CGA Reacts to the Dropping of Men’s Gymnastics and Three Other Sports at the University of Iowa

Iowa Men’s Gymnastics team after winning Big Ten Regular Season Championships - 2019.

Photo: Morgan Engel

The announcement on Friday, August 21st that the University of Iowa was dropping men’s gymnastics, men’s tennis, and men’s and women’s swimming and diving was met with disbelief and shock as the impact of COVID-19 continues to be felt in the Big Ten Conference. The CGA sends its heartfelt condolences to those impacted directly by the elimination of these sports. The devastating impact it has left on all the student-athletes, coaches, and the various staff members associated with these four programs has to be earth shattering and our thoughts are with you all. 

The impact this will have on NCAA Collegiate Men’s Gymnastics could be profound. The financial implications from COVID-19 are obvious in their scope. However, eliminating opportunities for some of the brightest and best student-athletes on campus seems short sighted. The coaches of the CGA have been meeting to discuss ways to reduce our financial footprints in our athletic departments. Creative solutions of cost reductions and fund-raising efforts need to ramp up in an accelerated fashion to save the remaining programs. Discussions are ongoing with various NCAA legislative initiatives and a collegiate gymnastics sustainability committee is in its final stages of being assembled, spearheaded by the USOPC.

We have come to a crossroads in college athletics and our hope is that we can mobilize the entire gymnastics community to provide a unified message followed by a unified effort to fight the challenges we are facing.