Scholarships by Sport: Acrobatics and Tumbling

NCAA Acrobatics and Tumbling — often called A&T — is one of the most exciting and fastest-growing scholarship opportunities in women's college athletics. Recognized as an emerging NCAA sport, A&T has grown to over 40 varsity programs at colleges and universities across the country, with scholarship money available at a rising number of schools. For athletes with backgrounds in competitive cheer, gymnastics, or tumbling, A&T offers a distinct college scholarship pathway that rewards exactly the skills they have been developing for years.

Understanding Athletic Scholarships

Acrobatics and Tumbling is an equivalency sport offered exclusively for women under NCAA emerging sport status. Scholarship equivalencies vary by program — schools that have elevated A&T to full varsity status typically offer between 5 and 14 equivalencies depending on their commitment level and program size. Because the sport is still in a growth phase, scholarship structures differ meaningfully from school to school. Contact coaches directly at every program to understand what scholarship funding is currently available and what the program's trajectory looks like over the next few years.

Key Insight: Cheer and Gymnastics Athletes Are the Primary Recruiting Pool

A&T is built on the skills of competitive all-star cheerleading and gymnastics — stunting, pyramids, tumbling passes, and basket tosses form the core of the sport's competitive framework. Athletes who have competed in All-Star cheer at the level 5 or above, or who have a gymnastics background with strong tumbling and acrobatic skills, are exactly the athletes A&T coaches are looking for. If you have invested years in competitive cheer and are wondering whether there is a college scholarship pathway for those skills, A&T is the answer.

Scholarship Numbers at a Glance

LevelScholarshipsPrograms NCAA Division I WomenVaries by program (5–14 equivalencies)40+ programs NCAA Division II WomenVaries (emerging)Growing number of programs NAIA WomenVariesLimited programs

How A&T Competition Works

Unlike traditional cheer sideline performance, A&T is a head-to-head competition sport with a structured competitive format. Teams compete in four events: Acro (partner stunts and group acrobatics), Tumbling (individual and synchronized tumbling passes), Pyramid (multi-level structure building), and Toss (basket tosses scored for difficulty and execution). Competitions are judged against objective difficulty and execution criteria, making A&T more similar in structure to gymnastics than to traditional cheerleading. Understanding the competitive format helps you position your skills appropriately when contacting coaches.

NIL — A Growing Opportunity

NIL in college A&T is an early-stage but growing area. Athletic apparel brands, cheerleading equipment companies, and sports nutrition brands have begun engaging college A&T athletes with strong competitive profiles and social media followings. The visually compelling nature of the sport — with high-flying stunts, synchronized tumbling, and pyramid sequences — makes it exceptionally well-suited for video content on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube. Athletes who build a content presence around their A&T training and competition often attract brand interest alongside their athletic credentials.

How to Maximize Your Scholarship Opportunities

• Contact coaches at every A&T program directly — the sport is small enough that personalized outreach to every program in the country is realistic and effective
• Send video of your competitive cheer or gymnastics performances, highlighting your role in stunts, pyramids, and tumbling sequences — coaches evaluate all four A&T event areas from recruiting footage
• Identify programs that have recently added A&T to their varsity lineup — newer programs are actively building rosters and frequently have more immediate scholarship availability
• Attend A&T showcases and recruiting events — the sport's governing body and individual programs host events that give coaches live evaluation opportunities
• Highlight your tumbling level specifically — difficulty of tumbling skills is one of the primary factors coaches use to assess a recruit's competitive readiness
• Stack athletic and academic merit aid — many A&T programs are at universities with strong merit scholarship offerings that can be combined with athletic funding for a stronger total package

The Bottom Line

Acrobatics and Tumbling is one of the best-kept secrets in college scholarship athletics for competitive cheer and gymnastics athletes. With 40+ programs, growing scholarship allocations, and a recruiting pool that has not yet caught up to the sport's expansion, athletes who pursue A&T proactively are entering one of the most favorable recruiting markets in college athletics. The skills you have built in All-Star cheer and gymnastics are exactly what A&T coaches need — and the time to act on that opportunity is now, before the market becomes as competitive as more established NCAA sports.