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The Iowa State women’s gymnastics program has been discontinued. The Iowa State Athletics Department announced the news Tuesday, just weeks after the team’s 2026 season was prematurely canceled due to safety concerns. A letter from Athletics Director Jamie Pollard to student-athletes and families, obtained by KCCI, indicated internal conflicts between teammates and coaching staff members led to “unreconcilable differences” that prevented the team from competing and practicing.The Cyclones were 2-8 this season and had six meets remaining on the schedule. Those included contests against Western Michigan on Feb. 13, Arizona State on Feb. 22, Arizona on Feb. 27, BYU on March 6 and Iowa on March 13, as well as the Big 12 Gymnastics Championships on March 21.In the announcement discontinuing the program, Iowa State says scholarships for current members of the team will be honored while those students complete their degrees. They will also be able to transfer to other schools to continue their gymnastics careers.”Our department will also work with the NCAA on waivers for impacted to student-athletes to receive an additional year of competition since ISU’s 2025-26 season was cancelled after four competitions,” the announcement reads.Iowa State’s athletic department plans to replace women’s gymnastics with another sport “that provides equal or additional participation opportunities for women.”Iowa State has not discontinued an athletics program since 2001, when men’s swimming and diving and baseball were both discontinued.Pollard released a video explaining the decision to discontinue the gymnastics program. You can watch that here:
The Iowa State women’s gymnastics program has been discontinued.
The Iowa State Athletics Department announced the news Tuesday, just weeks after the team’s 2026 season was prematurely canceled due to safety concerns. A letter from Athletics Director Jamie Pollard to student-athletes and families, obtained by KCCI, indicated internal conflicts between teammates and coaching staff members led to “unreconcilable differences” that prevented the team from competing and practicing.
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The Cyclones were 2-8 this season and had six meets remaining on the schedule. Those included contests against Western Michigan on Feb. 13, Arizona State on Feb. 22, Arizona on Feb. 27, BYU on March 6 and Iowa on March 13, as well as the Big 12 Gymnastics Championships on March 21.
In the announcement discontinuing the program, Iowa State says scholarships for current members of the team will be honored while those students complete their degrees. They will also be able to transfer to other schools to continue their gymnastics careers.
“Our department will also work with the NCAA on waivers for impacted to student-athletes to receive an additional year of competition since ISU’s 2025-26 season was cancelled after four competitions,” the announcement reads.
Iowa State’s athletic department plans to replace women’s gymnastics with another sport “that provides equal or additional participation opportunities for women.”
Iowa State has not discontinued an athletics program since 2001, when men’s swimming and diving and baseball were both discontinued.
Pollard released a video explaining the decision to discontinue the gymnastics program. You can watch that here:
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