A championship sport with scholarship limits
NAIA Cheer Colleges and Competitive Cheer Scholarships
NAIA cheer is the only college cheer with an official national championship and a scholarship limit written into the rules: 12 full cost equivalents per school. We verified 62 NAIA colleges that entered a 2026 conference qualifier. Xavier of Louisiana won nationals in March 2026, and the 2027 championship is March 26 and 27 in Topeka.
Results, rules and fields read from the NAIA, its handbook and each conference's own releases, October 2026.
NAIA cheer nationals 2026
Stormont Vail Events Center, Topeka, March 28, 2026.
62
NAIA colleges we verified in a 2026 competitive cheer conference qualifier
12
scholarship equivalents allowed per school for cheer, 10 for dance
15
teams advance to the national championship each March
$110
one time NAIA Eligibility Center fee for a US high school student
NAIA cheer programs by conference
NAIA colleges with competitive cheer in 2026
Every school below put a competitive cheer team on the floor at its conference qualifying championship in March 2026, listed in finishing order. That is a stricter test than a directory listing, because only a varsity team that competes all season can enter. The map is Midwestern and Southern: Kansas, Iowa, Missouri, Indiana and Michigan hold most of the programs, with a strong Southern States group from Louisiana to Georgia.
American Midwest
Missouri, Iowa, Oklahoma, North Dakota, Illinois
Oklahoma City won with 95.94
- Oklahoma City University OK · D
- St. Ambrose University IA · D
- Dickinson State University ND
- Langston University OK
- Columbia College MO
- Saint Xavier University IL
- UHSP St. Louis MO
- Cottey College MO
Heart of America
Missouri, Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska
Missouri Valley won with 92.92
- Missouri Valley College MO
- Grand View University IA · D
- Baker University KS · D
- William Penn University IA
- Park University MO
- Benedictine College KS
- MidAmerica Nazarene KS
- Culver-Stockton College MO
- Peru State College NE
- Mount Mercy University IA
Great Plains (GPAC)
Iowa, Nebraska, South Dakota
Northwestern won with 89.55
- Northwestern College IA
- Midland University NE · D
- Doane University NE · D
- Mount Marty University SD
- Dordt University IA
- Waldorf University IA
- Hastings College NE
- Concordia University Nebraska NE · D
Kansas Collegiate (KCAC)
Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma
Saint Mary won with 91.3
- University of Saint Mary KS · D
- Sterling College KS
- Kansas Wesleyan University KS · D
- Avila University MO
- McPherson College KS
- Friends University KS · D
- York University NE · D
- Oklahoma Wesleyan University OK
Crossroads League
Indiana, Michigan
Taylor won with 90.63
- Taylor University IN
- Indiana Wesleyan University IN
- Spring Arbor University MI
- University of Saint Francis IN
- Bethel University IN
- Marian University IN
- Huntington University IN
Wolverine-Hoosier (WHAC)
Michigan, Ohio
Madonna won with 92.52
- Madonna University MI
- Lourdes University OH
- Siena Heights University MI
- Cornerstone University MI
- Aquinas College MI · D
- Rochester Christian University MI
Mid-South
Kentucky, Tennessee
Cumberlands won with 95.08
- University of the Cumberlands KY
- Georgetown College KY
- Cumberland University TN
- Midway University KY
- Lindsey Wilson University KY
Southern States (SSAC)
Louisiana, Florida, Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi
Xavier won with 97.95
- Xavier University of Louisiana LA
- Florida Memorial University FL
- UT Southern TN
- University of Mobile AL
- Brewton-Parker Christian GA
- Life University GA
- Loyola University New Orleans LA · D
- William Carey University MS
- Milligan University TN
D marks schools that also fielded NAIA competitive dance in 2026. Hope International in California also had 2026 cheer All-Americans. Siena Heights competed in its final season in 2026, because the university closed at the end of the 2025-26 year.
NAIA cheer nationals
How the NAIA competitive cheer championship works
Each conference qualifier winner gets an automatic berth, with a second berth for conferences of 12 or more teams, and a selection committee fills the rest of the 15 team field. A team needs at least four competitions to be considered. At nationals there is one coed division, preliminaries on Friday count 25 percent and finals on Saturday count 75 percent, and seven judges score building, tumbling and overall.
Scores have climbed fast. Oklahoma City won the first title in 2017 with 87.08, and St. Ambrose set the championship record of 97.95 in 2025. In 2026 Xavier came from fourth after preliminaries to win with 96.13.
2027 championship
March 26 and 27, 2027, Topeka, Kansas
Qualifiers close March 13. Field announced March 15 on the NAIA Selection Show.
2026 final standings
- 1. Xavier (La.) 96.13
- 2. Indiana Wesleyan (Ind.) 92.72
- 3. St. Ambrose (Iowa) 91.75
- 4. Cumberlands (Ky.) 91.73
- 5. Oklahoma City (Okla.) 91.48
- 6. Dickinson State (N.D.) 90.46
- 7. Missouri Valley (Mo.) 88.44
- 8. Florida Memorial (Fla.) 86.61
- 9. Northwestern (Iowa) 86.40
- 10. UT Southern (Tenn.) 86.04
Champions by year
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2017 Oklahoma City 87.08
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2018 Missouri Valley 86.45
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2019 Concordia Ann Arbor 82.12
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2021 Oklahoma City 91.53
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2022 Xavier (La.) 93.70
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2023 St. Ambrose 95.51
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2024 St. Ambrose 97.28
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2025 St. Ambrose 97.95
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2026 Xavier (La.) 96.13
No championship in 2020. Bars start at 75 points.
NAIA cheer scholarships
Twelve scholarship equivalents per school, and how coaches split them
The NAIA handbook caps institutional aid for competitive cheer at 12 equivalents per school, and 10 for competitive dance. An equivalent is one full cost award: tuition, fees, books, room and board. Coaches rarely hand out 12 full rides. They divide the total, so a roster of 24 sharing 12 equivalents averages half of the full cost each, before any academic money.
The rule that matters most for families is the academic exemption. Aid given to a freshman with a 3.75 GPA, a 27 ACT or a 1280 SAT, or a top 10 percent rank, does not count against the 12 at all, and a 3.50 GPA or 23 ACT counts half. A strong student costs the cheer coach less of the limit, which leaves more for the rest of the team. Pell and state grants never count.
There is no national letter of intent in the NAIA. Some schools use their own non binding letters, and the award is set by each school, so ask every coach what a roster spot pays and whether it renews. Sticker prices vary more than awards do. Dickinson State, a public university, lists 2026-27 tuition and fees of $9,728 a year, while the University of Saint Mary lists $36,980, Indiana Wesleyan $34,058 and St. Ambrose $39,348 a year in tuition alone, and 2026 champion Xavier charges $13,835 a semester. The same half award means very different bills.
What counts against the cheer limit of 12
Athletic and performance awards
Counts in full
Academic aid, freshman with 3.50 to 3.74 GPA or 23 ACT
Counts half
Academic aid, freshman with 3.75 GPA or 27 ACT
Does not count
Pell Grant, state grants, outside scholarships
Does not count
From the NAIA Official and Policy Handbook, financial aid limits and academic exemption rules. Test thresholds shown for tests taken from May 2019 on.
NAIA eligibility and tryouts
What a high school cheerleader needs to compete in the NAIA
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1
A 2.30 GPA, or two of three
Graduate and finish with a 2.30 GPA, or meet two of these: 18 ACT or 970 SAT on one test date, a 2.0 GPA, a top half class rank. Guides quoting 16 ACT and 860 SAT use the old standard.
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2
Register at PlayNAIA
The NAIA Eligibility Center is separate from the NCAA one. The fee is $110 once for a US high school student, waived with a counselor confirmed fee waiver.
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3
Two tryout days in a career
NAIA rules allow a student at most two days of tryouts in total, so pick the schools first and use video to get there.
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4
Full time and on track
Twelve credit hours and normal progress, with a 2.0 GPA to stay eligible as a continuing student. Practice may start September 1.
NAIA cheer and NCAA cheer
Where NAIA competitive cheer differs from cheer at an NCAA school
Traditional cheer at NCAA schools is a spirit program, not an NCAA sport, so it has no NCAA championship and no NCAA scholarship count. The NCAA's new championship sports in this space are STUNT and acrobatics and tumbling, both for women, with first titles in spring 2027.
Pell Grant, state grants, outside scholarships
| NAIA competitive cheer | Cheer at an NCAA school | |
|---|---|---|
| Official national championship | Yes, since 2017, every March | None. Teams enter private UCA or NCA nationals |
| Scholarship limit | 12 equivalents per school | No NCAA count, each school decides |
| Division | One coed division, 10 to 20 on the floor | Coed, all girl and game day divisions at UCA and NCA |
| Recruiting contact | No contact calendar for high school athletes | No NCAA cheer rules, school policy applies |
| Eligibility center | NAIA, $110 once | NCAA, needed only for NCAA sports such as STUNT or acro |
| Typical school | Small private college, smaller roster | Large public university, game day duties |
Many NAIA teams do both. Cumberlands finished fourth at NAIA nationals in March 2026 and third in NCA Advanced All Girl NAIA in Daytona two weeks later, and Georgetown College won its first UCA title in January 2026. To compare the four year programs with the most titles, see the best cheer colleges, the Kentucky cheer guide for Georgetown and Cumberlands next to UK, and the acrobatics and tumbling colleges for the NCAA side.
How NAIA coaches find recruits
A recruiting profile NAIA cheer coaches can see before the two tryout days are spent
With only two tryout days allowed in a whole career and no contact calendar, NAIA recruiting runs on video and early conversations. Coaches at small schools recruit across several states, and they shortlist athletes they have already watched tumble and stunt.
A recruiting profile on Cheerleaders holds the skills videos, position, level, graduation year, GPA and titles, 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.
Weighing a two year school first? The JUCO cheer teams page covers the NJCAA path, and colleges with cheerleading scholarships lists what 20 programs pay.
What an NAIA coach checks first
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Tumbling and building on video
Two of the three national score categories, so the first thing a coach watches.
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GPA and test score
Decides eligibility and whether academic aid sits outside the limit of 12.
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Graduation year and state
Small staffs plan rosters a year ahead and travel within a region.
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Position and level
A coed team of 10 to 20 needs a balance of flyers, bases and tumblers.
Questions
NAIA cheer questions parents ask
Does the NAIA have cheerleading?
Yes. The NAIA sponsors competitive cheer as a championship sport and held the first national championship in 2017, the first collegiate association to do so. The 2026 championship was the tenth. The NAIA also runs a separate competitive dance championship the same weekend, and both sports are coed.
Do NAIA schools give cheer scholarships?
Yes. NAIA rules allow up to 12 scholarship equivalents for competitive cheer and 10 for competitive dance per school, counted as full cost awards that a coach can split among many athletes. Academic awards for students with a 3.75 GPA or a 27 ACT do not count against that limit.
Who won NAIA cheer nationals in 2026?
Xavier University of Louisiana won the 2026 NAIA Competitive Cheer National Championship in Topeka on March 28 with 96.13, ahead of Indiana Wesleyan at 92.72 and St. Ambrose at 91.75. It was Xavier's second title after 2022. St. Ambrose had won the three before it, from 2023 to 2025.
When is the 2027 NAIA cheer national championship?
March 26 and 27, 2027, at the Stormont Vail Events Center in Topeka, Kansas. Fifteen teams qualify. Conference qualifiers must finish by March 13 and the field is announced on the NAIA Selection Show on March 15, 2027. Preliminaries count 25 percent and finals 75 percent.
How many NAIA schools have competitive cheer?
We verified 62 NAIA schools that entered a 2026 conference qualifying championship, across eight conferences from Michigan to Louisiana, and Florida Memorial cited 67 programs nationally in March 2026. Kansas, Iowa, Missouri, Indiana and Michigan have the most programs.
What do you need to be eligible to cheer in the NAIA?
Graduate from high school and either finish with a 2.30 GPA or meet two of three: an 18 ACT or 970 SAT on one test date, a 2.0 GPA, or a top half class rank. Register with the NAIA Eligibility Center at PlayNAIA for a one time $110 fee. Older guides that quote 16 ACT and 860 SAT are out of date.
Is NAIA cheer coed or all girl?
NAIA competitive cheer has a single coed division. Teams put 10 to 20 athletes on the floor, judged on building, tumbling and overall performance under NCA collegiate advanced rules with NAIA changes. An all girl team can enter, but it competes in the same division as coed teams. Several NAIA squads also compete at NCA in Daytona.
How do NAIA cheer recruiting rules differ from the NCAA?
The NAIA has no recruiting contact calendar for high school athletes, so coaches and families can talk at any point, and there is no national letter of intent. Athletes get at most two tryout days in their whole career. The NCAA has no cheer championship at all, only STUNT and acrobatics and tumbling.
Two tryout days, so be seen first
Put your athlete where NAIA and four year cheer coaches look before they plan next season's roster.