Stunt took a major leap forward this week toward becoming an NCAA championship sport, with its first NCAA championship projected for as early as spring 2027.

The NCAA Committee on Women’s Athletics voted at its meeting Thursday to recommend Divisions I, II and III sponsor legislation to add a National Collegiate stunt championship. The recommendation is contingent on official confirmation of the sport’s sponsorship and participation numbers for spring 2025 competition, which will occur over the summer.

Before the Committee on Women’s Athletics can recommend a sport for NCAA championship status, at least 40 schools must sponsor it at the varsity level and meet the sport’s minimum competition and participant requirements. The committee oversees the Emerging Sports for Women program, which aims to grow participation and competitive opportunities for women’s sports across the NCAA. The committee also recommended the three divisions sponsor legislation to add a National Collegiate acrobatics and tumbling championship, contingent on official confirmation of its sponsorship and participation numbers.

Stunt’s growth has been rapid across the NCAA, crossing the benchmark of 40 schools meeting minimum contest and participant requirements in its first year as an emerging sport in all three divisions. It joined the emerging sports program in 2023 in Divisions I and II, while Division III added it in 2024.

“The advancement of stunt toward National Collegiate championship status is a powerful step forward for women’s sports,” said Ragean Hill, chair of the Committee on Women’s Athletics and executive associate athletics director/senior woman administrator at Charlotte. “This discipline not only showcases athleticism and teamwork at the highest level, but also reflects the continued commitment to expanding opportunities for female student-athletes across the country.”

“The NCAA is, once again, expanding championship opportunities to female athletes nationwide,” added Marion Terenzio, vice chair of the Committee on Women’s Athletics and president at SUNY Cobleskill. “The addition of stunt, which started in 2010, demonstrates the NCAA’s commitment to its mission to grow the college sports ecosystem. I am proud that we continue to do our part in elevating women in the pursuit of athletic excellence.”

Stunt transforms traditional cheerleading skills into a head-to-head, four-quarter format emphasizing athleticism and precision. Teams compete in partner stunts, pyramids, jumps and tumbling, with points awarded based on execution. Championships are conducted through a double-elimination tournament structure, and games require only existing gymnasium space. The sport is currently governed at the collegiate level by USA Cheer and continues to grow through robust high school and club pipelines.

“On behalf of USA Cheer and the stunt community, we are honored by the NCAA Committee on Women’s Athletics’ recommendation of stunt as a National Collegiate Championship sport,” said Lauri Harris, executive director of USA Cheer. “This recognition is the result of more than a decade of dedicated work by coaches, administrators, athletes and advocates who have championed stunt’s growth with a shared vision of expanding opportunities for young women, and today’s announcement is a powerful affirmation of that mission. We are proud of the progress this sport has made and deeply grateful to the NCAA and its member institutions for recognizing the value stunt brings to collegiate athletics. This recommendation marks a transformative step forward for the thousands of female athletes who now see a clearer path to competing at the next level.”

More than 40 schools sponsored the sport and met the minimum participant and competition thresholds in the 2024-25 academic year. This represents a significant jump from the 2023-24 academic year, which had 26 schools report sponsoring the sport with more than 700 student-athletes. which had 26 schools report sponsoring the sport with more than 700 student-athletes.

If all three divisions sponsor and approve legislation to create a National Collegiate Championship, stunt student-athletes across all divisions would compete at the championship.

“The Committee on Women’s Athletics’ vote to recommend stunt as an NCAA championship sport means the world to me and everyone in the stunt community, not just as athletes but everyone who has poured so much into this sport,” said Maddie Arochi, a junior at California Baptist. “For my teammates and me, it is a powerful moment of recognition for all the hours of hard work, discipline and passion we’ve dedicated. It’s not just about us; it’s about paving the way for the next generation of stunt athletes across the country. For CBU, it raises the bar for our program and creates new opportunities for athletes who want to be part of something bigger than themselves. It’s more than a title. It’s about being seen, respected and celebrated for the sport we love and give everything to, day in and day out.”

Following the committee’s recommendation, here is the projected timeline to add a stunt championship:

• Each division is expected to review the recommendation and sponsor a proposal by its respective 2025-26 legislative cycle deadline.
• If sponsored, the divisions are expected to vote on the proposals in January during the 2026 NCAA Convention in Washington, D.C.
• The recommendation also includes establishing an NCAA Stunt Committee, which would begin its work in January 2026, to allow time to prepare for a championship in spring 2027.
• If adopted on that timeline, the first stunt championship would be held in spring 2027.

Additionally, before a National Collegiate Championship can be established, funding must be approved by the appropriate financial oversight committees. If approved, stunt would join the following sports that have earned NCAA championship status through the Emerging Sports for Women program: rowing (1996), ice hockey (2000), water polo (2000), bowling (2003) and wrestling (2025). In 2023-24, emerging sports accounted for over 5,000 participation opportunities for student-athletes based on NCAA sports sponsorship and participation rates data, an increase of over 30% from 2022-23.

Nick Saban, the legendary Alabama Crimson Tide football coach, expressed skepticism about Donald Trump’s Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) commission during a recent appearance. He highlighted the lack of specific details surrounding the commission, emphasizing that any complex issue requires careful consideration before discussion. Saban indicated a commitment to improving college football but deferred judgment until more information is available. He noted uncertainty about what the commission aims to achieve, summarizing the situation as unclear and ambiguous.

By the Numbers

• Trump’s NIL commission has yet to announce specific goals or objectives.
• Saban committed to examining the commission’s impact on college football before making further comments.

State of Play

• The NIL commission is set to explore various aspects of college sports, including player movement and compensation.
• Discussions are anticipated among Saban, former Texas Tech player Cody Campbell, and Trump’s cabinet on the commission’s future.

What’s Next

As the commission gathers insights, the future of college sports will be analyzed, potentially reshaping policies regarding athlete compensation and the structure of college football. Saban’s input will be crucial as these discussions unfold.

Bottom Line

The effectiveness of Trump’s NIL commission hinges on clear objectives and the engagement of influential figures like Nick Saban, whose cautious approach reflects the complexities facing college athletics today. Stakeholders must work collaboratively to navigate these challenges for meaningful change.

Associated Press

HERNING, Denmark (AP) — Sven Andrighetto scored four goals to lift Switzerland to a 5-1 victory over Germany at the ice hockey world championship on Thursday.

Switzerland moved atop Group B in Herning with 10 points. Germany trails by a point in second after registering its first loss.

After Damien Riat opened the scoring 4:25 into the middle period, Andrighetto needed a span of 9:04 to complete a hat trick and build a four-goal lead in the frame.

He added with his fourth — and second on a power play — in the final period.

Swiss goaltender Leonardo Genoni made 21 saves.

Following problems with the quality of the ice in Herning, organizers extended the time for breaks between the periods from 15 to 17 minutes.

On Tuesday, play had to be suspended in the opening period of a game between Germany and Norway and again in the middle period due to a hole in the ice.

In Stockholm, Finland routed Slovenia 9-1 to move to the third place in Group A with eight points. Slovenia remains without a point. Eeli Tolvanen scored four goals for Finland.

Later Thursday, Canada meets Austria in Stockholm, and defending champion Czech Republic plays Hungary in Herning.

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AP sports: https://apnews.com/sports

By: Rebecca Osowski

PRINCETON, N.J. – On Thursday, the Ivy League announced its All-Ivy teams and major award winners, honoring four members of the Big Green. Sophomore Ethan Brown, junior Taer Rodriguez, sophomore A.J. DeMastrie, and senior Elliot Krewson were each recognized.
 
Ethan Brown was named Second Team All-Ivy. Brown played in all but one of the Big Green’s games this season at first base. He improved his batting average by 34 points from his first-year to sophomore campaign, finishing the season hitting .274. His 13 doubles, three home runs, and 25 RBI were all team highs.
 
Brown had one of his best games offensively in the Big Green’s 8-7 win over Penn. He collected three hits, two doubles and one home run, driving in just under half of the Big Green’s total runs. Brown also had multi-RBI games in wins over UMass Lowell, Harvard, and Cornell, helping the Big Green secure the series sweep over the Big Red.
 
In addition to being dominant at the plate, he was nearly perfect in the field, making only two errors for a .993 fielding percentage.
 
Both Taer Rodriguez and A.J. DeMastrie were named All-Ivy Honorable Mentions. Rodriguez led the Big Green with a .336 batting average, finishing with the seventh highest batting average in the conference. He also led the Big Green with 43 runs scored, 17 walks, and 12 hit by pitches, posting a .453 on base percentage, the highest on the team.
 
Rodgriguez got his first hits and RBI of the season in the Big Green’s second game at Texas. Six games later, he began a five-game hitting streak. After not reaching base in the series finale vs. Princeton, Rodriguez went on to post a 16-game hitting streak spanning nearly a month from March 28 against Penn to April 22 against Holy Cross. Rodriguez led the league in batting average through these games, hitting .419 during the hitting streak, bringing his season batting average to over .360.
 
DeMastrie cemented himself as the Big Green’s designated hitter in his sophomore season. He played in 24 games before an injury sidelined him for the rest of the season. DeMastrie hit .294 on the season, putting him second, only behind Rodriguez.
 
This season, DeMastrie had three multi-RBI games, collecting all three of the Big Green’s runs at No. 10 Virginia, three in a win over UMass Lowell, and two that helped the Big Green to a come from behind win over Harvard. He also hit the game winning single in the series finale against the Crimson, helping Dartmouth to the series win and against the Siena Saints.
 
Finally, senior Elliot Krewson was named Dartmouth’s Academic All-Ivy representative, being acknowledged for his contributions both on the field and in the classroom. Krewson, a computer science major, played in all but two games this season, posting a .260 batting average, nine doubles, and 18 RBI.
 
In the Big Green’s first win over the Penn Quakers, Krewson kicked off the scoring, hitting one of his two home runs of the season, a two-run shot. He also had two RBI in the midweek win over Siena, accompanied by a stellar diving grab in the first inning. His best game of the season was against the Columbia Lions. Krewson went 3-for-5 with four RBI and two doubles.
 
In 34 games and 131 at bats, Krewson struck out only five times, making him the hardest to strike out in the Ivy League and the third hardest to strike out in the nation. Krewson goes 26.2 at bats between strikeouts.
 
The Big Green concluded the 2025 season last weekend against the Yale Bulldogs. Dartmouth wrapped the season 11-25 overall and 8-13 in conference play, finishing fifth in the standings after being picked to finish seventh.
 

Hamilton College pitcher/utility player Emma Tansky ’25 (Collegeville, Pa./Episcopal Academy) and outfielder Alexis Mayer ’26 (Woodcliff Lake, N.J./Pascack Hills HS) were selected for the 2025 New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) Softball All-Conference Team on Wednesday, May 14 when the conference announced their end-of-season awards.
 
Tansky, who was voted to the second team in 2024, was one of 14 players on the first team this year. Mayer was one of 14 athletes on the second team and collected all-NESCAC honors for the first time.
 
Tansky played in all 18 conference games and was fourth in the NESCAC with a .444 batting average with 16 hits in 36 at-bats. She was fifth in on-base percentage (.487) and second with 12 stolen bases. Tansky (4-4) pitched in 11 conference games and finished with 49.2 innings. She was 14^th with a 3.95 earned run average, fourth with 33 strikeouts and tied for fifth with four wins. Tansky set a program record with 21 stolen bases this year and owns the career record with 64. She ended up second in program history with 139 career hits and 90 career runs. Tansky boasted a career batting average of .408.
 
Mayer was sixth in the NESCAC in slugging percentage (.660), tied for 18^th in on-base percentage (.438) and was fifth in OPS (1.098) as she started in all 18 conference games. She was second with 20 runs batted in, tied for 12^th with 13 runs scored, tied for fourth with three home runs, seventh with three triples and tied for second with 10 walks. Mayer hit .340 with 18 hits in 53 at-bats and added two doubles. She set a program record this year with 38 RBI and tied another with seven triples. Mayer’s 68 total bases were just two shy of the team mark of 70 set by Amber O’Connor in 2006.
 
Hamilton started the 2025 season with eight straight wins and finished with an overall record of 15-17. The Continentals swept Bates College in a NESCAC doubleheader and added conference wins against Colby College, Trinity College, Wesleyan University and Amherst College.