College Sports
Fisk University To End Historic HBCU Gymnastics Program In 2026 – Essence
Photo by Stew Milne/Getty Images Fisk University, the first historically Black college or university (HBCU) to launch a collegiate gymnastics team, has announced it will discontinue the program after the 2025-2026 academic year. The Nashville-based university shared the news in a press release on June 6, stating the decision follows a review of how the […]


Fisk University, the first historically Black college or university (HBCU) to launch a collegiate gymnastics team, has announced it will discontinue the program after the 2025-2026 academic year.
The Nashville-based university shared the news in a press release on June 6, stating the decision follows a review of how the sport aligns with Fisk’s broader athletic goals. Since gymnastics is not sanctioned by the HBCU Athletic Conference (HBCUAC), the program faced “considerable challenges to schedule competitions and build a robust recruiting pipeline,” according to the university.
Fisk Athletics Director Valencia Jordan said in the release, “While we are tremendously proud of the history our gymnastics team has made in just three years, we look forward to focusing on our conference-affiliated teams to strengthen our impact in the HBCU Athletic Conference. Fisk is grateful for the hard work, dedication and tenacity of its gymnasts, staff members and coaches who made this program possible.”
The program launched in January 2023 and quickly became a powerful symbol of representation for Black girls in a sport where diversity has long been lacking. Despite its short run, the team made a national impact. Gymnast Morgan Price, who recently transferred from Fisk to the University of Arkansas, made history in 2024 as the first athlete from an HBCU to win the all-around title at the USA Gymnastics Women’s Collegiate National Championships. She defended her title in 2025 and swept individual apparatus events that year, according to The Tennessean.
“It feels good because of the hard work that has been put in,” Price said in a Fisk press release in 2024. “Honestly, I didn’t know where I would place, but it was a pleasant surprise. I have heard from a lot of people so far. I am still trying to take all this in.”
Price, along with teammates Allie Berkley, Aliyah Reed-Hammon and Ciniah Rosby, earned first-team All-American honors for the 2025 season.
However, behind the scenes, the program struggled. The team dealt with resource limitations for training and travel,according to Sports Illustrated. Founding head coach Corrine Tarver left midseason in 2024 and is expected to take a new position on the East Coast.
The news comes at a time when HBCU gymnastics remains fragile. Talladega College shut down its program after one season. Wilberforce University debuted its team in 2025, marking only the third gymnastics program at an HBCU.
Fisk says it plans to support its student-athletes and staff during the transition and will celebrate the program’s accomplishments throughout the 2025-2026 season.
While the team’s run may be coming to an end, its legacy lives on. For Black girls who saw themselves in the sport for the first time, Fisk gymnastics showed what was possible. It also raised questions about sustainability, funding and long-term investment in programs that break barriers. With its founding athletes expected to graduate in 2026, the team leaves behind more than trophies; it leaves behind a blueprint and a community that saw their reflection on the mat.