It all comes down to this. Utah, Oklahoma, LSU and Florida compete today for the 2023 national championship from the Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas.
The semifinals provided all the drama and could be a precursor to what we could see in the championship. Jordan Chiles and Malie O’Keefe traded back-to-back Perfect 10s; O’Keefe’s secured the All-Around title and a spot in the national championship.
Everything to know before today’s title match
Who is competing and when?: No. 1 Oklahoma, No. 2 Florida, No. 5 Utah, and No. 6 LSU. The competition will commence at 4 p.m. ET on ABC.
Biggest storylines: The Sooners are looking for their second straight title after claiming the 2022 trophy. Oklahoma has won four of the last five national championships. Florida is in search of its fourth title and the first since 2015. Utah, an early perennial talent in college gymnastics, hopes to secure its first title in 28 years. The Red Rocks won the first five championships and last won in 1995. Meanwhile, LSU has never tasted victory in the final match. The Tigers came in second four times in the last decade but couldn’t finish on top.
🔮: Who the experts think will win it all
One of biggest question marks of the semifinals prevails in the title meet — will Florida’s Trinity Thomas compete? The Gators superstar wasn’t listed to compete ahead of the semifinals after sustaining a leg injury in the regionals, but the fifth-year senior completed two events including a stunning 9.9500 on bars. Thomas said after the semifinals that she wasn’t sure if she’ll compete on Saturday. That’s a developing story we’re watching.
One gymnast to watch in each event:
- Vault: Haleigh Bryant (LSU)
- Bars: Trinity Thomas (Florida)
- Beam: Maile O’Keefe (Utah)
- Floor: Jordan Bowers (Oklahoma)
How to watch: The national championship will air on ABC at 4 p.m. ET. It can also be streamed on ESPN.com. ESPN+ has the option to watch each event individually or all at once with a quad box.
MORE COVERAGE: College Gym News’ live blog from the championships in Fort Worth