MIRAMAR BEACH, Fla. — The 2025 gymnastics season was the first in which the SEC had nine teams, but only eight qualified for the conference championship meet.
Arkansas was the odd team out after finishing ninth in the conference by National Qualifying Score, calculated by taking a team’s top six overall scores — three of which must be away from home — then dropping the top score and averaging the remaining five.
It was the first time in the league’s history that every team did not participate at the conference championship meet, and it was the only conference in which that happened.
Beginning in 2026, however, all SEC gymnastics programs will compete.
“All nine will be invited,” SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey said at the conclusion of the league’s spring meetings Thursday. “Noting just the high level of competition and the impact on some of the score opportunities, it’s important for all of us to compete together.”
The Razorbacks’ NQS was ninth in the league but 16th in the country, meaning a team that did not qualify for its conference tournament was still a national seed in the NCAA postseason.
Arkansas was the only team not competing during conference championship weekend, giving it one less opportunity than every other team to boost its NQS before the NCAA Championships.
The Razorbacks tried to add a meet at Oregon State, which held a final meet against Fisk University because it is the only member of the Pac-12, but the NCAA did not permit Arkansas to add the competition after a request and subsequent appeal.
For 2026 and beyond, there will be an afternoon session of competition with four teams and a night session with the remaining five. A bye rotation will presumably be used for the session with an odd number of teams.
Sankey also announced the league would begin exploring a neutral site to host the SEC softball tournament in 2027 and beyond.