Fresh off the best season imaginable– I mean, could it have gotten any better?!? — the Missouri Tigers, who return 13 members of the 2024-25 squad, including four WCGA All-Americans, will have a new gymnastics
home, Mizzou Arena. The Happiest Place on Earth. No, that’s not Disney World, c’mon now. The countdown has been masterful, and eagle-eyed gymthusiasts looked for about any clue that would tell them what was going on. Intrasquad dates (that’s coming later, I’m told)? Different venue? DING-DING. Truth be told, I’ve been holding in this information since early September, so I’m just glad it’s finally out and we can all rejoice together at the team’s continued good fortune.
Now that you know the purpose of the video, the reveal was masterful, and you may have realized that this video and the teasers before it featured the student section bleachers, the fresh black seats (which really feed into the mysteriousness of the video’s aesthetics), the tiger logo at center court, and Shannon’s voiceover talking about the team’s never-ending list of accomplishments from this past year.
CHILLS.
All but one of this season’s meets — the team’s home finale against Arkansas on March 1 — will be at Mizzou Arena, their new home. While I wish Senior Day would be held at the arena as well (it is likely to draw a big crowd with Olympians Joscelyn Roberson and Jordyn Wieber there), Kellie Harper’s WBB squad has first dibs, and as such, the team will return to its home since 1980 to close out the home slate.
Mizzou Arena meets will include: January 4 vs. Iowa State, January 16 vs. Oklahoma (SEC Opener), January 30 vs. LSU, February 6 vs. Florida, and a quad meet featuring Illinois, Ball State, and Air Force on February 20.
In case you missed it, check out my schedule release here.
Per the official release:
“This move to Mizzou Arena represents a significant step for Coach Welker’s program and the incredible momentum they have established,” Director of Athletics Laird Veatch said. “Coming off the best season in program history, our student-athletes and fans deserve a premier environment that matches the program’s championship standards. Mizzou Arena will elevate the student-athlete experience, enhance the fan atmosphere and position Mizzou gymnastics for even greater success in the years ahead.”
Gym SID Ryan Cullinane sent us a reaction video courtesy of head coach Shannon Welker, and here’s what he had to say.
“Mizzou Arena brings a noise and energy that changes meets,” Welker said in the release. “We can’t wait to fill it with Black & Gold like we’ve seen our basketball programs do. Together, we’re going to make it one of the toughest places to compete in college gymnastics.”
Mizzou Arena is a special place, and it’s only the best for the team who had the best postseason finish of any women’s athletics team in school history. It’s a venue fitting of the queens of the beam, the fab floor, and my yet-to-be-named monikers for the vault and bars squads (give me some ideas, please).
Oh, and one more Mizzou Gym related item.
Mizzou’s very own Kaia Tanskanen is mid-competition at the World Championships in Jakarta and qualified for the All-Around final by way of finishing 16th. Y’all, this is so cool. Kaia is competing against the world’s elite and just killlllllllinggggg it. That double-double is looking *chefs kiss* ahhhhh-mazing.
