Jordan Chiles And UCLA To Host Michigan State In Historic Fox NCAA Gymnastics Broadcast

For the first time in the sport’s history, NCAA Women’s Gymnastics will be broadcast live on Fox. On Saturday, February 1, the No. 6 UCLA Bruins will face off against the No. 5 Michigan State Spartans on national television. Coming live to fans at 5:30 p.m. ET, the meet features a highly-anticipated top ten matchup.

For gymnastics fans, the matchup is a highlight. With both teams entering Saturday undefeated in the conference (Michigan State: 2-0, UCLA: 2-0), this meet could ultimately determine the Big Ten Regular Season title. To complicate things further, both teams are on the rise. As the only two Big Ten teams in the nation’s top ten, the regular season title could be decided this weekend in Westwood.

The historic Fox broadcast marks another milestone for the sport’s recent growth. Countless attendance records have fallen in just the first few weeks of the 2025 season while viewership continues to climb. In week three, Maryland Gymnastics shattered its attendance record by more than 5,000 fans in their dual meet vs. UCLA.

Michigan State also set an attendance record in their rivalry meet vs. Michigan. The Spartans typically compete in smaller Jenison Fieldhouse, but were moved to the larger Breslin Center to accommodate the record crowd.

Janelle McDonald, the Bruins’ third-year coach, hopes her team will take full advantage of their nationally televised opportunity. “To be able to be one of the teams that gets to be [competing for] the first time on Fox, I think that that’s a pretty exciting thing,” she said. “We get to be the team that gets to show, hopefully, a whole new audience what NCAA gymnastics is about.”

This Saturday, the two surging programs will meet in Westwood for the season’s premiere Big Ten dual meet – here’s how and who to watch.

How To Watch: Saturday, February 1 at 5:30 p.m. ET | FOX | Live Stats

Who To Watch: Michigan State Spartans

Few NCAA teams are more impressive in 2025 than the Michigan State Spartans. The program has been on the rise in recent years, culminating in the school’s first Big Ten Championship title in 2024. Sporting one of the most talented vault squads in the country, the No. 5 Spartans bring big-time power to the college gymnastics stage.

The Spartans have higher difficulty than the Bruins on vault, with all six gymnastics vaulting 10.0 start values. Among that top-ranked vault squad is Sage Kellerman. In 2024, the junior became the first Spartan gymnast to score multiple perfect scores on the same event in a single season, recording two perfect tens on vault. Kellerman has stuck all but one vault in 2025 – can she stick again in a marquee meet?

While Kellerman is currently ranked 8th in the country, her teammate Nikki Smith is even higher on the list. Like Kellerman, Smith also has an uncanny knack for sticking her vaults. The junior has scored a near-perfect 9.95 on three out of four occasions in 2025, an event where she’s currently ranked 2nd in the nation. In short, vault will be key for Michigan State if they want to leave Westwood with the win.

Though vault is their strongest event (No. 4 overall), the Spartans are also in the top ten on bars and beam. On bars, watch for Kellerman again (ranked 15th nationally) and Delanie Harkness to nail their dismounts for big scores. On beam, Giana Kalefe consistently delivers clean routines in the crucial leadoff position. Though the Spartans have yet to crack into the top ten on floor, their time could be coming.

Skyla Schultethe reigning Big Ten All-Around Champion, has been working her way back into lineups after sustaining an injury in training. Since returning to the floor, Schulte has recorded no lower than a 9.90 and currently sits 8th nationally.

Known for high-difficulty gymnastics, the No. 5 Spartans could present Jordan Chiles and UCLA with their biggest challenge yet. Though competing with the three-hour time change in a rowdy arena could prove difficult, Mike Rowe’s squad looks up for the test.

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Who To Watch: UCLA Bruins

While Michigan State continues to climb the leaderboard, the UCLA Bruins have done some climbing of their own. After a disastrous start to the season, the Bruins rebounded emphatically, posting three consecutive 197+ totals. Over the first four weeks of the 2025 season, they’ve risen from 12th to 11th, 8th to 6th.

Behind much of that success? Their roster of Olympic gymnasts. 2024 Olympic gold medalist Jordan Chiles has led the way, earning 9.9 or better on 8 of thirteen routines this year. Currently ranked top-25 on every event but beam, Chiles has looked especially spectacular on bars and floor. In week three, she became the second athlete to earn a 10.0 in 2025, nabbing the perfect mark on bars. The week prior, she came oh-so-close on floor with a 9.975. Could she nab her second ten of the season this Saturday?

Also on 10.0 watch is her teammate Brooklyn Moors. The 2021 Canadian Olympian has hit her stride in her final season, currently sitting in fourth overall on her signature event: the floor. A standout in UCLA’s No. 2-ranked floor lineup, the 2023 Pan American Floor Exercise Champion is world-renowned for her artistry.

2024 Philippines Olympian Emma Malabuyo has also been a key contributor to the Bruins’ recent success. The senior shines on the balance beam, where she’s currently ranked third in the country and owns a career-high of 10.0.

UCLA’s three Olympians aren’t the only stars. Fan-favorite Chae Campbell delivers stellar, steady routines across all four events and has achieved perfection on floor. While the team is veteran-heavy, watch out for freshman Macy McGowan. McGowan has been impressively reliable in her rookie season, hitting 12 of 12 routines in 2025.

Heading into Saturday, it is truly anyone’s meet to win. Currently, College Gym News gives No. 6 UCLA a 61.4% chance of claiming victory, but don’t expect the visiting Spartans to go quietly. Be sure to tune in for Saturday’s clash of two of the top teams in NCAA Women’s Gymnastics.