WASHINGTON, D.C. – Following majority votes by the Division II and Division III membership on Friday morning, Acrobatics & Tumbling has been added as the NCAA's 93rd national championship. The Division I cabinet additionally approved the championship on Wednesday during its annual cabinet meeting in Washington, D.C.

Acrobatics & Tumbling now advances from the NCAA Emerging Sports for Women program to become a National Collegiate championship, which features NCAA member programs from all three divisions competing against each other for a national title. The first national championship will be crowned in the spring of 2027.

"This legislation passing is incredibly meaningful for Acrobatics & Tumbling. It shows that the sport has earned its place and that the work done over many years truly mattered," said Danielle Cutri, Fairmont State head coach. "From a sport perspective, it brings clarity, stability, and a real championship pathway for our female student-athletes. For many athletes, particularly those transitioning from gymnastics, cheer, or tumbling, this recognition affirms that their talents are worthy of the same respect and opportunities as any other NCAA student-athlete.It affirms that what started as a vision is now something lasting, and it gives current and future student-athletes the confidence that their sport is respected, supported, and here to stay. NCAA status doesn't just mark a milestone; it solidifies acrobatics and tumbling as a permanent part of collegiate athletics with room to continue growing and inspiring."

Added to the NCAA Emerging Sports for Women program in August 2020, acrobatics & tumbling continued to take significant steps of growth by eclipsing the necessary 40 schools that must sponsor it at the varsity level and meet minimum sports sponsorship requirements to become eligible for championship status.

One of the trailblazers for acrobatics and tumbling is Kristi Kiefer. During her coaching career, Kiefer has been at the forefront to help the sport of competitive cheer transition to acrobatics and tumbling in an effort for the sport to be recognized by the NCAA and garner emerging sport status. The hard work paid off on Jan. 25, 2020 when NCAA Division II and Division III voted to approve A&T as an emerging sport for women during the NCAA Convention. NCAA Division I also added the sport to the emerging sport list of June 17, 2020.

Kiefer helped lead the charge with Fairmont State University and four other schools to start A&T in 2010. They worked with administrators from different institutions to format the skills into a sport by females for females, different than competitive cheerleading and artistic gymnastics. While some teams started out as competitive cheer, more schools got on board to create a team specifically for A&T. Over the years, Kiefer has continued to elevate the sport not only in West Virginia but at institutions across the country.

Currently, 52 institutions from the NCAA sponsor Acrobatics & Tumbling as a varsity sport, with over 1,300 student-athletes preparing to compete this spring. The 2026 season gets underway on Sunday, February 1, 2026.

Fairmont State opens the 2026 season on Saturday, February 7 with a tri-meet against West Liberty University and West Virginia State University in Joe Retton Arena. Start time is set for 2:00 p.m.