The NCAA introduced women's
gymnastics as a championship sport in
1982. Gymnastics was one of twelve women's sports added to the NCAA championship program for the 1981–82 school year, as the NCAA engaged in battle with the
Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women for sole governance of women's collegiate sports. The AIAW continued to conduct its established championship program in the same twelve (and other) sports; however, after a year of dual women's championships, the NCAA conquered the AIAW and usurped its authority and membership. Under the NCAA, only seven universities have claimed the overall
Division I (pre-1987) or
National Collegiate (1987–present) championship; the
Division II competition was discontinued in 1987. During the early years of competition, the
University of Utah, under the leadership of head coach
Greg Marsden, dominated the field of competition. During the late 1980s and 1990s, the
University of Georgia (UGA), coached by
Suzanne Yoculan, and the
University of Alabama, coached by
Sarah Patterson, gained success and claimed several titles. From 1996 to 2012, the
University of Alabama, the
University of Georgia, and
UCLA, coached by
Valorie Kondos Field, claimed all NCAA titles; four titles for the
University of Alabama, six for
UCLA and seven for the
University of Georgia. The newest edition being LSU joining the exclusive list as the most recent first-time champion in 2024. In 2013, the
University of Florida, coached by
Rhonda Faehn, broke the reign of the prior four teams, winning the NCAA tournament held at
UCLA's newly renovated
Pauley Pavilion in
Los Angeles, California. Faehn was a competitor for the Bruins 1990–1992. The
University of Oklahoma, coached by
K. J. Kindler, became the sixth team to win the NCAA title after tying with Florida in 2014. In 2021, the
University of Michigan, coached by
Bev Plocki, became the seventh team to win the NCAA title. In 2024,
LSU, coached by
Jay Clark, became the eighth team to win the NCAA title. ==Results==