Clemson Gymnastics: From Team Zero to ACC Champions – A Historic Rise in Just Three Seasons
When Clemson University announced the addition of women’s gymnastics as a varsity sport in June 2021, few could have predicted the program’s meteoric ascent. By the spring of 2026, in only its third competitive season, the Tigers had claimed their first Atlantic Coast Conference championship, advanced deep into the NCAA postseason, produced the program’s first All-American and NCAA Nationals qualifier, and established themselves as one of the fastest-rising programs in NCAA gymnastics history.
What began with a small group of pioneers in a residence hall has become a national story of investment, culture, and execution.
The Foundation: Team Zero and the Inaugural Years (2023-24 and 2024-25)
Clemson’s gymnastics journey officially began with “Team Zero” in 2023 — a core group of seven athletes who lived and trained on campus while the university constructed a state-of-the-art facility.
These pioneers, including future star Brie Clark, laid the groundwork without a single competitive meet.The Tigers’ first official competitive season came in 2023-24 (often referred to as the 2024 season). Under founding head coach Amy Smith, Clemson posted a 6-4 dual record, earned the No. 2 seed at the ACC Championships, and finished second overall with a score of 196.425. The program made its NCAA Tournament debut, reaching the First Round. It was an impressive start for any new program — let alone one built from scratch.
The 2024-25 season (2025 season) showed continued growth but also growing pains. The Tigers went 4-4 in duals, placed fifth at the ACC Championships (196.175), and advanced to the NCAA Second Round — their deepest postseason run to that point. Final national rankings improved to No. 29 in the Road to Nationals (RTN) standings. Attendance at Littlejohn Coliseum cracked the national top 10, signaling strong fan support for the young program.
These early campaigns proved Clemson belonged in the ACC and could compete at the NCAA level, but the program still lacked a signature breakthrough.The Coaching Change: A Bold Pivot in Spring 2025Following the 2024-25 season, Clemson made a significant leadership change.
On April 18, 2025, the university parted ways with Amy Smith, the program’s inaugural head coach who had been hired in April 2022 to build everything from the ground up.
In May 2025, Clemson hired a high-profile husband-and-wife duo as co-head coaches: Justin Howell and Elisabeth “Liz” Crandall-Howell. The pair had previously built the University of California gymnastics program into a national contender, bringing proven recruiting prowess, elite-level training systems, and a championship culture. Their arrival marked the start of a new era — one that would deliver immediate results.
The 2025-26 season became the first under the Howell/Crandall-Howell regime. Expectations rose immediately, and the Tigers responded.2025-26: The Breakthrough Season – ACC Champions and BeyondSeeded No. 3 entering the 2026 ACC Gymnastics Championships in Greensboro, North Carolina,
Clemson delivered a program-defining performance on March 21, 2026. The Tigers scored a school-record 197.100 to edge out Stanford (197.075) by the slimmest of margins and claim the program’s first ACC title. It was a dramatic, come-from-behind victory capped by four 9.900s on the final event (floor) and a historic bars rotation. Ten Clemson gymnasts earned All-Championship Team honors, with the Tigers leading the meet in both vault and bars.
The championship was more than hardware — it was validation. In just their third season and first under new leadership, Clemson had gone from ACC runner-up to conference king.
Postseason momentum carried forward. The Tigers advanced to the NCAA Regional Final (their deepest run yet) before falling in Baton Rouge. Still, the season produced historic individual milestones, most notably from redshirt senior Brie Clark.
Brie Clark: The First All-American and Program Icon
Brie Clark, a transfer from Utah State and one of the original Team Zero members, became the face of Clemson gymnastics in 2025-26. She earned the program’s first-ever WCGA All-American honor on floor exercise (First Team), posting a National Qualifying Score of 9.945 — the highest by any ACC gymnast on any event that season. Clark scored 9.900 or higher in all 14 floor routines, won the event nine times, and set a career high of 9.975 against Pitt.
Even more impressively, Clark became the first Clemson gymnast to qualify for the NCAA National Championships on floor. She competed in the individual event finals in her final collegiate meet, capping a career that included ACC Champion status, multiple ACC Specialist of the Week honors, and a place in program lore as its first true superstar.
Clark’s journey — from Utah State All-American to Clemson pioneer to national finalist — embodied the program’s rapid rise. As one of the few athletes who experienced every phase of the build, her success symbolized the payoff of patience and belief.
Broader Successes and the Bigger Picture
Beyond the ACC title and Clark’s accolades, Clemson gymnastics achieved several program firsts in 2025-26:
- School-record team scores and event totals.
- Multiple national rankings climbs.
- Continued elite attendance (top-10 nationally).
- A strong 2026 signing class — the first full recruiting class under the new coaches — signaling sustained momentum.
The program’s ascent is widely regarded as unprecedented. In three short seasons, Clemson went from nonexistent to ACC champion and NCAA Regional Finalist. Analysts have called it “the fastest rise for a program in gymnastics history,” crediting university investment in facilities, the visionary coaching hire, and a culture of “One Day Better” that resonates across the roster.
Looking Ahead: Sustained Excellence on the HorizonWith the Howell/Crandall-Howell duo now fully entrenched and a talented young core returning alongside incoming signees, Clemson gymnastics enters its fourth season with championship expectations. The foundation built by Team Zero, the early foundation under Amy Smith, and the championship leap under the current staff have positioned the Tigers as a legitimate national player.From seven athletes training without a home meet to hoisting the ACC trophy in front of a national audience, Clemson gymnastics has written one of the most compelling origin stories in recent college sports history. The hardware is here. The spotlight is brighter. And for a program that didn’t exist five years ago, the future in orange and purple has never looked more promising.
