A shroud of tension has surrounded Selena Harris‘ association with UCLA of late. Despite her Pac-12 Gymnast of The Year title certifying her dominant form on the mat, she had entered the transfer portal earlier this year. This was after fans had also noticed her likes on certain UCLA-related tweets, hinting at some friction. Subsequently, on May 14th, the 20-year-old was officially dismissed by the side after a 2-season tenure. And with no concrete explanations given, many speculated on their strained relations.

Nonetheless, Harris shifted the attention by breaking out a good news recently. Adding a post to her Instagram, she declared her switch to the Florida Gators for the 2025 season. However, the official confirmation by Gators Gymnastics only came in yesterday, June 17th. But as Harris segues into this new phase, her parting lines for her former college appear to have triggered an unsettling response from the fans.

2024’s 4th rankers, the Florida Gators welcome Harris with open arms

Expanding their star-studded lineup of gymnasts, Florida is set to welcome a 12x All-American. Taking to their Instagram handle, the Triple NCAA Champions have announced the addition of the ex-Bruin, Selena Harris. Captioned “Welcome to the sunshine state @selenaharris ☀️,” their recent post confirms the Nevada native’s transfer.

Harris’ decorated repertoire suggests that the Gators have landed a gem. After being the 2023 Pac-12 Freshman and the College Gym News Freshman of The Year, she displayed a similar form this season. She was the 2024 Pac-12 all-around, vault, and bars champion and only minutely missed a clean sweep by ending second on beam and floor.

Therefore, Harris’ swap denotes a promising feat for Gators Gymnastics. And their Head Coach has exhibited a similar sentiment. As per their official website, Coach Jenny Rowland has hailed the gymnastic wunderkind, stating, “Selena not only brings a wealth of talent and experience to our program, but her passion for gymnastics and fierceness for life is undeniable.” 

However, amongst all the merriment, the gymnast’s recent take apparently did not settle well with the gymnastics community. Right below Coach Jenny’s comment, the Gators website quotes Harris ahead of this massive transition. It reads, “I just want to thank everyone for the advice, experience, and life lessons that I’ve learned along the way that have led me to my new destination, so thank you. With that being said, I’m ready to be on a team that will challenge me every day to be my best.” 

Undoubtedly, Harris has seen a remarkable start to her career with UCLA. Thus, despite the long-drawn controversy, her manner of bidding adieu was bluntly mocked by many of the fans.

Fans question Selena Harris’ generic statement

Reacting to a Reddit thread by @r/Gymnastics titled, “Selena Harris officially signed with University of Florida!” fans left multiple comments based on their interpretations of Harris’ aforementioned words. However, there seemed a one-sided gravitation in the reactions as the collective perception questioned Florida’s newest junior.

Most of the fans seemed to be particularly bothered by the last line of Harris’ comment. Pointing that out, one of them stated, “Anyone else getting a tinge of snarkiness at the end? 🥴😬?“ Another one added, “Considering what the apparent issues were I don’t think that last sentence is smart.” They further wished that there should be someone advising the gymnast better.

Nonetheless, not all the fans minced their words. One of them interpreted the comment in the context of the UCLA fiasco and opined, “it’s simply immature.” Another one assumed it was a jibe towards her ex-team and added, “She’s absolutely shading her former teammates which is sad to see.”

Beyond the context, some even questioned the tone of the statement. A fan added, “...It has a tone of “UCLA was complacent with mediocracy and I excelled in spite of them.” Whereas, another fan chimed in with a rather elaborate list of suggestions. They added, “She needs to hire like a publicist or something lol. Now is not the time. I’d be laying low if I were her. It gives ‘I haven’t learned anything’ vibes.”

However, a fan kept Harris out of the purview and questioned the Gators. They added, “I’m actually kinda surprised Florida let the press release go out with that quote that can be easily interpreted as snarky..” That said, what do you think of the fans’ perspective and what’s your take on the issue? Do let us know in the comments below.