The 2024-25 NCAA gymnastics season has commenced with remarkable success. Indeed, fans were craving gymnastics action, and the gymnasts made sure that the crowd didn’t feel that all the hype lived for nothing. The stage also proved to be a massive return for Olympians like Jordan Chiles and Jade Carey to the mat, as they haven’t been seen in the sport for a long time post-Olympic Games.

However, despite all the epic performances, fans were left frustrated. Indeed, a minor yet significant error on the part of the organizers has once again left the audience disappointed, and this could potentially pose a significant problem for the sport in the future.

Jordan Chiles and Jade Carey reached the benchmark

Chiles and Carey were part of the “Golden Girls.” Yes, the gymnastics team of the United States was led by none other than Simone Biles at the Paris Olympics. However, they arrived in the 2024-25 NCAA season, and sadly they competed for different universities. Indeed, while Chiles was competing for the No. 10 UCLA Bruins, Carey was with the No. 19 Oregon State Beavers.

However, both of their teams faced a single opponent, the No. 4 California Golden Bears. They are the national runner-up, and any team that goes against them comes under enormous pressure. But how did Jordan Chiles and Jade Carey overcome all the challenges? The former floor exercise bronze medalist, who was stripped of her accolade, maintained a huge consistency in multiple events, which were the vault, bars, and floor. Indeed, Chiles was looking forward to the start of the NCAA season, and she had a point to make out there after all the suffering she went through post-Games.

In the first two events, Chiles put up a dominant 9.9+, and she claimed her vault title. However, she also debuted a new skill on Saturday, as she competed in an intricate tucked vault to a near stick and a 9.90. Indeed, the Olympian’s routines captivated the judges, and she gave them a strong salute before attempting her celebratory roar, showcasing her return to the mat with a powerful performance.

So how did Jade Carey perform? Similarly to Jordan Chiles, there was a ton of pressure on her, but just like an experienced Olympian, she took the challenge like a professional. The five-time NCAA champion swiftly secured the titles for her team in the all-around, beam, and floor. Carey also secured podium positions in the vault and bars events and made her debut with a new skill—a Yurchenko-style vault featuring one and a half twists. Indeed, it was fascinating to watch, as she’s back on form and ready to secure another NCAA title for herself.

Despite the Olympians performing at their peak, their team was unable to maximize their potential. Indeed, both the Bruins and the Beavers struggled a lot, and ultimately the victory went to the Bears at the end of both events. However, this particular season opener proved that these gymnasts are better than ever, and with a strong mindset, they might be in contention for the title in the next few months. While the event was great, many fans were unable to tune in due to broadcasting issues, which immediately caused an uproar among the community.

The gymnastics community is not happy with this

Not being able to watch the return of two respective Olympians on the mat is surely irritating from a fan’s perspective, and they weren’t shy to bring up the issue of the event organizers. As one fan commented, stating, “2025 and teams still can’t provide a stream for a meet. how is the sport ever expected to grow?” Similarly, another fan shared their frustration, stating, “Very disappointed there will be no live stream. This is not growing the sport. Coaches and universities participating in these neutral site events need to start insisting that there be live streaming before committing to participate. Gym fans across the country deserve better!”

Fans had all the right to be disappointed as they missed out on watching Jordan Chiles and Jade Carey’s return to the mat. Indeed, both of them are Olympians and secured a gold medal for the United States in Paris, as they were part of Team USA. However, the community was aware of the controversy that Chiles had gotten herself into, and they were eager to witness her redemption. When there was no broadcasting, the community was left in a state of chaos.

Disappointing, isn’t it? Not able to watch their favorite gymnasts open their NCAA season. One fan stated, “What happened to the days of a good ol’ Facebook or YouTube Live stream (or equivalent) – it seems like it would not be tough.” Another fan was just surprised, stating, “How come?” Another disappointed fan stated, “Beyond ridiculous! These meets should not be agreed to unless a steaming component (at least) is locked in. This is actually embarrassing.”

Even though the 2024-25 NCAA gymnastics season is long, fans deserved to watch the season opener. Indeed, these starting events always set the benchmark for what’s coming next, and they missed out on such a big opportunity to take a glance at the gymnasts.