The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) announced on Thursday that STUNT the Sport took a major leap toward becoming an NCAA championship sport. The first NCAA championship is projected for as early as spring 2027. 

STUNT the Sport has continued to grow rapidly across the NCAA, crossing the benchmark of 40 schools meeting minimum contest and participant requirements in its first year as an emerging sport in all three divisions. It joined the emerging sports program in 2023 in Divisions I and II, while Division III added it in 2024.  

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During a meeting on Thursday, the NCAA Committee on Women's Athletics voted to recommend Divisions I, II and III sponsor legislation to add a National Collegiate STUNT championship. The recommendation is contingent on official confirmation of the sport's sponsorship and participation numbers for Spring 2025 competition. They say that will occur over the Summer.  

The Committee on Women's Athletics was able to recommend STUNT as a sport for NCAA championship status due to crossing the threshold of at least 40 schools sponsoring the sport at the varsity level, and meeting the sport's minimum competition and participant requirements. 

According to a news release from the NCAA, more than 40 schools sponsored the sport and met the minimum participant and competition thresholds in the 2024-25 academic year. This marked a significant jump from the 2023-24 academic year, which had 26 schools report sponsoring the sport with more than 700 student-athletes.  

Ragean Hill, chair of the NCAA Committee on Women's Athletics, shared her excitement for this news which is a big step forward for STUNT the Sport.

"The advancement of stunt toward National Collegiate championship status is a powerful step forward for women's sports," said Hill. "This discipline not only showcases athleticism and teamwork at the highest level, but also reflects the continued commitment to expanding opportunities for female student-athletes across the country." 

What is STUNT the Sport?

USA Cheer created STUNT as an opportunity for colleges, universities and high schools to meet the strict Title IX requirements of a sport. Stunt transforms traditional cheerleading skills into a head-to-head, four-quarter format emphasizing athleticism and precision. Teams compete in partner stunts, pyramids, jumps and tumbling, with points awarded based on execution. Championships are conducted through a double-elimination tournament structure, and games require only existing gymnasium space. The sport is currently governed at the collegiate level by USA Cheer. 

"On behalf of USA Cheer and the stunt community, we are honored by the NCAA Committee on Women's Athletics' recommendation of stunt as a National Collegiate Championship sport," said Lauri Harris, executive director of USA Cheer. "This recognition is the result of more than a decade of dedicated work by coaches, administrators, athletes and advocates who have championed stunt's growth with a shared vision of expanding opportunities for young women, and today's announcement is a powerful affirmation of that mission. We are proud of the progress this sport has made and deeply grateful to the NCAA and its member institutions for recognizing the value stunt brings to collegiate athletics. This recommendation marks a transformative step forward for the thousands of female athletes who now see a clearer path to competing at the next level."  

What Happens Next? 

Following the committee's recommendation, here is the projected timeline to add a stunt championship: 

• Each division is expected to review the recommendation and sponsor a proposal by its respective 2025-26 legislative cycle deadline. 
• If sponsored, the divisions are expected to vote on the proposals in January during the 2026 NCAA Convention in Washington, D.C. 
• The recommendation also includes establishing an NCAA Stunt Committee, which would begin its work in January 2026, to allow time to prepare for a championship in spring 2027. 
• If adopted on that timeline, the first stunt championship would be held in spring 2027.

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