The National School Spirit Championships introduce a new competition structure for high school spirit programs by dividing national competition across two weekends. Hosted by Varsity Spirit, the event brings cheer, dance, and band together under one national championship framework while separating competition by school size.
The championships take place at Walt Disney World® Resort and are designed as a single national event with two distinct competitive windows. Division II schools compete first, followed by Division I schools the following weekend.
Rather than operating as separate championships, both weekends are part of one consolidated event with consistent rules, divisions, and national recognition.
Division II Weekend Overview
The first weekend of the National School Spirit Championships is dedicated to Division II schools, defined as those with enrollments between 1 and 1,399 students.
During this weekend, Division II programs compete for national titles in multiple disciplines, including:
• The UCA National High School Cheerleading Championship
• The UDA National Dance Team Championship
• The National School Band Championship
Each discipline awards Division II national champions, and all competition, awards, and recognition are contained within the Division II weekend schedule.
This structure allows Division II programs to compete exclusively against schools of similar size while participating in the same national event identity as Division I.
Division I Weekend Overview
The second weekend is reserved for Division I schools, defined as those with enrollments of 1,400 students or more.
Division I competition follows the same format used during the Division II weekend. Cheer, dance, and band programs compete within their respective divisions, with national titles awarded by discipline. Spirit Program Game Day divisions are also included, focusing on sideline performance and school engagement.
While Division I programs compete on a separate weekend, the championship structure, judging standards, and event presentation remain consistent across both weekends.
One Event, Separate Results
Although the National School Spirit Championships are divided by weekend, results are not combined across divisions. Division II and Division I each crown their own national champions in cheer, dance, band, and game day categories.
In addition to discipline-specific titles, Varsity Spirit has introduced a National School Spirit Champion designation within each division. Schools earn points based on participation across multiple disciplines, including cheer, dance, band, and combined program categories.
Points are calculated independently for Division II and Division I, and a National School Spirit Champion is named at the conclusion of each weekend. Varsity Spirit has announced that up to $75,000 in prizes and awards will be distributed across the championships.
Additional Programming Within Both Weekends
Both competition weekends also include Varsity Yearbook’s Press Pass Academy, a student journalism program that runs alongside championship schedules. The academy provides participating students with opportunities to cover their school’s spirit programs through reporting, photography, and storytelling.
Press Pass Academy operates during each division’s competition window and is available to schools attending the championships.
Viewing and Coverage
All performances from both weekends are streamed on Varsity TV, where routine videos and official results are available on demand. Broadcast coverage is scheduled to air on ESPN2 and ESPNU.
The two-weekend format is a structural decision rather than a scheduling convenience. By separating Division II and Division I competition, the National School Spirit Championships create distinct competitive environments while maintaining a single national identity.
Both weekends operate under the same championship framework, reinforcing consistency across divisions while allowing each group of schools to compete within its own enrollment classification.
As the National School Spirit Championships continue to develop, the two-weekend model serves as the foundation for how cheer, dance, and band programs are collectively represented on a national stage.
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