GymCastic: The Gymnastics Podcast

Minnesota forced the favorites to hit and made the NCAA team final, Oklahoma looked like the clear title favorite, Faith Torres won the all-around, and Jordan Chiles finished her NCAA career with another floor title. We break down both semifinals, the event champions, the teams moving on, and the biggest judging and podium storylines from Fort Worth. Then in the members-only Behind The Scenes portion, we get into the arena shennanigans, Oklahoma podium-training injury news, DJ choices, puppies, and all the weird little details you didn't see on the broadcast.
GymCastic Live: Featuring Chae Campbell
at NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS (APRIL 17) — streaming and in-person → Get tickets here
MEMBERS-ONLY BEHIND THE SCENES:
This episode also includes a Behind The Scenes section for Club Gym Nerd members, with extra reporting from the arena including the Oklahoma podium training injury discussion, LSU's arena music moment, the fan fest, puppies, and other live-show chaos you didn't see on TV.

Join Club Gym Nerd:
https://gymcastic.com/join-the-club/
CHAPTERS
00:00 – Teams Advance to the NCAA Final
00:40 – Event Champions: Faith Torres, Kira Wells, Riley McCusker, Brooklyn Roray, Jordan Chiles
02:23 – Live Show Preview with Chae Campbell
03:54 – Minnesota Breaks Through in Semifinal Two
06:37 – UCLA Misses Its Chance on Vault
08:15 – Jordan Chiles' Bars Fall and Floor Title Redemption
10:45 – Arkansas Falls Short
12:18 – Oklahoma Dominates the Day
12:45 – Faith Torres Wins the All-Around
14:17 – Oklahoma Injury / Lineup / Podium Questions
16:29 – End of Public Show
16:53 – Members Only: BTS Begins
17:39 – LSU Arena Music Discussion
18:38 – Oklahoma Gymnast Injury in Podium Training
20:31 – Recovery, Catsuits, and Arena Noise
24:20 – Semifinal One Vault Debate: Kaliya Lincoln vs Kailin Chio
28:37 – Why NCAA Judging Drives Everyone Insane
32:08 – Chio's Recovery and LSU Team Mentality
35:03 – Florida and LSU Advance, Georgia Misses Its Opening
38:35 – JaFree Scott's Beam Miracle
42:05 – What Florida and LSU Need to Do for the Final
45:36 – Can Minnesota Beat LSU?
47:26 – UCLA's Underperformance and Jordan's Beam Response
50:27 – Proposed Beam Rule Changes
52:25 – FanFest, Food Trucks, and NCAA Atmosphere
54:43 – Event Winners and All-Around Follow-Up
57:16 – Maggie Slife and the Air Force Story
59:38 – Puppies, Fan Experience, and More BTS
01:01:41 – Event Specialists: Vault, Bars, Beam, Floor
01:04:25 – Is Podium Good or Bad for Nationals?

Live show tickets 
https://gymcastic.com/

More from GymCastic:
https://gymcastic.com/

GymCastic Live: Featuring Chae Campbell at NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS (APRIL 17) — in person and streaming tickets are limited
 → Get tickets here
CHAPTERS
00:00 – Cold Open: Etsy Witch & Breaking the Curse
00:36 – Live Show Announcement + ChaeCampbell Guest
02:17 – Headlines: Fisk Documentary + HBCU Impact
02:55 – Black Monday Coaching Updates (BYU, Utah, MSU)
04:48 – Kerri Strug Biopic Drama + Casting Fallout
06:30 – NCAA Nationals Format Explained (Semis + Finals)
08:38 – What "Winning" Actually Means at Nationals
11:26 – Florida: No More Excuses (Title or Bust)
14:34 – The Etsy Witch Ritual Explained
18:23 – Oklahoma: Why They'll Probably Win Again
22:00 – LSU: Contender or Chaos Candidate?
26:51 – UCLA: Jordan Chiles + Floor Magic Factor
32:22 – Georgia: The Ultimate Spoiler Team
36:31 – Stanford: Cinderella with Real Upside
40:49 – Arkansas: Program History Already Made
42:21 – Minnesota: The Surprise Team That Delivered
45:31 – Individual Title Contenders (AA, Events)
47:52 – Dark Horse: Avery Neff for All-Around Title?
53:15 – Event Finals Breakdown (Vault, Bars, Beam, Floor)
01:02:05 – Judging Accountability Crisis
01:07:01 – NCAA Response + Lack of Transparency
01:10:04 – Why Oversight Matters (Big Picture)
01:12:37 – Listener Question: Bracket Draw Fairness
HEADLINES
More NCAA coaching changes BYU parts ways with long-time head coach Guard Young
Michigan State and Utah both extend contracts to current head coaches

The Kerri Strug biopic is dead after Millie Bobby Brown left the project due to creative differences with the producers
Check out the new BET documentary series, "Flipped," following Fisk Gymnastics
NCAA Nationals: The Crystal Brawl
What does the schedule look like? Thursday, April 16: semifinals
Friday, April 17: Live show
Saturday, April 18: Finals

What does victory look like? What teams are expected to win?
What teams have already achieved a victory by getting to Nationals?

Group 1: The Championship Title Picks No pressure, but Florida, you should win
Oklahoma, are you really going to let people who aren't even on their highest toe beat you??

Group 2: Wildcards Can LSU lock in again after last year's disappointing semifinal elimination?
Why UCLA could win the title

Group 3: Spoiler teams The pressure of the death of Georgia gymnastics is off. What can Georgia do at its first Nationals run since 2019?
Stanford is out here making its second Nationals appearence in the last decade

Group 4: The Nothing to Lose Group This is already going to be a top 4 result in team history for Arkansas
Minnesota already busted your bracket at Regionals, what more can they do here?

Judging Accountability Crisis
Greg Marsden's comments about our NCAA Judging episode
How are judges chosen for NCAAs? 
UP NEXT
Listen to post-Regionals College & Cocktails with Reema
Behind The Scenes starts up again after NCAA Championships
NCAA Episodes: After Day One of NCAA Championships at 9pm CT
GymCastic Live Featuring Chae Campbell 7pm CT, Friday April 17th
After NCAA Finals Saturday

SUPPORT OUR WORK
Club Gym Nerd: Join Here
Merch: Shop Now
Fantasy: 2026 College Fantasy Game now open with weekly winners
Games 
Podcast Tour Tickets
Newsletters
The Balance Beam Situation: Spencer's GIF Code of Points
Gymnastics History and Code of Points Archive from Uncle Tim
Resistance Resources

Minnesota shocks the field, Utah misses nationals, and Oklahoma reveals its final boss mode. We break down every NCAA Regional—upsets, judging drama, coaching shakeups, and the real reason sticks aren't contagious.
 LIVE SHOW: NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS (APRIL 17) — tickets are limited → Get tickets here
CHAPTERS
00:00 – Cold Open: Are Sticks Contagious? The Data Says No
00:19 – NCAA Championship Teams Set + Fort Worth Preview
00:50 – Show Intro + Spencer Survives Regionals Weekend
01:10 – GymCastic Live Show Details + Past Guests
02:35 – BREAKING: Auburn Head Coach Out After 16 Seasons
03:38 – Who's Next? Coaching Carousel Speculation (Utah, Kentucky)
05:05 – Equipment Fail: Floor Out-of-Bounds Set Wrong
06:24 – Regionals Results: Who Advanced & Biggest Upsets
07:17 – Minnesota Stuns: Eliminates Alabama & Utah
08:21 – Stanford Survives + Arkansas Over Missouri
09:09 – Judging Controversy Returns + Oversight Debate
11:18 – Iowa State Fallout: Athletes Transfer En Masse
12:16 – Romania Abuse Investigation Stalls
12:41 – Club Gym Nerd + NCAA Bonus Content Preview
13:12 – Deep Dive Begins: Minnesota's Breakthrough Strategy
15:53 – Alabama's Vault Lineup Cost Them Nationals
18:29 – Rotation Strategy + Why Vault Hurt Utah
20:51 – Sticks vs Steps: How Landings Decided Regionals
22:53 – Celebration Chaos + Teams Party Together
24:13 – Sticker Strategy Theory (Yes, Really)
24:49 – Biggest Lesson: Stick Celebrations Causing Deductions
27:06 – Rules Myth Busted: It's NOT a 3-Second Hold
29:36 – Biggest "Almost" Upset: Clemson Nearly Advances
31:48 – Clemson's Rise + Coaching Impact
32:22 – Arkansas vs Missouri: Margins & Landings
34:10 – Most Exciting Semifinal: Ohio State Upsets Kentucky
35:07 – Beam Pressure & Clutch Performances
37:25 – Rutgers Turnaround Story
40:11 – Iowa's "Valiant Loss" + Orally Tran's 10
42:00 – What We Learned: Oklahoma Still Holding Back
44:25 – Routine Construction: Why Leaps Matter More Than Ever
46:08 – Listener Research: Sticks Are NOT Contagious
50:01 – Broadcast Review: What Worked & What Didn't
53:20 – Judging Confusion Exposed On-Air
55:08 – Production Issues: Camera Angles & Coverage Problems
56:42 – Why Regionals NEED to Be on TV
58:01 – Missing Individual Standings Coverage
01:00:21 – Regional 10.0s Breakdown + Controversies
01:02:19 – Standout Skills & Moments (Van Frayen, Beam Work)
01:03:45 – Injury Moment: Chesney Bennett Finishes Routine
01:06:21 – NCAA Rule Advantage: Injury Evaluation Period
01:10:58 – Oregon Regional: Individual Qualifiers Breakdown
01:12:39 – Arizona State Regional: Michigan State Dominates Individuals
01:15:47 – LSU Regional: Clemson, Stanford & Key Storylines
01:19:57 – Kentucky Regional: Ohio State Upset + Qualifiers
01:22:20 – NCAA Championship Predictions
01:24:45 – Final Four Debate: Florida vs Oklahoma vs Field
01:28:13 – Gymternet News: Romania, Canada, Cornell Donation
UP NEXT
Listen to post-Regionals College & Cocktails with Reema
Behind the Scenes: Friday, April 10 at 12 pm PT
SUPPORT OUR WORK
Club Gym Nerd: Join Here
Merch: Shop Now
Fantasy: 2026 College Fantasy Game now open with weekly winners
Games 
Podcast Tour Tickets
Newsletters
The Balance Beam Situation: Spencer's GIF Code of Points
Gymnastics History and Code of Points Archive from Uncle Tim
Resistance Resources

Welcome to The Original College Gymnastics Post-Meet Show!
We'll start around 7pm PT after the Florida, Georgia, Cal, MSU Regional Final at Arizona (full schedule and links here) with a very special guest, Reema Zakharia! This is the weekly Q&A show, where we answer your questions live. Here's how to ask questions live. Can't make it live? Add Club bonus episodes to your favorite podcast player (instructions here). 
Not a member? Join here to listen to the full epsiode. Log in here, refresh the page and the extended player will appear below. 
 LIVE SHOW: NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS (APRIL 17) — in-person and livestream tickets are limited → Get tickets here
CHAPTERS
00:00 – Intro: College & Cocktails + Guest Rima Zachariah
02:30 – Georgia Ends 7-Year Nationals Drought
08:15 – Regionals Pressure: What It's Really Like Competing
14:00 – Nationals Qualifiers: LSU, Florida, Stanford, Georgia
18:45 – Stanford vs Clemson: Fair Result or Robbery?
24:30 – Judging Controversies & Score Inconsistencies
31:00 – Equipment Issues: Vault Height Error + Setup Problems
36:20 – Beam Wobbles, Floor Chaos & Scoring Debates
43:10 – Injury Scare: Connor's Bars Fall Explained
49:00 – Leaps, Form & "Just Do Better" NCAA Rant
55:30 – Broadcast Breakdown: Rules Analyst Controversy
01:02:00 – Rest vs Strategy: Why Stars Aren't Doing All-Around
01:07:30 – Kaliya Lincoln's Perfect 10 & NCAA Standouts
01:11:30 – Team Culture, Coaching & Mental Pressure
01:16:30 – Live Meet Experience & Fan Stories
01:20:00 – LA Olympics Ticket Drama + Pricing Shock
SUPPORT OUR WORK
Club Gym Nerd: Join Here
Merch: Shop Now

The judges association continues to block attempts at transparency and accountability. Florida, UCLA, Utah, LSU, Oklahoma and the rest of the NCAA field are heading into Regionals with huge questions around judging, qualification, and who can actually make nationals. We discuss the latest judging response, preview the biggest Regionals debates, and interview Ireland's Emma Slevin about NCAA, elite gymnastics, and her Olympic plans.
LIVE SHOW: NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS (APRIL — LIMITED TICKETS) The only place to hear what's NEVER said on the podcast. Get your tickets now before it sells out: https://gymcastic.com/gymcastic-live-at-the-2026-ncaa-championships/
INTERVIEW
Emma Slevin of Minnesota and Ireland on:
- Gymnastics Ireland's pathway system
- Why she chose NCAA gymnastics
- Adjusting from elite to college gymnastics
- Whether FIG should allow safety mats
- Her future goals in NCAA and elite
REGIONALS DEBATE CLUB
- Is Utah in real danger of missing nationals?
- Is Florida the national title favorite?
- Is home advantage actually bad for LSU?
- Is SEC dominance real or overhyped?
- Which individuals must qualify to nationals?
GYMTERNET NEWS
- Rebeca Andrade plans to return in 2026
- Iowa State transfer news
- All-Americans released
- Fisk competed its final meet
- SafeSport and abuse case updates
- Simone Biles opens a restaurant at Houston airport
CHAPTERS
00:00 Cold Open: FIG Rules and Mats Debate
00:32 Intro: Emma Slevin, Judging Response and Regionals
01:38 Judges Respond to Interview
10:49 Jesolo Highlights
14:06 Emma Slevin Interview
30:47 Live Show, Fantasy and Updates
33:30 Regionals Debate Club
35:13 Oregon State Regional: Utah in Trouble?
45:36 Arizona State Regional: Is Florida the Favorite?
56:01 LSU Regional Debate
1:08:26 Kentucky Regional Debate
1:14:39 Must-Watch Individual Qualifiers
1:20:17 Gymternet News
1:26:49 Outro
Join Club Gym Nerd:
https://gymcastic.com/join-the-club/
Fantasy and Weekly Games:
https://gymcastic.com
Merch:
https://store.gymcastic.com/
Support the show:
https://gymcastic.com/join-the-club/