History

Gymnastics became the NCAA's fifth national championship sport on April 16, 1938, when the University of Chicago hosted the National Collegiate Gymnastics Championships--and, incidentally, won the first team title.

Participation and attendance were rather limited until the 1960s, when gymnastics began to attract much more interest because of its prominence on telecasts of the Olympics. In 1965, the NCAA began conducting qualifying meets across the country to pare down entries.

By 1968, so many schools were participating in the sport that the College Division (later Division II) championship meet was inaugurated. However, that was discontinued in 1985 and schools from all divisions now compete in a single championship meet.

There was no gymnastics meet from 1943 through 1947.