Oklahoma Sooners

The No. 1 Oklahoma Sooners earned their 22nd-straight national championship appearance with a dominant win at the Lexington Regional. K.J. Kinder’s squad proved its mettle with a staggering 198.350, led by a perfect 10.0 by senior Faith Torrez.

The Sooners defeated second-place finisher Arkansas by nearly a full point, an indicator of their sustained dominance. With their win, the Sooners helped eliminate No. 8 Missouri and No. 18 Ohio State.

Though the defending national champions lost out on the 2026 SEC Championships, the squad’s depth and consistency continue to lift the young team to the No. 1 national ranking. In Fort Worth, they look to convert their top billing into their program’s eighth national title.

LSU Tigers

The No. 2 LSU Tigers continue to roll, cruising to a sizable win in the Baton Rouge Regional. Though the Tigers looked less sharp than they had in the semifinal round, star sophomore Kailin Chio continued her historic season.

After posting two perfect tens in the semifinal round, Chio added one more on vault to secure her 12th perfect score of 2026. Coupled with the first-career perfect ten for LSU’s Kaliya Lincoln, the Tigers dominated on their home turf last Saturday.

With their win, the Tigers helped eliminate No. 10 Michigan and No. 15 Clemson.

Two weeks from now, Jay Clark’s squad looks to redeem their 2025 championship heartbreak. After winning the program’s first title in 2024, LSU fell short in the 2025 NCAA Semifinal round, missing out on a title defense. One year later, and the squad is hungry for another shot at the podium.

Florida Gators

The Florida Gators have not won the national title since 2015, but 2026 could finally be their year. The Gators dominated the Tempe Regional, posting their fifth-consecutive score of 198+ to eliminate No. 11 Michigan State and No. 16 California.

Senior Selena Harris-Miranda has been instrumental to the team’s recent success, recording a career-high all-around score and posting 9.9s or higher in every event while in Tempe.

Though the Gators have been neck-and-neck with the Sooners and LSU Tigers, no team has been hotter on the mat. Sporting renewed confidence from their dramatic SEC Championship win over Oklahoma and LSU, Jenny Rowland’s team knows they have the talent for the title – they just need to deliver.

UCLA Bruins

Led by senior Jordan Chiles and a handful of talented former elites, the UCLA Bruins also have their eyes on the ultimate prize. In one of the tensest meets of the season, the Bruins prevailed in the Corvallis Regional, securing the top spot and helping eliminate No. 5 Alabama and No. 12 Utah.

Chiles was stellar in Oregon, closing the competition with a perfect ten on the floor exercise. Though the Olympian has three NCAA titles of her own, she and her teammates want the team title. The Bruins finished second to Oklahoma in 2025 and have clinched back-to-back Big Ten Championships.

An NCAA championship would mark the program’s first under Coach Janelle McDonald and first since 2018.

Georgia Bulldogs

After years of struggles, the once-feared Georgia ‘Gymdogs’ are back. With electric wins over No. 11 Michigan State and No. 16 California, the Gymdogs joined the Sooners as qualifiers from the Lexington Regional.

The team punched its first ticket to Fort Worth since 2019, and first in the budding tenure of Cécile Canqueteau-Landi and Ryan Roberts.

With the coaching duo, the team has rebounded from years of decline, reaching a No. 6 national ranking and producing title-worthy results. Though the Bulldogs’ top star, Lilly Smith, was out with an injury, the team’s unprecedented depth and star freshman class led them to glory.

Regardless of their results in Fort Worth, the Bulldogs have guaranteed their strongest national ranking in over seven years.

Stanford Cardinal

In a nail-biting battle with Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) foe Clemson University, the Stanford Cardinal came out on top to return to nationals for the first time since 2024. The Cardinal posted a strong 197.225 to qualify out of the Baton Rouge Regional, finishing just behind the LSU Tigers.

After an uncharacteristically poor beam rotation, the Cardinal roared back on the floor to enter a dead heat with Clemson. Going routine-for-routine, the outcome felt eerily similar to last month’s ACC Championships, where Clemson won in historic fashion. However, this time, the Cardinal turned the tide and took home the win.

The program’s best finish at nationals is fifth (2024), and with multiple Olympians and all-Americans on the roster, Stanford’s potential is staggering.

Arkansas Razorbacks

Head coach Jordyn Wieber and the No. 9 Arkansas Razorbacks are headed back to Fort Worth. Much like the Georgia Bulldogs, the Razorbacks have been surging in 2026, climbing to contention in the stacked Southeastern Conference (SEC).

The Razorbacks edged out No. 8 Missouri by just .225 at the Lexington Regional, eliminating the Tigers and the No. 18 Ohio State Buckeyes. With their win, the squad secured its first NCAA berth since 2024, where they finished seventh.

With world medalist Joscelyn Roberson and transfer student-phenom Morgan Price at the helm, the Razorbacks can never be overlooked.

Minnesota Golden Gophers

No team impressed more last weekend than the No. 13 Minnesota Golden Gophers. Faced with arguably the strongest regional of the year, the Golden Gophers took on perennial powerhouse Utah and No. 5-ranked Alabama in Corvallis – and won.

Finishing just one-tenth off of UCLA, Jenny Hansen’s squad looked unflappable. All the pieces seemed to be falling into place – the international elites, the steady seniors, and the superstar freshman. After a near-perfect effort in Oregon, the Golden Gophers land in Fort Worth for the first time since 2022.

They finished sixth in '22 – can they land on the podium in 2026? Time will tell.

Looking Forward To Fort Worth

The 2026 NCAA Gymnastics Championships will take place on April 16 and 18 at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas. Stay tuned for further coverage as the competition approaches.