SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Missouri State University, a Division I institution and member of the Missouri Valley Conference, has announced the addition of two sports on Monday, including becoming the 55^th institution nationwide to add Acrobatics & Tumbling, an NCAA Emerging Sport for Women.
 
“We are excited to be able to enhance our opportunities for women to pursue their academic and athletic goals in STUNT and Acrobatics & Tumbling,” said Kyle Moats, Missouri State’s Director of Athletics. “Both of these emerging sports are becoming very popular in their participation. I’m thrilled to be able to offer them as part of our interscholastic experience. I’m certain our community and region will find these sports fun and exciting to attend.”
 
With the addition of two sports, Missouri State now offers 19 intercollegiate programs, including 13 women’s sports.

"We are excited to welcome Missouri State to the NCATA and the Acrobatics & Tumbling community," said NCATA Executive Director Janell Cook. "We look forward to working alongside them to implement their program and to support its growth. As the first member program in the state of Missouri, they will offer unique opportunities for young women training in gymnastics and cheerleading to take their skills to the next level and to pursue their academic goals at a public institution with a wide range of degree programs.
 
“We are thankful to have Missouri State investing in new opportunities for women. DI membership in the NCATA continues to grow and Missouri State's announcement will certainly strengthen ongoing conversations with institutions currently exploring adding a program. The first program in each state always creates new interest as well, which we welcome as we continue growth and progress towards our goal of becoming a NCAA championship sport,” Cook added.
 
About Acrobatics and Tumbling
Teams participate in head-to-head competition in meets of two or three teams. A meet consists of six events, with a total of 20 heats. Event order: Compulsory (4 heats), Acro (3 heats), Pyramid (3 heats), halftime (15:00), Toss (3 heats), Tumbling (6 heats), and Team (1 heat). Scores are based on pre-determined start values and evaluated on the execution of skills. In any given heat, 1-24 student-athletes may be competing as individuals or in groups.
 
The National Collegiate Acrobatics and Tumbling Association (NCATA) is the governing body for Acrobatics & Tumbling. The NCATA exists to provide leadership, governance, and education for the sport of Acrobatics & Tumbling at the collegiate level based on fair and safe athletic competition while continuing to expand varsity opportunities for female student-athletes at the collegiate level.