The hype for Florida gymnastics has reached a season high.
Fresh off an NCAA Tempe Regional first place finish, the Gators have scored over 198 five meets in a row.
There is high optimism, both within the program and among national pundits, that the Gators will end their 11 year national championship drought.
“I want it so badly for them to feel that reward and earn that reward. I would definitely acknowledge and feel that reward as well,” coach Jenny Rowland said. “And just knowing where we came from and even making it to semifinals, the top eight in the country, is no joke. It’s been a journey.”
First, though, UF needs to advance to Saturday’s meet – and that means a top two finish in Thursday’s semifinals. It is something the Gators failed to do last season for thw first time since 2019 and served as a large motivator.
“I definitely believe that it’s something that we all have thought about and is in our mind a little bit. I just think it is important that we don’t let that drive how we feel about this next week,” Blakely said. “But instead, use it to know that we can do it and we can advance and that this team has been amazing this whole season.”
The Gators will do battle with LSU, Georgia and Stanford. Florida defeated the Tigers and Bulldogs in the regular season and consistently topped the Cardinal.
Saturday’s final will include the top two teams in the second semifinal, which includes defending national champion Oklahoma, UCLA, Arkansas and Minnesota.
Here’s how to watch for Thursday’s semifinal:
TV Channel: ESPN2
Streaming: ESPN.com or the ESPN App
The NCAA Semifinals will be broadcast on ESPN2. Olympians Samantha Peszek, Aly Raisman and John Roethlisberger calling the action and Taylor Davis providing sideline reports.
The Gators will compete as part of the afternoon session with No. 2 LSU, No. 6 Georgia and No. 7 Stanford. The evening session, which begins at 9 p.m. ET, includes No. 1 Oklahoma, No. 4 UCLA, No. 9 Arkansas and No. 13 Minnesota.
Noah Ram covers Florida Gators athletics and Gainesville-area high school sports for The Gainesville Sun, GatorSports.com and the USA TODAY Network. Contact him at nram@usatodayco.com. Follow him on X @Noah_ram1 and on Instagram @Ramreporter.
What channel is Florida gymnastics at NCAA Semifinals today? Time, TV, streaming – Gainesville Sun
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