The 2027 UCA National High School Cheerleading Championship (NHSCC) returns to Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida, bringing together high school cheerleading teams from across the country to compete for national championships.
Organized by the Universal Cheerleaders Association (UCA), NHSCC is one of the nation's largest and most recognized high school cheerleading competitions. For more than 40 years, the championship has showcased school cheerleading programs, with performances featured on ESPN.
The 2027 championship will be held across two weekends as part of the National School Spirit Championships, bringing cheerleading, dance and school band programs together for a celebration of school spirit.
Division II (DII): January 29–31, 2027 | Walt Disney World Resort, Orlando, Florida
Division I (DI): February 4–7, 2027 | Walt Disney World Resort, Orlando, Florida
2027 NHSCC Event Information | 2026–27 NHSCC Divisions | Rules and Scoring | Past Results
In recent years, NHSCC has attracted more than 1,000 teams and tens of thousands of athletes, coaches and spectators across its championship weekends. Teams compete in Performance, Game Day and other eligible divisions, showcasing stunting, tumbling, crowd-leading and school spirit.
Event Overview
Event: 2027 UCA National High School Cheerleading Championship
Division II Dates: January 29–31, 2027
Division I Dates: February 4–7, 2027
Location: Walt Disney World Resort, Orlando, Florida
Competition Venue: ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex and designated championship venues
Organizer: Universal Cheerleaders Association (UCA)
NHSCC Live Stream: Watch on Varsity TV
ESPN Broadcast: Television broadcast details for the 2027 championship will be updated when announced.
Official Website: 2027 UCA NHSCC
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2027 NHSCC: What to Know
The National School Spirit Championships format brings cheerleading, dance and school band programs together for two championship weekends at Walt Disney World Resort.
The UCA National High School Cheerleading Championship remains a standalone national championship within the larger event, with teams competing for titles in their respective divisions.
Participating school spirit programs include:
Cheerleading: Performance Divisions and standalone Cheer Game Day Divisions
Dance: Performance Divisions and standalone Dance Game Day Divisions
Band: Pep Band Division
The format also offers opportunities for different spirit programs from the same school to compete together.
Divisions, Rules and Scoring
The 2027 NHSCC will feature multiple divisions based on school enrollment, team size, roster composition and competition category.
Division I and Division II
The primary high school enrollment classifications are:
Division I (DI): Schools with 1,400 or more students
Division II (DII): Schools with 1–1,399 students
Teams must compete in the appropriate classification according to UCA's official division guidelines.
Performance Divisions
Performance Divisions evaluate teams on technical execution, difficulty, synchronization and overall performance.
Varsity categories include Small Varsity, Medium Varsity, Large Varsity, Super Varsity and Varsity Coed divisions.
Other eligible categories include junior varsity, junior high, non-tumbling, intermediate and recreational divisions.
The 2026–27 season also includes updates to several divisions, including Junior Varsity, Large Varsity Non-Tumbling and Varsity Coed Non-Tumbling.
Some categories may be separated into additional divisions based on team size and the number of registered teams.
Game Day Divisions
Game Day competition focuses on traditional school cheerleading and a team's ability to lead a crowd.
Teams are evaluated through elements such as crowd-leading, fight songs, band chants and situational cheer.
