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National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics Exploring STUNTNew Sport format recognized as a benefit for female collegiate athletes. Memphis, Tenn. (January 10, 2012) – The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) is exploring STUNT, the new sport format developed from cheerleading, as an emerging varsity women’s sport. USA Cheer, the governing body for cheerleading in the United States, created STUNT as a way to heighten the cheerleading experience for female athletes. In its first season, 22 college cheerleading teams participated in STUNT. The University of Louisville nabbed the title of first-ever STUNT Champions. A new competitive team sport that was derived from traditional cheerleading, STUNT removes the crowd-leading and focuses on the technical and athletic components, which include partner stunts, pyramids, basket tosses, jumps and tumbling skills. Originally designed to be considered for NCAA Emerging Sport status, STUNT has resonated with college level athletes. “We applaud USA Cheer’s efforts to create an exciting and challenging athletic option for female athletes,” says Jamie Adams, NAIA Sport Manager. “The NAIA has been exploring the STUNT format, and presenting it to our institutions as another viable option for them to consider when declaring varsity sports.. We know that with cheer’s popularity, STUNT will be a popular option for athletes.” Oklahoma City University of the NAIA will be competing in STUNT this spring to help introduce the new sport to other member institutions. Bill Seely, Executive Director for USA Cheer agrees. “We recognize that that there are hundreds of thousands of female athletes considering their athletic options at the college level, and are confident that this format will be embraced. We are excited to work with the NAIA to ensure that STUNT is a successful option for their organization and, most importantly, with their athletes.” 
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