INDIANAPOLIS – On Wednesday afternoon during its Cabinet Meeting in National Harbor, Maryland, the NCAA Division I membership voted to approve Acrobatics & Tumbling for championship status. The vote took place during the annual NCAA Convention.
The Cabinet unanimously voted to create a National Collegiate Championship in the sport.
Championship status for collegiate championships require a unique legislative process requiring all three divisions to pass the proposal. With approval during the NCAA Division II and Division III business sessions on Friday (Jan. 16), the sports would be eligible for a collegiate championships event in the spring of 2027.
"The DI vote is a huge step forward in the process,” said NCATA Executive Director Janell Cook. “We are thankful to the DI Cabinet for their support of Acrobatics & Tumbling and of new championship opportunities for women. We look forward to votes in DII and DIII later this week."
Pending approval in Division II and Division III, the NCAA will establish a sport specific committee charged with overseeing the championship and playing rules for Acrobatics & Tumbling as an NCAA sport. The committee will be charged with determining the format and dates of the championships, as well as overseeing the bid process for hosting the championships event.
“The University of Oregon has been a pioneer in the launch and continued growth of Acrobatics & Tumbling,” said UO Director of Athletics Rob Mullens. “Acrobatics & Tumbling is a great sport loaded with outstanding student-athletes. The sport and the student-athletes have made significant contributions to Oregon Athletics, the University, and our Eugene community. We are excited to see the continued progress.”
Administrators and coaches from NCAA member institutions will be eligible to serve on the committee.
NATIONAL COLLEGIATE ACROBATICS & TUMBLING ASSOCIATION
The mission and vision of the NCATA is to bring the sport of Acrobatics & Tumbling through NCAA emerging sport status to become a fully sanctioned NCAA championship sport. The NCATA is dedicated to the guidance, leadership and governance for the sport at the collegiate level based on fair and safe competition while adding competitive varsity opportunities for female student-athletes. The NCATA is committed to promoting Acrobatics & Tumbling, creating new competitive opportunities for student-athletes, coaches and institutions with an emphasis on the value of responsibility, competitiveness, dedication, sportsmanship, and education. Nationwide, 52 NCAA programs sponsor Acrobatics & Tumbling as a varsity sport, with 47 programs competing in 2025-26. Overall, 1,300 student-athletes will compete at the collegiate level during the spring of 2026.