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The Growth of All-Star Cheer and STUNT as an NCAA Sport

All-Star cheerleading has evolved dramatically over the past few decades, shifting from traditional sideline cheer to a high-energy, performance-based competitive sport. With the rise of elite programs, international championships, and social media exposure, All-Star cheer has become a global powerhouse in youth and collegiate athletics.

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With its continued evolution, All-Star cheer has positioned itself as a serious, highly competitive sport—yet, it remains distinct from NCAA athletics due to the lack of official collegiate governing bodies for competition. However, that’s where STUNT comes in.

The Rise of STUNT as an NCAA Emerging Sport

As cheerleading continues to grow, STUNT, a competitive women’s NCAA sport, has emerged as an official collegiate pathway for cheer athletes. Unlike traditional competitive cheerleading, STUNT removes dance and crowd-leading elements, focusing purely on the technical aspects of the sport:

What is STUNT?

STUNT is a fast-paced, head-to-head competition where teams perform a set series of skills, including:

Partner Stunts

Pyramids

Tosses

Tumbling

Jumps

Teams compete in four quarters, where judges award points based on execution, synchronization, and difficulty.

Why is STUNT Growing So Fast?

  • Recognized as an NCAA Emerging Sport for Women – This designation helps schools add STUNT as a varsity program, increasing scholarship opportunities for female athletes.
  • Title IX Benefits – Schools are embracing STUNT because it provides an opportunity to expand women’s athletics while maintaining compliance with Title IX regulations.
  • Structured Competition Format – Unlike All-Star cheer, STUNT has standardized routines, eliminating subjective scoring and making it easier to rank and compare teams fairly.

How Many Schools Offer STUNT?

  • As of 2024, STUNT has grown to over 50 NCAA schools with hundreds of high school programs feeding into collegiate teams. The goal is for STUNT to become a fully sanctioned NCAA Championship sport in the coming years.
  • The Future of Competitive Cheer & STUNT in College Athletics
  • STUNT will likely achieve full NCAA championship status in the next few years, opening more doors for collegiate athletes.
  • All-Star cheer will continue to thrive internationally, with potential Olympic involvement through the International Cheer Union (ICU).
  • Collegiate cheer (NCA & UCA) will remain a major pathway for athletes seeking high-level sideline and gameday performance opportunities.

While All-Star cheer and STUNT are distinct, both offer athletes new and exciting ways to compete at the collegiate level—paving the way for a bigger, stronger future for cheerleading as a sport!