Three rounds, no music, 266 points a judge
MHSAA Competitive Cheer and Michigan Cheer Colleges
Michigan competitive cheer is the MHSAA's own format: three rounds performed to voice, scored out of 80, 78 and 108 points by each judge, with no music allowed. The 2026-27 season starts November 9 and the Finals are February 26 and 27, 2027. College teams recruit from the stunts and tumbling in Round 3, and five Michigan NAIA colleges still running a competitive cheer team can offer athletic aid for it.
Scoring from the MHSAA 2024-26 high school score sheets, dates from the 2026-27 MHSAA calendar, results from the Finals reports. Read October 2026.
2026 MHSAA Finals champions
McGuirk Arena, Mount Pleasant, March 6 and 7, 2026.
6,454
MHSAA competitive cheer athletes in 2025-26, up 2.1 percent
331
schools in the four 2026-27 tournament divisions
266
points a single judge can award across the three rounds
22
penalty points for music, props or a mascot, in any round
MHSAA competitive cheer format
Three rounds and how each one is scored
The MHSAA created girls competitive cheer in 1993 and held its first postseason in 1994. Unlike the spirit formats in Texas or Georgia, Michigan teams do not perform one routine to music. They perform three rounds to voice, and every judge fills in a separate score sheet for each round. The rule book is the 2024-26 Competitive Cheer Manual, which schools order from the MHSAA, and the score sheets below come from it.
Round 1
80
Required round, points per judge
Two different required jumps, vocals, floor mobility, team coordination, execution, general impression, difficulty and variety. No stunts or tumbling. Four to 16 athletes on the floor.
Round 2
78
Compulsory round, points per judge
A 10 count precision drill, then five skills from flexibility, jumping and tumbling, each scored as difficulty multiplier times a 1 to 10 grade. Multipliers may not add up to more than 5.80. Exact head count by division.
Round 3
108
Open round, points per judge
Stunts, pyramids, tossing and tumbling, scored on variety (15), difficulty (20), choreography (8), execution, an execution bonus of up to 3, mobility, vocals, coordination and impression.
Why team size changes the score
Round 2 must be performed by an exact number of athletes: 12 in Division 1, 10 in Division 2, 8 in Division 3 and 6 in Division 4. Fewer costs 10 points, more voids the round. In Round 3, execution is scored out of 20 for 12 or fewer athletes and rises by half a point per athlete to 22 for a full 16, so a full floor can earn up to two more execution points from every judge. Rounds 1 and 3 must use the same number of athletes, between 4 and 16.
Penalties that decide close Finals
Safety judges deduct round by round: 2 points for stepping off the mat or a dropped hair device, 4 for an illegal uniform, jewelry or glitter, 8 for a fall by a flyer with no assistance or a collapsed skill, and 22 for a jump not attempted by everyone or for any music, props or mascot. Time overruns cost a point a second up to 15. With Division 1 and 2 decided by 0.42 and 0.32 in 2026, one deduction was the title.
2026-27 MHSAA competitive cheer calendar
The season moves back a week, with Finals on February 26 and 27
The 2025-26 tournament ran a week late because Central Michigan hosted an indoor track championship on the usual dates, which pushed the Finals to March 6 and 7. For 2026-27 the MHSAA Representative Council moved it back: Districts February 12 and 13, Regionals February 20, Finals February 26 and 27, 2027. Teams may compete on up to 12 days. Four teams per division advance from each District and from each Regional, giving eight finalists per division.
The council also approved new allowances for inversions at the high school level for 2026-27, recommended by the competitive cheer committee. The exact wording sits in the manual insert, so coaches should check it before choreographing Round 3. Allen Park, Division 2 champion three years running, moves up to Division 1 under the new classifications.
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November 9, 2026
First practice
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November 23, 2026
First contest, up to 12 days of competition
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January 22, 2027
Tournament opt out deadline
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February 12 and 13, 2027
Districts, top four per division advance
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February 20, 2027
Regionals, top four per division advance
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February 26 and 27, 2027
Finals, eight teams per division
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March 26 and 27, 2027
NAIA competitive cheer nationals in Topeka, where Michigan colleges compete
MHSAA competitive cheer Finals results
2026 and 2025 champions, and the programs with the most titles
Finals totals sit near 790 because each judge's three round scores are added together. The top of Division 1 and Division 2 is now decided by fractions of a point: the first four in Division 1 were within 1.36 points in 2026, and Allen Park and Gibraltar Carlson have won every Division 2 title for 19 years.
penalty points for music, props or a mascot, in any round
| 2026 | Champion | Runner up | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Division 1 | Rochester Hills Stoney Creek, 789.94 | Rochester, 789.52 | Third straight title. Rochester Adams third at 789.16, so the top three were all Rochester schools. |
| Division 2 | Allen Park, 790.40 | Gibraltar Carlson, 790.08 | Third straight title by 0.32. Allen Park moves up to Division 1 for 2026-27. |
| Division 3 | Pontiac Notre Dame Prep, 787.84 | Armada, 779.04 | Repeat champion, won all three rounds. Armada's best finish ever. |
| Division 4 | Pewamo-Westphalia, 776.34 | Hanover-Horton, 754.36 | Best score in all three rounds, a 21.98 point margin and the program's 10th title. |
2025 Finals
- Division 1 Stoney Creek 792.38 Rochester 792.06
- Division 2 Allen Park 791.90 Gibraltar Carlson 788.42
- Division 3 Notre Dame Prep 784.22 Grosse Ile 781.62
- Division 4 Hanover-Horton 772.68 Pewamo-Westphalia 765.62
Most Finals titles
Totals as reported by the MHSAA and the Detroit News. Carlson holds the longest streak, six straight Division 2 titles from 2011 to 2016.
Michigan competitive cheer colleges
Michigan colleges that compete in cheer, STUNT or acro
The closest fit for an MHSAA athlete is NAIA competitive cheer, a championship sport with its own scholarship limit of 12 equivalents per school. Five Michigan NAIA colleges entered a 2026 conference championship, led by Madonna, which won the WHAC and reached nationals for the first time. Michigan, Western Michigan and Eastern Michigan run Division I spirit programs that compete at NCA or UCA, Ferris State added varsity cheer and STUNT in 2025-26, and Division III Alma has won six straight NCA titles.
Two familiar names are gone. Siena Heights competed in its final season in 2026 because the university closed after 2025-26, and Concordia Ann Arbor, the 2019 NAIA champion, dropped all sports after 2024-25.
penalty points for music, props or a mascot, in any round
| College | Level | Program | Results and tryouts | Athletic aid |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Michigan Ann Arbor |
NCAA DI, Big Ten | Varsity coed cheer, competes at NCA | 12 national titles; tryouts April 17 and 18 in 2026, 2027-28 details due January 2027 | Not stated on the current page |
| Western Michigan University Kalamazoo |
NCAA DI, MAC | Spirit squad of 24 to 35, competes at UCA | Tryouts for 2026-27 held September 13 and 14, including the fight song and a 1.5 mile run | Not published |
| Eastern Michigan University Ypsilanti |
NCAA DI, MAC | Sideline squad, competes at NCA | Seventh in NCA Intermediate Small Coed DIA in 2025; May tryouts, $20 fee in 2025 | Not published |
| Ferris State University Big Rapids |
NCAA DII, GLIAC | Varsity cheer and STUNT since 2025-26 | 39 athletes in the first season; the coach previously coached MHSAA competitive cheer | Not published |
| Saginaw Valley State University Center |
NCAA DII school, club team | Club cheer, competes at NCA | NCA Intermediate Small Coed DII national champion in 2026, second in 2025 | Club sport |
| Grand Valley State Allendale |
NCAA DII school, recreation program | All girl and coed teams, compete at NCA | College Prep Clinic for grade 9 and up on October 18, 2026, $55 | Not published |
| Madonna University Livonia |
NAIA, WHAC | Competitive cheer | Won the 2026 WHAC title with 92.52, then 14th at its first NAIA nationals | Performance awards at the coach's discretion |
| Spring Arbor University Spring Arbor |
NAIA, Crossroads | Competitive cheer since 2019-20 | Third at the 2026 Crossroads League championship, 89.34 in finals | Not published |
| Cornerstone University Grand Rapids |
NAIA, WHAC | Competitive cheer since 2024-25 | Fourth at the 2026 WHAC championship, 76.75 | Not published |
| Aquinas College Grand Rapids |
NAIA, WHAC | Competitive cheer, plus STUNT from 2026 | Fifth at the 2026 WHAC championship, 74.71 | Not published |
| Rochester Christian University Rochester Hills |
NAIA, WHAC | Competitive cheer | Sixth at the 2026 WHAC championship | Not published |
| Davenport University Grand Rapids |
NCAA DII | Cheer and STUNT | STUNT went 10 and 0 in the 2026 G-MAC regular season and placed third in DII | Not published |
| Northwood University Midland |
NCAA DII | Sideline and competitive cheer | Lists a rolling virtual tryout for open roster spots | Not published |
| Alma College Alma |
NCAA DIII, MIAA | NCA cheer and STUNT | Sixth straight NCA DIII Advanced All Girl title in April 2026 (93.24), and the 2026 STUNT club national title | DIII gives no athletic aid |
| Adrian College Adrian |
NCAA DIII, MIAA | Sideline and competitive cheer, plus acro | Fourth in NCA DIII Advanced All Girl, April 2026 | DIII gives no athletic aid |
| Hope College Holland |
NCAA DIII, MIAA | Cheer team | 12 athletes on the 2025-26 roster | DIII gives no athletic aid |
Just over the border, Trine University in Angola, Indiana, an MIAA school, says freshmen who make its squad can earn a $1,000 scholarship for each year they stay on the team, and holds tryouts each spring. For every NAIA program in the country, with the 2026 nationals results and eligibility rules, see the NAIA cheer colleges page, and for the schools that publish a dollar figure, colleges with cheerleading scholarships.
From MHSAA competitive cheer to college
What a college coach can and cannot see in an MHSAA routine
College cheer is performed to music. NAIA nationals score building, tumbling and overall performance under NCA collegiate rules, and NCA and UCA College Nationals routines are set to music as well. An MHSAA athlete brings real strengths: Round 1 and Round 2 train precision, sharp motions, jump technique and the stamina to perform three rounds in one night. But a coach watching Finals video sees 16 athletes moving together and cannot pick out one flyer's stunt or one tumbler's pass.
That is the gap families need to close. College staff shortlist athletes from individual clips: the standing and running tumbling an athlete has, the stunts she can fly or base, and her jumps. Round 3 is where those skills live, so the clips worth filming are the Round 3 stunt sequences and tumbling, plus a short gym session shot from one angle. Many Michigan athletes add an all star season or private tumbling lessons to show skills the school routine does not use.
Timing matters too. The MHSAA Finals end in late February, a month before NAIA nationals, and most college rosters for the next fall are filled from March to May. A senior who waits for her Finals result to start reaching out is already late. Families who start in the fall of junior year, with clips from that winter's Round 3, are the ones on a coach's list.
MHSAA and college cheer side by side
- Music
- Not allowed, 22 point penalty
- Every college routine
- Rounds
- Three, scored separately
- One routine, prelims and finals
- Athletes
- 4 to 16, Round 2 fixed by division
- 10 to 20 at NAIA nationals
- Stunts and tumbling
- Round 3 only, Round 2 single skills
- Throughout the routine
- Coed
- Girls competitive cheer
- NAIA is one coed division
Middle column MHSAA, right column college. NAIA figures from the NAIA competitive cheer championship rules.
Get seen by Michigan and national college coaches
Put the Round 3 skills where college coaches look
A recruiting profile on Cheerleaders holds the skills videos, position, graduation year, GPA, MHSAA division and Finals results, and only coaches with a verified college email can see it. For an athlete under 18, a parent runs the profile and every contact request goes to the parent.
The profile is free. Recruiting Pro adds featured placement, up to 10 skill videos and the list of coaches who viewed it, for $39 a month or $228 a year, with no contract.
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1
Film Round 3 and one gym session
Stunt sequences and tumbling passes from one fixed angle, one skill per clip.
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2
Add the numbers coaches filter on
Graduation year, GPA, test score, position and MHSAA division.
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3
Start in junior year
Most college rosters for next fall fill from March to May, right after the MHSAA Finals.
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4
Let coaches come to the parent
Verified college coaches send contact requests, and the parent decides who to answer.
Questions
MHSAA competitive cheer questions parents ask
How is MHSAA competitive cheer scored?
Each judge scores three rounds: Round 1 out of 80, Round 2 out of 78 and Round 3 out of 108, so 266 points per judge. Judges' totals are added, which is why Finals winners land near 790. Penalties come off round by round, from 2 points for stepping off the mat to 22 points for using music or props.
How many rounds are in Michigan competitive cheer?
Three. Round 1 is the required round of jumps, motions and vocals with no stunts or tumbling. Round 2 is the compulsory round, a precision drill and five graded skills performed by an exact number of athletes. Round 3 is the open round, where stunts, pyramids and tumbling are allowed. All three are performed to voice, without music.
When is the 2027 MHSAA competitive cheer Finals?
February 26 and 27, 2027. The 2026-27 calendar has first practice on November 9, 2026, the first contest on November 23, Districts on February 12 and 13, 2027 and Regionals on February 20. Central Michigan University hosted the Finals from 2023 to 2026; the 2027 site was not confirmed in anything we could read.
How many athletes are on an MHSAA competitive cheer team?
Four to 16 athletes compete in Rounds 1 and 3, and the same number must perform in both. Round 2 uses a fixed number by division: 12 in Division 1, 10 in Division 2, 8 in Division 3 and 6 in Division 4. Schools may list more eligible athletes than that on their master list.
Who won the 2026 MHSAA competitive cheer Finals?
Rochester Hills Stoney Creek won Division 1 with 789.94, its third straight title. Allen Park won Division 2 with 790.40, Pontiac Notre Dame Prep won Division 3 with 787.84, and Pewamo-Westphalia won Division 4 with 776.34. The Finals were held March 6 and 7, 2026 at McGuirk Arena in Mount Pleasant.
Which school has the most MHSAA competitive cheer titles?
Rochester, with 15 Finals titles according to the MHSAA, the last in Division 1 in 2023. Gibraltar Carlson holds the longest streak, six straight Division 2 titles from 2011 to 2016, and has 11 in total. Pewamo-Westphalia reached 10 in 2026 and Allen Park has 8.
Can you get a college cheer scholarship from Michigan competitive cheer?
Yes, but college cheer is scored to music and judged on stunts and tumbling, so coaches recruit from Round 3 skills, not Round 1 vocals. Michigan has five NAIA competitive cheer programs that can award athletic aid under a 12 equivalent limit. NCAA Division III schools such as Alma give no athletic scholarships.
Is MHSAA competitive cheer the same as all star cheer?
No. MHSAA competitive cheer is a school sport with three rounds, performed without music, and the MHSAA says it is the only variety of cheerleading that meets the federal criteria for a sport under Title IX. All star cheer is club cheer with a single routine to music under USASF rules.
Related
NAIA cheer colleges
All 62 programs by conference, nationals results and the scholarship limit.
IHSA cheer
Illinois competitive cheerleading, the state series and its score sheet.
Best cheer colleges
Four year programs ranked by UCA and NCA titles.
FHSAA competitive cheer
Florida's one routine, 100 point format and its 2027 state series.
Finals end in February, college rosters fill in March
Put your athlete in front of college cheer coaches before the MHSAA season is over.