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Two weeks ago many coaches involved in collegiate gymnastics hoped the NCAA Gymnastics Committee would listen to their request and approve some radical format changes for the NCAA Gymnastics Championships.
Now many coaches are fearful their efforts were for naught as they await the NCAA's decision thanks to an effort by the SEC to maintain the status quo.
Recently, the National Association of Collegiate Gymnastics Coaches/Women voted 60-3 to change the format for the NCAA Championships to a four-team final instead of six.
In addition, all six scores would count per event instead of the five highest scores.
Coaches voted for the changes in hopes it would make gymnastics more exciting for fans by eliminating the byes necessary when more than four teams are participating in an event and shorten the competitions, which would make it more appealing for CBS to televise the championships live.
The changes, similar to ones that Utah coach Greg Marsden has been advocating for several years, were discussed and voted upon at the NCAA Gymnastics Committee's meeting a week ago.
However, the committee's decision is under wraps until this week when the NCAA will release what items were passed by the committee, according to D'Ann Keller, the NCAA's associate director of championships.
In the meantime, there is some fear among coaches that a letter written by SEC commissioner Mike Slive to Paul Plinske, the chairman of the gymnastics
In the letter obtained by The Salt Lake Tribune , Slive requests the format undergo no changes based out of concern a reduction in the number of teams advancing to the finals "would not only decrease opportunities, but could significantly decrease the attendance for the final night of team competition," the letter states. "This would also have a negative impact on an institution's decision to bid to host this event," Slive writes.
Plinske declined to comment on the committee's decision before the NCAA's announcement and Slive was not available for comment.
That the SEC commissioner would write a letter to the committee has angered and confused some coaches who believe three coaches from the SEC who were the dissenters in their 60-3 vote had enough weight to sway their commissioner and possibly the NCAA into going against their decision.
Florida coach Rhonda Faehn has spoken out against any possible changes and is believed to have voted against the changes along with LSU coach D-D Breaux and Alabama coach Sarah Patterson. Neither Faehn nor Breaux responded to interview requests, and Patterson said through a spokesman she wouldn't comment until any changes are finalized.
Mike Lorenzen, Stanford's assistant coach who serves as the president of the coaches association, was discouraged by the letter, believing it could stop necessary change vital to the sport's growth.
The SEC, with eight schools sponsoring gymnastics, is recognized as the most powerful conference in the sport and could have enough weight to influence the NCAA, Lorenzen fears.
"Apparently there were a few coaches who were persuasive to their ADs and able to voice their opinions to the conference office," Lorenzen said. "But ultimately our association is a democracy and I hope the will of the coaches who voted in a large majority for changes will be heard."
Marsden, who has long pushed for changes to make the NCAAs more fan-friendly, isn't as optimistic.
"The SEC is a very powerful conference and for them to write a letter to our committee during meetings carries some weight with the NCAA," he said. "It's frustrating because most of us voted in support of changes and a couple people have gone and circumvented the process. It's pretty frustrating."
UCLA coach Valorie Kondos-Field echoed others' frustrations, wondering why a conference would speak out for a few coaches when the majority in the sport overwhelmingly voted for change.
"I've been a head coach for 19 years and an assistant before then and I've always heard there could be behind-the-scene maneuverings by specific individuals in the SEC, but I never believed a few could have that much power until now," she said. "I don't know why I spent thousands as a coach to sit in our meetings, put a lot of thought into decisions and vote, then come back and have a very select few turn our decision on its heels."
» Last month, gymnastics coaches voted 60-3 in favor of changing the format for the NCAA Championships.
» The coaches want to reduce the final round from six teams to four. They also want all six of each team's scores to count in each event, instead of the five highest.
» The powerful Southeastern Conference opposes the changes.
