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We are excited to announce that the Committee on Women’s Athletics has recommended STUNT as an emerging sport!

The committee met on April 15 to review to discuss the application for STUNT to be included in the Emerging Sports for Women program. STUNT athletes, coaches, and administrators were able to share their positive experiences with the committee and the benefits of STUNT.

The committee voted to recommend STUNT to the three divisions as an emerging sport, noting the strong high school participation, increasing number of college STUNT programs, low-cost entry for institutions,  the diverse body types and sport backgrounds STUNT brings for female student-athletes, and the opportunities for female sport administrators, coaches and officials as part of the “compelling rationale to include STUNT as an emerging sport for women.”

Read the press release from USA Cheer

Read the recommendation letter from the Committee on Women’s Athletics

Read the CWA April Committee Report 

What does this mean for STUNT and my institution?

What is STUNT?

Just one of the most exciting and fastest-growing women’s sports in the country! Click below to find out more!

Watch a STUNT Game!

Click the video to watch an entire STUNT game!

For more STUNT great game footage, visit FloCheer.

An emerging sport is a women’s sport recognized by the NCAA that is intended to help schools provide more athletics opportunities for women and more sport-sponsorship options for the institutions, and also help that sport achieve NCAA championship status.

An emerging sport for women is a sport that:

• Meets the definition of a sport.
• Is accepted and recognized by the NCAA (as approved by its divisional governance processes) as an emerging sport for women.
• Provides additional athletics opportunities to female student-athletes and demonstrates the NCAA’s commitment to gender equity among student-athletes.

The Committee on Women’s Athletics has officially recommended that all three divisions of the NCAA governance structure add STUNT as an NCAA emerging sport!

There is one more step to become an official Emerging Sport. Pursuant to governance and legislative processes, each division will determine independently if STUNT will be added to the division’s Emerging Sports for Women list and legislation, as well as an effective date, based on the philosophical, strategic, operational and financial priorities of each division.

Timeline for 2021 Legislative Cycle
Below are divisional calendars of the 2021 legislative cycle. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2021 legislative cycle and actions may be adjusted based on the philosophical, strategic, operational and financial priorities of each division. Over the course of the 2021 legislative cycle, Jean Merrill will provide you status updates on STUNT as a possible emerging sport for women in each division and will connect you with NCAA staff and committee representatives, as needed.

• Division I (Note: The calendar for the 2021 Division I legislative cycle is not yet available.
  The link provided is to the 2020 Division I legislative cycle and is meant only to serve as a reference.)
• Division II
• Division III

Absolutely! There are already 11 NCAA programs, as well as several NAIA and Junior College programs, playing STUNT as a varsity sport in 2020, with 5 more set to join them in 2021! Contact us for information on how to evaluate your institutional opportunities!

Click to view all current programs

From the perspective of scholastic sports, a club sport is usually sponsored and led by students, with the student members making decisions regarding hiring, budget, travel, etc.  Unlike intramural sports, club sports travel and play other university programs.

A varsity sport is funded under the athletics department, where the athletics department makes the hiring, budget, and travel decisions. Like other varsity sports, varsity STUNT programs have recruiting budgets and scholarships available based on their university’s criteria.  Varsity programs can begin directly as a varsity program under athletics, or they may transition from a club sport to a varsity sport.

STUNT welcomes club and varsity programs!

The CWA’s endorsement of STUNT today is a victory for Title IX and female athletes everywhere. Institutions can count STUNT towards their Title IX requirements and help grow participation opportunities for female student athletes.

STUNT and Competitive Cheerleading are two different disciplines of “cheer” that both utilize technical skills in their sport, but there are differences.  STUNT is the discipline that has been recommended by the CWA for Emerging Sport status.

For more information, see the USA Cheer Position Paper on Title IX

The safety and well-being of the STUNT athlete is of primary importance, and is the first guiding principle of each STUNT committee.

STUNT involves athletes participating in partner stunts, pyramids, tosses, jumps, and tumbling. These skills include height, inversion, and rotation of the body as well as working in coordination with other athletes to perform these skills. Special care should be taken by supervisory staff ensure that skills are taught in a progressive manner, requiring proficiency before advancing to skills with higher difficulty.

The STUNT format, scoring system, and coaches’ education work together to promotes athlete safety and risk management. 

Learn more about STUNT Safety and Risk Management 

There is still time to get started and join for the 2021 STUNT Spring Season!  Registration opens in the Spring to provide coaches and officials training. Progams may join as a varsity program or a club program with intent to transition to varsity.

For more information, be sure to fill out the interest form and follow the step-by-step “How to Start a STUNT Team.” For high school or club/youth rec teams, look for the “How to Start a STUNT Team” under your menu tab in the main menu.

Click the map to view all of the 2020 and incoming 2021 college STUNT programs!

Big 10
Michigan State University
University of Michigan

Big 12
Oklahoma State University
Texas Tech University
University of Texas, Austin

Big Sky
UC Davis
Sacramento State
Cal Poly

Big West
California State University Bakersfield

California Collegiate Athletic Association
Sonoma State University

CCCAA – Orange Empire
Riverside City College (CA)

Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
Ashland University (v)
Davenport University (v)
Ferris State University
Grand Valley State University

Great Midwest Athletic Conference
Tiffin University (v)
Usuline College (v)

Great American Conference
Oklahoma Baptist University (v)

Golden State Athletic Conference
Hope International University (v)
Westcliff University (v)
Vanguard University (v)
William Jessup University (v)

Great Lakes Valley Conference
Southwest Baptist University (MO) (v)
Maryville University (MO) (v)

Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference
Hanover College (v)

Liberty League
Rochester Institute of Technology

Lone Star Conference
The University of Texas at Tyler (v)
Dallas Baptist University (v)
Texas Woman’s University (v)

MIAA
Alma College (v)
Olivet College (v)

Mid America Intercollegiate Athletic Association
University of Central Oklahoma
Northeastern State University (OK)

National Junior College Athletic Association
Independence Community College (KS)
Connors State College (OK)
Mineral Area College (MO)

North Coast – NCAC
Hiram College (v)

PAC 12
Arizona State University
California

Pac West
Concordia University, Irvine (v)

Southeastern Conference
University of Kentucky

Sooner Athletic Conference
Southwestern Christian University (OK)

Southern Athletic Conference
Oklahoma City University

Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference
Centenary College (v)

Western Athletic Conference
California Baptist University

West Coast Conference
Brigham Young University (UT)
St. Mary’s College (CA)

Wolverine-Hoosier
Concordia University, Ann Arbor

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