Paris 2024 was historic for the U.S. Men’s Gymnastics in more ways than one. Team USA’s men’s gymnastics won their first Olympic medal in the team event in 16 years and Stephen Nedoroscik also won an individual bronze medal. One would have thought that this would have been enough to boost the sport but when Ohio State University announced last month that they would no longer be able to offer athletic scholarships to men’s gymnastics, Nedoroscik was left heartbroken.

“Ohio State removing athletic scholarships from Men’s Gymnastics. Yet again, another step backwards for MGYM. With the success of current and former NCAA gymnasts at the Olympics you’d think NCAA programs would be excited for the upcoming season, not stripping away opportunities,” he wrote on X on October 3. But the gymnast has something to be happy about. What is it?

ESPN has answered the gymnasts’ calls. The broadcast giant has announced massive changes for next year’s NCAA gymnastics season. In a press release, they announced, “ESPN soars to new heights in its NCAA Gymnastics coverage across ESPN platforms, with 2025 boasting the most programming hours in ESPN history dedicated to flips, full-outs and all-around action. Nearly 100 hours leap across ESPN platforms this winter, and collegiate gymnastics will shine in the spotlight once again with the NCAA National Collegiate Women’s Gymnastics Championships in Fort Worth on broadcast television for the fifth consecutive season.”

“ABC is the home of the 2025 NCAA National Collegiate Women’s Gymnastics Championships, with the Championship Final live on Saturday, April 19, at 4 p.m. ET. The semifinal rounds stick the landing on Thursday, April 17 on ESPN2, with Semifinal I at 4:30 p.m. and Semifinal II at 9 p.m. Thursday. Surround championship coverage will be live on ESPN+ to bring viewers to each apparatus for every second of the action. Also returning this season is streaming coverage of NCAA Regionals on ESPN+, showcasing real-time action of every gymnast and apparatus from regional rounds in Salt Lake City, Utah, Seattle, Wash., Tuscaloosa, Ala., and University Park, Pa.”

“New to ESPN platforms this year is the 2025 NCAA National Collegiate Men’s Gymnastics Championship live from the Crisler Center in Ann Arbor, Mich. The men’s title meet is set for Saturday, April 19, at 6:30 p.m. on ESPN2,” the press release stated. It will be the first time men’s college gymnastics will be featured on an ESPN platform.

It further detailed that “between the regular season, Conference Championship Saturday and comprehensive coverage of all rounds of the NCAA Gymnastics Championship, more than 60 meets featuring teams from the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-12 and SEC will be available across ABC, ESPN2, ESPNU, SEC Network, ACC Network and ESPN+, with additional action on SEC Network+ and ACCNX throughout the season.”

This coverage will start with LSU’s title defense on Jan. 3. Additionally, 2024 national finalists Cal, Utah, and Florida and also the national semifinalists Stanford, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Alabama are all going to have 31 combined appearances on television this winter. But do you know what’s more interesting?

This coverage will have stacked rosters, and that will include multiple Olympians and Olympic alternates. For instance, Jade Carey (Oregon State) and Jordan Chiles (UCLA) will return to collegiate competition and will also welcome Olympic alternates Joscelyn Roberson (Arkansas) and Kaliya Lincoln (LSU).

Further, the Sprouts Farmers Market Collegiate Quad, an ESPN Events-owned invitational will return next year. Then, ESPN2 will host nine regular season matchups in 2025.

Here’s the 2025 (January) schedule: NCAA gymnastics on ESPN platforms:

The entire schedule from January 2025 to April 2025 is available in ESPN’s press release.

Surely, Stephen Nedoroscik would be happy to hear this. After all, he has been vocal about how men’s gymnastics needs support. However, his biggest gesture for gymnastics was on the ‘Dancing With the Stars’ stage.

Stephen Nedoroscik is one of many fighting for men’s gymnastics

In October, the gymnast presented the Argentine Tango on the DWTS stage but also made a statement when he performed the Pommel horse. After the performance, Nedoroscik revealed why he did so. “Well, it wasn’t just my Olympic team. I dedicated it to the whole sport of men’s gymnastics.”

“I wanted to make that a point because the sport itself has been slowly dying throughout, you know, the last couple of decades. And I want to make sure this sport not only is surviving but thriving.”

The gymnast isn’t wrong. Data suggests that back in the 70s, more than 150 universities offered men’s gymnastics programs. Then, in 1981, the NCAA had 59 programs across Division 1 colleges. Today, that number has decreased to just 12, which shows a 79.6% decrease.

Gymternet blog founder Lauren Hopkins had a similarly grim story to tell when she spoke to TODAY. “There are so few opportunities outside of the Olympics and NCAA scholarships that it’s hard to keep kids in the spot,” said Hopkins earlier this year. No wonder today’s gymnastics stars are doing everything they can for the sport. Even Stephen Nedoroscik’s teammate Frederick Richard continues to promote men’s gymnastics on social media.

What started as the gymnast sharing a few clips during the COVID-19 pandemic has turned into a movement to draw eyes to his sport. In an interview with NPR, the Olympic medalist explained how his goal was to help men’s gymnastics become a household sport in the USA. With over 1.5 million followers across social media, the Olympian has done well so far.

However, there are signs that men’s gymnastics can make a strong comeback. The recently concluded second edition of the Gold Over America Tour included Team USA’s men for the first time. During the grand tour of over 30 cities, stars such as Brody Malone, Fred Richard, Yul Moldauer, and others inspired fans across the nation. Now, ESPN is ready to provide a huge boost moving forward.

“I’d love to see this sport do a 180 and start growing popularity in the United States,” Stephen Nedoroscik said while appearing on the Mythical Kitchen. Maybe ESPN helping the sport reach more American households will get the ball rolling. What do you think?