The recent changes to NCAA men’s gymnastics have stirred up a lot of debate, and it’s not hard to see why. After Team USA’s men’s gymnastics team won their first Olympic medal in the team event in 16 years, and Stephen Nedoroscik brought home a bronze, you’d think that would push the sport into the spotlight. But just a month later, Ohio State University dropped a bombshell: they could no longer offer athletic scholarships for men’s gymnastics. This hit home for athletes like Nedoroscik, who found themselves heartbroken over the future of their sport. So, what’s behind this shift? Well, it’s all tied to a major change in the NCAA’s competition format for the 2024-2025 season.

The old NCAA setup allowed six athletes per event, with the top six scores counting toward the team’s total—a pretty big deal for giving more gymnasts a chance to shine. But now, it’s down to just four athletes per event, meaning fewer spots and, of course, fewer chances for athletes to earn scholarships. While the NCAA says the goal is to make the sport more TV-friendly, the consequences could be far-reaching. With only 15 programs left and just 9 offering scholarships, it’s clear that gymnastics is already in decline. The new rules could make it worse, especially for smaller programs.

Larger schools will be able to fund up to 20 scholarships, making the competition for spots even tougher and potentially leaving smaller programs struggling to keep up. Back in 2024, Ohio State University decided to remove athletic scholarships from men’s gymnastics due to financial challenges and the growing costs associated with maintaining the program. Stephen Nedoroscik was heartbroken.

Stephen Nedoroscik expressed his disappointment on X on October 3, last year writing, “Ohio State 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.” However, months later, on 11th January 2024,  Nedoroscik received support from coaches!

JD Reive, former Iowa head coach and now at Army, is particularly apprehensive. He believes that the new NCAA format, combined with NCAA-wide roster limits, will increase the disparity between top programs and smaller schools. Reive said, “While [the changes] do have an impact on budgeting and finances, I’m not a firm believer that it really has an impact on saving the sport.” He worries that the increased scholarship opportunities for larger programs would be a luxury that smaller schools simply can’t afford, further deepening the gap.

Mark Williams, head coach at Oklahoma, also has reservations, even though he voted for the proposal. Williams acknowledged that the changes might help struggling programs but noted that the new format could diminish parity within the sport. He said, “We were told from at least one of the struggling programs that it might make a difference if they were traveling less numbers.” Both coaches share concerns that, while well-intentioned, the new system might inadvertently favor wealthier programs, creating more challenges for smaller programs trying to survive. However, some coaches are in favor of the changes, believing they could lead to long-term improvements for the sport.

Coaches disagree with Stephen Nedoroscik’s concerns

Simpson University’s head coach, Emily Barrett Payne believes the current NCAA  change could bring significant benefits, particularly in terms of the sport’s growth and media exposure. They see the new, more TV-friendly format as an opportunity to attract greater attention to men’s gymnastics, which could lead to more opportunities for individual athletes and help create new programs across the country.  But even LSU head coach Jay Clark supports the new changes in NCAA gymnastics!

Clark disagrees with the argument that these changes will only benefit the wealthiest teams, stating, “The argument can be and has been made that it will allow the rich to get richer, and that it will pull from other schools. I don’t see it that way.” Clark believes that talent will go to the places where athletes feel most comfortable, not necessarily for financial gain. He used the example of Chase Brock, a gymnast who chose LSU as a walk-on despite having other options, saying, “Chase Brock has been here as a walk-on just where she wanted to be. She could have gone any number of other places. This is where she wanted to be.”

Clark adds that the abundance of talent in the sport will allow all programs to thrive, asserting, “There’s enough talent out there, I believe, for it to be sustainable for us all.” He believes that these changes will not only help programs like LSU but also create opportunities for other schools to grow and succeed. What do you think about this new NCAA rule change? Do you feel like it will help level the playing field or end up favoring the bigger schools?