Iowa State University has officially announced the discontinuation of its women’s gymnastics program, a decision made public by Jamie Pollard, the Endowed Cyclone Director of Athletics. In a video statement, Pollard revealed that the program would be replaced by another women’s sport, while ensuring that existing scholarship commitments would be honored. Student-athletes will also be allowed to complete their academic programs at the university.
The decision follows ongoing issues within the gymnastics program, including reported conflicts among student-athletes, coaching staff, and parents. Pollard acknowledged that these challenges contributed significantly to the decision to suspend the season.
Investigation and Evaluation
Over the past few years, Iowa State has conducted independent evaluations of its gymnastics program, specifically in 2018 and again in 2023. The 2023 evaluation resulted in a complete overhaul of the coaching staff, yet Pollard expressed disappointment regarding the program’s inability to provide team members with an experience comparable to other sports at the university.
Pollard stated, “Our continued inability by our department to provide gymnastics team members that same level of experience that the other 17 sports are receiving is disappointing and very concerning.” This prompted him to seek recommendations from his senior leadership team regarding the future of the program.
The leadership team ultimately advised Pollard to discontinue the gymnastics program. Pollard explained, “Our leadership team has recommended to me that we discontinue our women’s gymnastics program and redeploy those resources into another women’s sport that provides equal or maybe even more opportunities for female athletes.”
Support for Student-Athletes
With the discontinuation of the gymnastics program, all coaching staff contracts will not be renewed. The athletics department has committed to supporting student-athletes during this transition, particularly those who wish to enter the NCAA transfer portal or find new opportunities to compete as gymnasts.
Pollard reassured the affected athletes, saying, “We will work with them and the NCAA to try to get back this year of eligibility.” This effort aims to minimize the impact on the student-athletes’ educational and athletic careers following the program’s closure.
The discontinuation of the women’s gymnastics program marks a significant shift for Iowa State University, as it seeks to enhance opportunities for female athletes through the introduction of a new sport.
