SPARKS, NEVADA – The NIAA will restore statewide competition for high school cheer and dance teams in March 2027, building on a championship Nevada coaches first established in 2006.
Nevada high school cheer and dance teams will compete for state titles again when the Nevada Spirit State Championship returns March 5–6, 2027, in Las Vegas.
The Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association will produce the championship with JAMZ Cheer & Dance serving as its Official Rules, Scoring and Education Partner. Rebel Athletic will be a presenting partner of the event.
The 2027 championship will restore a statewide opportunity first created by the Nevada Spirit Coaches Association more than 20 years ago.
The coaches association, led by Terrie McNutt, spent two years developing the original Nevada Silver State Spirit Championship. The inaugural event was held March 4, 2006, and brought high school programs from across Nevada together for the first time in a statewide championship setting.
The event continued for seven years.
Deb Dowty Solari, the current NIAA Spirit Rules Interpreter, experienced that period as the cheerleading coach at Galena High School and a Northern Region Director on the Nevada Spirit Coaches Association Board.
“The event left a lasting impact on Nevada’s spirit community,” Solari told Cheer Daily. “It provided athletes and coaches with an opportunity to compete against programs from across the state and celebrate the growth of cheer and dance in Nevada.”
The coaches association hoped the championship would eventually become part of the NIAA. However, producing a statewide event required significant time and resources from a volunteer organization, and the championship was discontinued after its seven-year run.
Interest in bringing it back never went away.
Approximately two years ago, then-NIAA Executive Director Donnie Nelson and incoming Executive Director Tim Jackson began moving the conversation forward. Their work included exploring the recognition of cheer and dance as NIAA-sanctioned sports and evaluating how the association could support a sustainable state championship.
The NIAA created an official Spirit Committee and began gathering input from its member schools.
According to Solari, the response showed considerable interest across the state. The NIAA Board of Control and staff also supported creating a statewide opportunity for Nevada’s cheer and dance athletes.
“The difference today is that the sport has continued to grow and evolve, and the NIAA is now in a position to provide the structure and support necessary to make a state championship sustainable,” Solari said.
Nevada teams have continued to compete at independently produced events, but the NIAA championship will offer something specific to school-based programs: the opportunity to compete for an official Nevada state title while representing their schools.
“There are competitions available to Nevada teams, but a statewide championship sanctioned by the NIAA provides something different,” Solari said. “The opportunity to represent their school, compete for a Nevada state title and have their accomplishments recognized at the highest level within Nevada high school athletics.”
JAMZ will provide the rules, scoring and education structure for the championship.
The NIAA selected JAMZ based on its experience producing cheer and dance competitions, its work with school programs and its established presence in Nevada through national events in Las Vegas.
“During the NIAA’s evaluation process, JAMZ demonstrated not only a strong understanding of competition operations, but also a commitment to education and ongoing support for Nevada’s coaches and programs,” Solari said.
“That was particularly important to the NIAA as we developed a championship that is intended to be sustainable and provide consistency for schools and student-athletes.”
Sims also confirmed that the partnership does not move Nevada away from the National Federation of State High School Associations. NIAA and the JAMZ school divisions will remain aligned with NFHS standards, while JAMZ education, competitive levels and scoring will provide the basis for the NIAA high school divisions.
In its first year, the championship will give Nevada athletes and coaches a defined conclusion to their competitive season and a state title recognized within Nevada high school athletics.
The NIAA expects its impact to extend beyond one event.
Solari pointed to the growth of girls wrestling in Nevada following the addition of a state championship. The association believes statewide recognition could similarly increase participation, visibility and investment in cheer and dance programs.
“Most importantly, the NIAA wants Nevada’s Spirit athletes to know that their hard work matters and that their accomplishments are valued within interscholastic athletics,” Solari said.
The 2027 championship brings together the history established by Nevada’s coaches, the support of the NIAA and a new competition partnership with JAMZ.
For Nevada’s high school cheer and dance programs, it also brings back something they have not had in 15 years: a state championship of their own.
