Iowa State discontinues troubled women’s gymnastics program

AMES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa State is ending its women’s gymnastics program.

The decision, announced by athletic director Jamie Pollard on Tuesday, comes not long after the school canceled the remainder of its 2026 season because of what Pollard described as “unresolvable” issues between players, coaches and parents.

Pollard said the school will replace gymnastics with another women’s sport that “provides equal or additional participation opportunities” for female athletes.

The school will honor the scholarships of any current or incoming gymnasts who opt to remain at the university, including making sure they will continue to have access to all departmental services available to Iowa State student-athletes. Pollard added the athletic department will also help any gymnast who chooses to go into the transfer portal.

Members of the coaching staff, including head coach Ashley Miles Greig, will not have their contracts renewed.

Pollard called the move “the right decision for our athletics program and our student athletes,” citing a pattern of issues within the program over the last decade.

Women’s gymnastics underwent a “complete review” in 2018 because of various issues. In 2023, the university hired a Minnesota-based law firm to do an independent evaluation of the program, leading to sweeping changes that included implementing a new coaching staff.

When similar issues cropped up three years later, Iowa State initially opted to cancel the remainder of the season because Pollard said “the student athletes felt the conflicts were so problematic” they could not continue.

A leadership council within the university spent weeks talking to various stakeholders around the program before recommending women’s gymnastics be discontinued.

“The student athlete experience is at the core of what our department takes great pride in,” Pollard said. “Our continued inability by our department to provide our women’s gymnastics team members (a positive) experience … is disappointing and very concerning.”

Pollard said finances did not play a role in the decision, adding that whatever sport the Cylones eventually add could be just as expensive, if not more expensive, to field.

Iowa State won four conference titles in women’s gymnastics, the last in 2006.

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