, they faced a stacked field including No. 4 seed Utah, UCLA, and Denver. In the regional semifinal, Minnesota posted a 197.200, good enough for second behind UCLA’s 197.750, advancing them to the regional final. There, they delivered under pressure, though their 196.825 placed them fourth behind Utah (197.825), UCLA (197.625), and Denver (197.350).

The top two teams—Utah and UCLA—advanced to nationals, but Minnesota’s score secured them a spot among the eight qualifying teams, a testament to their consistency. Roethlisberger noted on air, “What matters is what we score around the floor with them at the same meet at the same time, at the same judges.” How did they pull it off against such tough competition? The Gophers’ success hinged on their depth and clutch performances. In the regional semifinal, they leaned on their balanced attack across all events.

While specific individual scores from Minnesota’s gymnasts weren’t highlighted in the recaps, their team total showed no major missteps. At the Big Ten Championships, Minnesota finished second to Michigan State’s proving they could post competitive numbers. Roethlisberger praised their floor exercise during ESPN’s regional broadcast: “I just think they’re going to hold up, and I’m curious to see what those scores look like at the end.” But can their depth carry them past powerhouses like LSU and Oklahoma?

Minnesota’s real strength and how they went past the hurdles

Minnesota’s strength is its consistency, with no event dragging them down. Their regional scores hovered around 49.000 per event, solid but not spectacular compared to LSU’s 198.050 or Oklahoma’s 198.450. But floor exercise was a weak spot in the regional final, where they dropped to an 8.100 from one gymnast, forcing them to count lower scores. Will they shore up the floor in time to compete with the best?

Minnesota’s intangibles—grit and team chemistry—could be their secret weapon. Roethlisberger sees echoes of his own Gopher teams: “I just think it’s unique and cool and you see their heart on their sleeve and their willpower when they compete more than.” But he’s not alone because fan boards are lighting up across America, with Gopher faithful chanting for an upset.

After all, the Gophers haven’t won a national title since the NCAA began women’s gymnastics championships in 1982. But they’ve come a long way since then and are building momentum. So with a tough draw ahead of them, can Minnesota channel its underdog spirit into a historic run? The Gophers face long odds against juggernauts like LSU, who boast stars like Aleah Finnegan, or Oklahoma’s depth with Faith Torrez.

Yet, Minnesota’s 2025 campaign has already defied expectations. If they hit their routines like they did in regionals, a top-four finish isn’t out of reach. Will Minnesota shock the gymnastics world and make a run for the podium? We already saw the LSU Tigers have their fairy-tale ending last year with their maiden title win. Can we witness yet another miracle this year? Let’s see.