Men’s NCAA Gymnastics; Back in Growth Mode
A brighter future is coming for Men’s NCAA Gymnastics. In response to the announcements of key programs being dropped, the College Gymnastics Association launched the Stronger Together Campaign in September of 2020 in an effort to save those being threatened. USA Gymnastics also stepped up, launching a search for a Collegiate Development Director to focus all of their attention on saving Men’s NCAA Gymnastics.
Enter the PICTOR Group, hired by USAG to fill the role of expert advocate for the sport at the NCAA level. Their goal has been, and is, simple in writing: grow the sport and work toward a future where it flourishes. As the gymnastics community knows, this is much harder to accomplish in practice. Sandy Hatfield Clubb and John Robinson set off to work on what no one else has been able to successfully do; navigate the NCAA landscape, sustain the programs that still exist, and find growth opportunities across all three of the divisions.
Clubb and Robinson utilized data to find schools that could potentially meet the challenging criteria of launching a new sport. The list of questions that need answers is seemingly endless. How will they fund the program? What are the Title IX considerations? How will they recruit successfully? And on and on. Data coupled with insights from coaches across the country, Jason Woodnick and Brett McClure from USAG, and the USOC, allowed the PICTOR Group to compile a list of schools where the unthinkable just may be able to happen.
Olympic Trials in St. Louis provided the first opportunity to strike. A carefully selected list of Athletic Directors located within the general vicinity of the competition were invited to see what gymnastics had to offer at the highest level. They were not disappointed as they witnessed the selection of five olympians, all current or former NCAA athletes. One of the schools in attendance? Greenville University.
As was announced at the beginning of this month, Greenville University added Men’s Gymnastics as an NCAA sport, marking the first program being added in sixty years. How do you instill confidence in an Athletic Department that they can afford building out a complex to support gymnastics and manage the recurring costs yearly? Clubb and Robinson are constantly trying to find innovative solutions to this question. In this case, Greenville University will utilize an operating model where the facility doubles as a club gym, adding an additional revenue stream for the school. Additionally, partnerships with industry leaders AAI Equipment, DGS, and TURN Gymnastics along with the aforementioned Stronger Together Campaign, go a long way towards making this additional program financially feasible.
Already, 2021 has brought the reinstatement of the William & Mary program, as well as the addition of Greenville, and there is more in the pipeline. Another new program is in the works and the school is coming very close to making a final decision. They are hoping to have athletes on campus in the fall of 2022 and begin competition in the 2023 season.
After years of bad news, the tide is finally turning for the Men's NCAA Gymnastics Community. Sustaining the great programs that already exist as well as building new ones is vital in order to continue providing opportunities to athletes at the NCAA level.
How can you help? Donations to the Stronger Together Campaign go a long way. Additionally, reach out to John Robinson or Sandy Hatfield Clubb with any potential insights or leads you may have. Every little bit goes a long way towards building a future where Men’s NCAA Gymnastics not only exists, but thrives.