A new chapter of the Bruins’ story begins this weekend.

Turning a page on a long-standing history in the Pac-12, No. 11 UCLA gymnastics (3-2) will debut in the Big Ten on Saturday against No. 23 Maryland (2-2) at the XFINITY Center in College Park, Maryland.

“It feels like a long time coming, and it’s a pretty exciting moment to get to enter the new conference,” said coach Janelle McDonald. “We’re really proud of the history that we had in the Pac-12 and that tradition that we had in our previous conference, and excited to start building that new tradition and history in the new conference.”

Despite being newcomers to the conference, the Bruins have won more NCAA titles than any other Big Ten program. UCLA claims seven titles, while No. 20 Michigan has the second most in the conference with one – coming from its upset win over Oklahoma in 2021. Meanwhile, Maryland remains title-less.

UCLA and Maryland battled once before at the 2022 NCAA Regionals. Despite earning their highest team score at an NCAA regional in program history, the Terrapins finished 1.575 points behind the Bruins.

Saturday, the Bruins flipped the script from their season opener. After finishing last in its session at the American Gold Women’s Collegiate Gymnastics Classic on Jan. 4, UCLA landed in the top spot of Session Three at the Sprouts Farmers Market Collegiate Classic, ahead of Big Ten opponent No. 9 Ohio State.

“The thing that we really took away from last weekend was being aggressive, going out there and attacking what we’re doing, having no doubt, trusting our training,” McDonald said. “That mentality served them really well last weekend.”

At the San Antonio Collegiate Invite to open their season, Maryland, with a 195.400 overall score, fell to No. 12 Auburn and No. 16 Penn State while defeating Arizona State and Temple.

Like the Bruins – who notched a nation-leading 49.600 Saturday – floor was the Terrapin’s highest-scoring event last weekend. Maryland posted a 49.100 on the event, which ranked second among their opponents.

UCLA’s lineup proved more consistent as four gymnasts recorded scores of 9.900 or higher, whereas graduate student Alexa Rothenbuescher was the only Terrapin to reach that mark.

The Bruins’ recent floor rotation and McDonald’s roster flexibility exemplify the team’s depth. Lineup regulars from last season like senior Emily Lee can rest while newcomers gain competitive experience.

“I’m fighting for my life to get in lineups, which is like the greatest thing a team can have,” Lee said.

McDonald added that there are about 12 gymnasts prepared to compete on each event – six more than what is needed for Saturday’s competitive lineups.

Regardless of who makes lineups this weekend, UCLA’s deep roster will likely be advantageous as it embarks on its first-ever Big Ten dual meet Saturday at 4:30 p.m.