The University of Minnesota women’s gymnastics team finished fourth at the 2026 NCAA championships on Sunday, marking a “Cinderella story” moment for the team. But, that victory was overshadowed by the team’s criticism of the ESPN broadcast of the meet.
According to Front Office Sports, while ESPN aired 22 of 24 routines by Oklahoma and LSU, only 14 of the Gophers’ 24 routines were aired.
In a post on X, the team said, “Our fans tune in from all over the world to watch and they get shown 60% of our routines. How can we make the National Championship and this happens?”
An ESPN spokesperson answered, saying, “The way in which we present a quad meet has shifted so we can tell the story of the championship as the competition develops.”
Despite Minnesota’s impressive performance, ESPN justified the decision to show less of the Gophers’ routines by saying the broadcast caters to the “casual fans.” Fans online are accusing the media giant of going into a broadcast with a narrative picked out in advance.
This season, Minnesota women’s gymnastics has been aired on Big Ten Network, Big Ten Plus and ESPN+. During each broadcast, every routine was shown.
ABC and ESPN have broadcast the championship meet for the past six seasons, and this year the programming reached 1.7 million viewers, the highest in the event’s history.
ESPN said it “[appreciated] the passion and feedback of the gymnastics community” amidst a “continued commitment” to growing the sport.
