Ohio State’s decision to remove athletic scholarships from men’s gymnastics? A major step back for the sport, and it’s just the latest in a long line of blows. Stephen Nedoroscik, fresh off his tribute performance to male gymnastics on Dancing With the Stars, voiced his frustration on X in October 2024 saying, “Ohio State is removing athletic scholarships from men’s gymnastics. Yet again, another step backwards for MGYM. With the success of current and former NCAA gymnasts at the Olympics, you’d think NCAA programs would be excited for the upcoming season, not stripping away opportunities.” The gymnasts know NCAA gymnastics is in trouble.

Back in 1981, there were 59 men’s Division 1 gymnastics programs in the NCAA. Now, in 2024, that number has plummeted to 12. Yeah, you read that right—12. Ohio State made the heartbreaking announcement to cut the program in October, raising major alarms about the future of the sport. But when Nedoroscik raised his voice, he wasn’t the only one speaking out. The entire U.S. men’s gymnastics team stepped up, including stars like Paul Juda, Shane Wiskus, Yul Moldauer, Frederick Richard, and Brody Malone. They all appeared in a YouTube video for USA Gymnastics, asking for the fans’ help to save their sport. “I’m asking you to help us save NCAA men’s gymnastics,” said Brody Malone. And why should we care?

Well, for starters, gymnastics is a huge part of these athletes’ lives. “I started gymnastics at 4 years old. Then in my whole life I never did another sport,” shared Fred Richard. He’s not the only one—these gymnasts have poured their hearts and souls into the sport, and NCAA gymnastics has been a critical part of their journey. Richard, for instance, competed for the Michigan Wolverines in the 2022–2023 season and finished second on still rings (14.400) and second in the all-around (83.999) at the 2024 NCAA Men’s Gymnastics Championship, helping Michigan snag runner-up in the team competition.

For Shane Wiskus, NCAA gymnastics is where the magic happened. “For me, the NCAA took me from, you know, being quote unquote a boy to a man, and uh, and I couldn’t be more grateful for the program and the coaches and my teammates.” Wiskus, a three-time NCAA champion who represented the U.S. at the 2019 World Championships, knows firsthand how NCAA gymnastics shapes athletes into champions.

Brody Malone, a ten-time NCAA National Champion, made it clear: “There’s a lot of people younger than me that have the same dreams that I do, and the only way that we can make those dreams possible is if we have your support to make more NCAA programs viable and more options to keep the NCAA competitive and continue to have Team USA on the podium at these large world championships and Olympic events.”

So, what can you do to help save NCAA gymnastics? For starters, donate to the sustainability and growth of NCAA Men’s Gymnastics at usagymfoundation.org—they’re the ones raising funds to keep the sport alive. The gymnasts are doing their part by speaking out, but they need the fans’ support more than ever. This video was a major step in getting the message out there, and you can bet fans of these athletes are already listening. It adds to the continuous fight athletes like Stephen Nedoroscik and Fred Richard have been tirelessly reiterating

Fred Richard and Stephen Nedoroscik have previously spoken about gymnastics’ dwindling popularity

Two key members of the U.S. men’s gymnastics team that snagged bronze at the Paris Olympics, Fred Richard and Stephen Nedoroscik, are raising red flags about the sport’s shaky future. Fred laid it out during an interview with Cleveland Magazine, pointing out the glaring disparity between women’s and men’s gymnastics in terms of attention and development. While the women dominate headlines with their consistent triumphs, the men’s side is still finding its footing.

The numbers speak volumes—of the 138,000 women and girls registered with USA Gymnastics, only about 12,000 are men and boys. “Most males aren’t choosing gymnastics when they first choose a sport,” Fred admitted. And let’s face it, when basketball and football dominate the scene, gymnastics often gets sidelined.

Meanwhile, Stephen Nedoroscik isn’t holding back, especially after Ohio State’s decision to cut scholarships for men’s gymnastics. He first voiced his frustration online, slamming the NCAA for shrinking opportunities rather than capitalizing on the team’s Olympic bronze as a chance to grow the sport. “Since like the 1980s, NCAA programs have been dropping, dropping, drop and drop. Even like recent days, like Ohio State just cut their scholarships,” he shared during an appearance on Mythical Kitchen with Josh Scherer.

Ohio State’s move stings even more considering its legacy—three national titles and fifteen Big Ten titles. Stephen sees this as a glaring sign of the sport’s decline. Yet, despite his disappointment, he’s not giving up hope. “My biggest thing is I’d love to see this sport do a 180 and start growing popularity in the United States.”

He even stated, “Like I got DMs and phone calls about these club programs that are like getting more little kids to join than they’ve ever seen. So like that made me so happy, but it feels like the NCAA specifically just isn’t doing their part of keeping these programs funded and alive,” he said, sharing his excitement about club programs attracting more kids. But he also pointed a finger at the NCAA for failing to fund and sustain collegiate gymnastics programs.

The future feels uncertain, but as Stephen Nedoroscik and Fred Richard continue to speak out, they’re not just spotlighting the issues—they’re fighting for solutions. Will the NCAA step up and help the sport thrive, or will men’s gymnastics face an even steeper uphill climb? Stay tuned.