It's September. The Olympics have ended, and many new gymnastics fans are probably wondering where and when they can get their next gymnastics fix. The good news is you don't have to wait too long -- before you know it, NCAA season will be upon us.

Some of the best gymnasts in the U.S. compete collegiately, and once you start watching, you'll soon find yourself immersed in the fun and competitiveness of the sport. Below, we listed the top 10 reasons to become a fan of NCAA gymnastics, if you aren't one already.

1. See familiar faces

As we mentioned, many of the world's top gymnasts compete in the NCAA. Former elite gymnasts, including former Olympians, go on to college and compete. You may recognize the names Kyla Ross and Madison Kocian, who will start as freshmen at UCLA this year, or Elizabeth Price, the 2012 Olympic alternate entering her junior year at Stanford, or Sarah Finnegan, another 2012 alternate going into her sophomore year at LSU. The list goes on and on, but watching NCAA gymnastics is a great way to continue following these fantastic athletes.

2. Watch the rise of new stars

There's a long list of former elites in the NCAA, but there are also some incredible athletes who have really found their footing while competing in college. You may not recognize the name Ashleigh Gnat from the elite stage, but this LSU gymnast is one of the top college gymnasts -- she scored multiple perfect 10.0s last year on vault and floor! The same goes for Oklahoma's Chayse Capps, who helped lead the team to a championship title last season.

3. Witness some of the best execution out there

Collegiate gymnastics emphasizes execution over difficulty. It's all about pointed toes and stuck landings, and it makes for some beautiful gymnastics. You won't see many gymnasts stumble through a difficult skill just to get a higher score -- there's no reward in that. Because NCAA works off the 10.0 system, gymnasts work hard for flawless execution.

4. You'll still see difficult skills being thrown

That's not to say that the level of gymnastics is simple -- collegiate gymnasts are still performing tough skills. You'll still see elements like a double twisting Yurchenko on vault, a double layout and triple full on floor, and a Khorkina on bars. There is value in performing unique routines in NCAA, and so you'll come across lots of different skills and combinations from each gymnast, as well as different flavors from each team.

5. You won't be starved for competitions to watch

In the elite world, we don't get to see gymnasts compete as often as we might like. Competitions are sometimes months apart. Fortunately, the NCAA is the exact opposite. Teams compete almost every weekend once the season gets underway in January, and they compete all the way until championships in April. Plus, so many teams competing across the various conferences that there will be times you need to figure out how to watch multiple meets at once -- a nice problem for a gym fan to have.

6. Floor exercise just got even more fun

Floor is a fun event for a spectator, and it's the best in NCAA. Collegiate gymnasts have more time in their routines to add dance elements. We're not just talking leaps and turns -- they get to incorporate some really unique choreography and showcase their personalities. No doubt, you've probably come across some of the viral routines over the years from the likes of Lloimincia Hall and Sophina DeJesus, but there's way more where those came from. Check out Denver's Nina McGee last year with one of her 10.0 routines.

Video via Denver Pioneers

7. Finally, a fantasy sports league you can get on board with

No need to feel jealous anymore when your friends are having fun playing fantasy football. There's a fantasy gymnastics competition over at www.collegefantasygymnastics.com for NCAA fans. At this site, you draft a team at the beginning and can trade gymnasts over the course of the season and compete within your conference. It makes the sport that much more fun to watch as you root for the gymnasts on your team.

8. Become an expert at lineup speculation

If you choose to do fantasy gym, or even if you don't, you'll start to understand how lineups are selected and become a strategist on your own. Different teams have different strategies for how they select their lineups on each event, and it's fascinating to see how each coach manages it. It's especially fun to look at each team at the start of season to see how they fill the departed seniors' spots on each apparatus.

9. The leo game is strong

We all get excited to see new leos during any competition, and NCAA is no different. The big teams have new leotards for each meet, and many times the gymnasts themselves help to pick out designs and patterns. The teams all have different styles, and it's fun to see what new designs come out each season.

10. There's nothing like cheering on your team

We all love cheering for Team USA during the World Championships and Olympic Games. It's just as fun to cheer on a college team that you've become a fan of. And, of course, you can be a fan of multiple teams. There's nothing like finding a team you love to cheer on throughout the season while hoping they make it to the NCAA Championships.


You'll likely come across some sneak peaks of what the college teams are up to in the next few months as they ramp up training for the start of the season in January. Be sure to continue following FloGymnastics for the latest updates.