In NCAA gymnastics, the scrutiny that the judges face is quite common. These precise scores determine rankings and postseason fates and are always open to debate among the fans. And this particular friction has emerged again in the community following the Oklahoma Sooners’ latest victory.

The NCAA program’s win over no. 5 Georgia GymDogs was overshadowed by a specific judging decision on bars. On X, @sightlessjudges posted video evidence questioning a score for Sooner gymnast Lily Pederson. “Hold up. Pederson 9.8? Feet FULL ON touched the mat. This can’t be real,” the social media post read. “9.725 originally, changed to a 9.8.”

This incredible 198.425-196.875 victory for the Oklahoma Sooners also made them the first team to hit the 198-plus mark this season. The NCAA team is now 4-0-1 on the season and 2-0 in SEC action. First of all, the Sooners gave their best performance and secured the season’s best score on the floor, 49.650 points. It was led by freshman Kamila Pawlak, who scored 9.950, alongside Ella Murphy, who had the same score.

However, in addition to recovering from their past losses on the floor, the team’s performance on the bars was noteworthy. Senior Faith Torrez claimed the top of the charts with a 9.875, and Lily Pederson added a 9.825, securing the second spot. These performances also gave the team a 99.100-98.700 at the halfway point.

So, following this win, the Sooners will be looking forward to their trip to Lexington, where they will be facing the Wildcats on January 31. However, the fans are still in disbelief with Pederson’s bar score.

The fans aren’t happy with the NCAA judges

“I love the depth we have. Keira (Wells), Kelsey (Slade), they could’ve gone in a heartbeat and would’ve been really close to those scores as well. We’re really just building an army here, and I love that we have nine, ten, available on those events,” head coach KJ Kindler said, following the Oklahoma Sooners’ victory. However, the controversy around the judges has already clouded this victory on social media.

“Dear NCAA judges, please take appropriate deductions no matter the color of leotard. Y’all need to explain how Lily Pederson(no hate to her) she got awarded a 9.825 on bars when she fell out of her low to high bar transition & literally tapped her feet on the floor. 😤” This fan expressed their frustration. Similarly, another fan wrote, “But how did Lily Pederson get a 9.8 with her feet touching the floor.”

The NCAA judging has been a hot topic for a while now. Just a few days ago, the Big Ten gymnastics season opener on January 17, 2026, between Ohio State and Rutgers, saw another controversy. While it wasn’t big, Ohio State head coach Meredith Paulicivic questioned the judging, saying, “My group looks OK. I’m a little bit severely disappointed in the judging today. I think this is a real problem with what’s going on in the country.”

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She continued, “There’s been several meets, and the deductions today are just… I can’t even explain them to my athletes. So I’m a little frustrated with the judging. I think my team’s doing well. We had last-minute changes to lineouts, and I think they’re handling that stuff well.” Such instances surely puts the NCAA in badlight.

This new fan conveyed their thoughts on this situation, saying, “New to gymnastics and rooting for Mizzou.  But so far based off of the scores I’ve seen, it seems like it is the most blatantly corrupt sport in the NCAA to my casual eye.” Another frustrated fan said, “I’m so f***g serious, FIRE these judges, take their judging licenses away, this is just inexcusable.”

Questioning the judges, this comment read, “This isn’t just a light brush genuinely how do you ‘miss it’ 😭😭” The uproar surely presents the judging issue in the big picture. While the points may seem very small in difference, such margins can determine championships, and it can eventually affect multiple careers.