NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. — STUNT is officially the 94th NCAA Championship sport after legislation was approved across all three NCAA divisions at the 2026 NCAA Convention.
The NCAA Division I Cabinet unanimously approved championship status earlier this week, and Divisions II and III passed the measures Friday during their respective business sessions, completing the multi-division requirement needed to formally establish national collegiate championships.
In the same action, Acrobatics & Tumbling (A&T) was also approved for NCAA Championship status, advancing both women’s sports through the NCAA Emerging Sports for Women pathway at the same time.
“Advancing STUNT to NCAA Championship Sport status is the result of more than 16 years of intentional planning, governance, and collaboration,” said Lauri Harris, Executive Director of USA Cheer. “This milestone reflects a sport that was built specifically for collegiate competition and is now prepared to take its place on the NCAA championship stage.”
Approval in all three divisions was required for either sport to become an NCAA championship. Division I approved the proposal Wednesday, January 14 during the NCAA Division I Cabinet meeting. Division II adopted Proposal 2026-2 on Friday during its Business Session, and Division III approved Proposal 2026-16 the same day. With all three divisions in agreement, STUNT and A&T now enter the NCAA’s formal championship structure.
National collegiate championships are funded through association-wide NCAA resources and overseen by sport-specific committees that determine playing rules, championship format, and host-site selection.
The vote capped months of review after the NCAA Committee on Women’s Athletics advanced a recommendation supporting championship consideration earlier this year. Since then, NCAA member institutions evaluated participation data, governance materials, and competitive benchmarks tied to the proposal before this week’s legislative sessions in National Harbor.
“The addition of stunt as an NCAA championship sport reflects our ongoing effort to grow and elevate women’s athletics,” NCAA President Charlie Baker said. “This milestone is built on the collaboration and vision from those who believed in expanding opportunities for women in college sports. We are excited to provide a platform for these talented athletes to compete at the highest level.”
Alongside STUNT, Acrobatics & Tumbling also received final approval to become an NCAA Championship sport. Created in 2009 to expand opportunities for women trained in gymnastics and cheer-based disciplines, A&T has grown steadily at the collegiate level, with more than 1,300 student-athletes expected to compete in 2026. Both sports will now move from emerging status into the NCAA’s formal championship framework beginning in spring 2027, pending the establishment of dedicated sport committees.
STUNT’s path to this moment has been marked by rapid national expansion. The sport was designated an NCAA Emerging Sport in Divisions I and II in 2023 and in Division III in 2024. Within its first unified academic year across all three divisions, STUNT surpassed NCAA participation and competition thresholds — a key requirement for championship consideration — clearing the way for this week’s successful vote.
STUNT was developed specifically for collegiate athletics and is distinct from traditional sideline cheerleading. Competition is conducted head-to-head across four quarters: partner stunts, pyramids and tosses, jumps and tumbling, and a full team routine. Teams earn points by winning each quarter based on execution and performance, with the match decided by total points.
The 2026 STUNT season opens February 2 and will feature more than 600 games across five competitive divisions, underscoring the sport’s continued growth at both the varsity and club levels.
“This spring marks one of the most exciting seasons STUNT has ever seen,” said Jessica Stiles, President of the College STUNT Coaches Association and head coach at Oklahoma Baptist University. “The athleticism, depth, and competitive energy across all five divisions continue to rise every year.”
The season will culminate with the 2026 STUNT National Championship, scheduled for April 23–26 at Lipscomb University in Nashville, Tennessee.
With championship status now secured, the NCAA will begin forming a Women’s STUNT Committee to oversee rules, format, and hosting, while a parallel process unfolds for Acrobatics & Tumbling. Details on championship structure, dates, and sites will be determined through the NCAA committee process.
STUNT’s first official NCAA Championship is expected in spring 2027, creating a permanent NCAA postseason endpoint for the sport and formalizing its place within the national collegiate athletics landscape.
We will continue coverage as final votes are recorded and results are confirmed from the NCAA Convention. Updates will be available at cheerdaily.com and stuntdaily.com.
