Fisk University Ends Gymnastics Program Sparking Outrage Among Alumni

Fisk University’s decision to discontinue its women’s artistic gymnastics program after the 2026 season has jolted the college sports world, especially within the HBCU community. What started as a celebrated, groundbreaking step forward now feels like a cautionary tale about leadership, investment, and the future of non-revenue sports at HBCUs.

Drawing from firsthand stories of former athletes and coaches, this story isn’t just about wins and losses. It’s about what representation, opportunity, and legacy actually mean in college athletics.

The Rise and Fall of a Historic Program

When Fisk University started its women’s gymnastics program in 2023, it made national headlines. It was the first HBCU to sponsor the sport at the college level.

For many athletes, it meant more than just competing. It was a cultural milestone—a chance to be part of a sport usually dominated by predominantly White schools, but within the HBCU experience.

But less than four years later, Fisk announced plans to shut down the program after the 2026 season. The university’s official statement blamed difficulties with scheduling competitions and building a sustainable recruiting pipeline in the HBCU Athletic Conference.

That explanation hasn’t sat well with people closest to the program.

Official Rationale Versus Lived Reality

Former head coach Corrinne Tarver, who left earlier this year and now leads Southern Connecticut State University’s gymnastics program, has spoken out. She insists Fisk’s leadership didn’t reflect what actually happened day to day.

Tarver said recruiting interest was strong and organic, with gymnasts eager to attend an HBCU—often without heavy recruiting. The disconnect between what administrators said and what the team experienced has only added to the frustration of alumni and athletes who helped launch the program.

The Athlete Experience and Emotional Fallout

For gymnasts like Naimah Muhammad and Kiara Richmon, who transferred to Fisk in 2022 to join the first roster, the decision felt personal. Both described learning about the program’s end in ways that felt abrupt and even dismissive, making the news harder to process.

The timing and delivery made a difference. Former athletes weren’t included in early conversations, and the campus-wide announcement came soon after current team members heard, leaving little time to process in private.

Broken Trust and Contradictory Messaging

What hurt most for many was the contradiction between leadership’s promises and what actually happened. University leaders had often called gymnastics a point of pride and promised commitment to its future.

When the reversal came, athletes felt less like valued ambassadors and more like line items on a budget. That kind of trust is hard to rebuild, especially now, when athlete well-being and transparency are supposed to matter more than ever.

Why HBCU Gymnastics Mattered

You can’t really grasp this loss without understanding what HBCU gymnastics stood for. For athletes coming from mostly White institutions, Fisk offered something rare: a chance to compete at a high level surrounded by peers, coaches, and mentors with shared cultural backgrounds.

Muhammad and Richmon both said competing at an HBCU let them grow beyond just being gymnasts. They found space to explore themselves as Black women, students, and leaders.

Representation Beyond the Scoreboard

The impact reached far beyond individual growth. Under Tarver’s leadership, Fisk gymnasts showed that HBCU programs could compete—and win—on national stages.

Standout athlete Morgan Price made history in 2024 as the first HBCU gymnast to win a national all-around title at the USA Gymnastics Women’s Collegiate National Championships. These achievements sent a message: talent and excellence aren’t limited to traditional power conferences or big athletic budgets.

A Troubling Trend Across HBCUs

Fisk isn’t the only HBCU stepping away from gymnastics. Talladega College, the second HBCU to add the sport, ended its program after just one season.

Once Fisk closes its program, only Wilberforce University will have an active women’s gymnastics program among HBCUs. This pattern worries people who care about sustainability and perception. As Muhammad pointed out, repeated closures risk reinforcing unfair narratives that HBCUs can’t manage or sustain complex athletic offerings.

Financial and Structural Challenges

Tarver points to bigger systemic issues shaping these decisions. The landscape of college athletics keeps shifting—athlete compensation and name, image, and likeness rules add financial strain, especially for smaller schools.