Saturday's team final was broadcast on ESPNU, giving the event a significant platformUNIV. OF OKLAHOMA
The NCAA Women's Gymnastics Championships announced attendance of 8,595 at the Ft. Worth Convention Center on Saturday was a "record for an NCAA final," with Oklahoma claiming its third title in four years and LSU finishing second, according to Thuc Nhi Nguyen of the L.A. DAILY NEWS (L.A. DAILY NEWS, 4/21). The WALL STREET JOURNAL's Louise Radnofsky writes under the header, "The NCAA Has A Feel-Good Sport -- And It’s Gymnastics." Fans "pack hotel lobbies to cheer gymnasts riding down the escalator on the way to compete." The competitions were broadcasted on ESPNU "in a way that international meets would die for right now." Saturday's final "seems to be about as wholesome as it gets" (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 4/22). However, in L.A., Tom Hoffarth writes the coverage of the event proved the new broadcasting format "confuses rather than informs -- particularly the four-picture split screen." The alternative of "focusing on one team in one event and basically ignoring the other three teams and events going on at the same time is no better, and it practically begs viewers to find the ESPN app or go online to focus on particular teams and apparatus competition" (L.A. TIMES, 4/22).
