The National Collegiate Men's and Women's Gymnastics Championships will take on the look and feel of the Olympics this year.

For the first time, both championships will be performed on an elevated podium, much like those used in the Olympics and other international competitions. The men's championships are set for April 2-4 at the University of Illinois, Champaign, and the women's event is scheduled for April 15-17 at Pauley Pavilion in Los Angeles.

"It's just so visibly appealing when you walk into the arena and see the raised stage set up and all the apparatus on top of it," said Yoshi Hayasaki, head men's gymnastics coach at Illinois and a member of the NCAA Men's Gymnastics Committee. "It's appealing to the spectators. It's something the gymnasts love and it definitely showcases the athletes."

Donna Sanft, associate athletics director at the University of Pittsburgh and chair of the NCAA Women's Gymnastics Committee, agreed that the podium helps to make the athletes more of the central

focus of the event. Normally, the team seating area is adjacent to the apparatus, but with a podium, it's below the level of the apparatus.

"The performance of the athletes is highlighted," she said. "It makes for a much more beautiful presentation. It really highlights individual performances much more."

Louis A. Burkel III, director of gymnastics at the U.S. Air Force Academy and chair of the NCAA Men's Gymnastics Committee, noted that by raising the athletes above the floor, spectators are able to focus on the athletes, rather than their teammates who may not be performing at the time, coaches walking around the arena or the judges.

"It makes the floor a lot cleaner so it's easier for the spectators to see the gymnasts. The gymnasts are definitely the star, you don't see the judges," he said. "If everything's on the floor, the athletes who aren't competing are sitting on the floor around the event, and the judges are on the floor -- they get in the way. Athletes, they get excited and they jump up and down, and they can get in the view of the spectators."

Cost issue for future meets

It's a coincidence that both the men's and women's championships are using a podium this year -- and there's no guarantee that future events will take place in this format.

On the women's wide, Sanft said the University of California, Los Angeles, was able to take advantage of a podium already being in the area from the world championships this past summer that were held in Anaheim. Also, the Olympic Trials are set for Anaheim in June, about two months after the NCAA championships.

"The only reason we're able to use it is because it's in proximity to Los Angeles right now, because it's being stored here and because of that the fees associated with it were manageable," said Betsy Stephenson, the meet director from UCLA and the school's associate athletics director and senior woman administrator. "If the circumstance hadn't presented itself, it would have been cost prohibitive."

Sanft said not every arena is able to accommodate such a podium, which is comparable to a portable court and is made up of four-by-four lids that fit together. Stephenson noted that Pauley Pavilion hosted the gymnastics portion of the Olympics in 1984, so the podium fits well in the venue.

But because it's generally expensive to rent a podium and not every site can fit it in, it's not likely the podium will reappear at championships in the near future.

"We're looking at this as a one-time use for the time being," Sanft said.

For many of the women athletes, however, it will be their first experience competing on a podium, Sanft said.

"I think that from a gymnast's standpoint, any great gymnast who had aspirations of competing internationally certainly would be excited about the prospect of being able to compete in an international type of environment, which is what it's going to provide for them," she said.

On the men's side, the podium also is likely a one-time thing. Hayasaki said his institution is renting the podium for the event, but admits it's not something every institution would be willing to undertake.

"It's not cheap," he said. "It's certainly going to cost more than any other championship to have this additional set-up, but it's going to be worth it."

Hayasaki said most of the top collegiate teams in the country have one or two athletes who have competed internationally, and have performed on a podium. But for the others, it will be a new experience.

"Once the gymnasts compete on it, they all love it," he said.

Burkel said there are no plans to use a podium in 2005 or beyond, but it's an issue that could come up for future discussion.

"If we really like it, I think it might come before the committee to see if we can get that every year," he said.