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On Wednesday, it was announced that the “world’s first” professional cheerleading league will launch next year. The aptly-named Pro Cheer League will be comprised of teams in Atlanta, Dallas, Miami, and San Diego during its initial season.
Each team will consist of 30 cheerleaders selected through a competitive selection process that will be held this fall. Those who are selected for the teams will receive training, wages, travel and lodging, uniforms, bonuses, and prize incentives.
The league will be owned and operated by Varsity Spirit, a division of Varsity Brands. Varsity Brands has been the subject of multiple lawsuits that have been settled for at least $126 million combined over the past two years. Varsity Spirit is also currently the plaintiff in a lawsuit filed by nine individuals in Texas who claimed they suffered injuries during a brawl and stampede at the company’s NCA All-Star National Championship in Dallas last March. The company also is still dealing with an antitrust lawsuit that was filed in 2023 by cheer competition producer Open Cheer.
According to a press release, the Pro Cheer League will be the first professional cheerleading league created exclusively for elite athletes aged 18 and older.
“Cheerleading popularity has exploded over the last decade and has become part of the Olympic movement in recent years,” said Bill Seely, President of Varsity Spirit. “The Pro Cheer League represents a bold step forward, not just for the athletes, but for the future of our sport. We’re creating a Pro league to provide the ultimate opportunity for the most elite athletes from around the world. This will elevate cheer to its rightful place in sports by giving these remarkable athletes the visibility, opportunities and recognition they’ve earned.”
The first season of the competition will take place with events in Indianapolis, Houston, Atlanta, Anaheim, and Nashville. The events will be made up of three rounds of competition, with rounds one and two featuring cheerleading skills, including stunts, basket tosses, and tumbling in head-to-head, bracket-style rounds. The final round will be a creative routine set to music, highlighting choreography, creativity, athleticism and showmanship.
“The launch of the Pro Cheer League creates new opportunities in a spotlight the sport has been waiting for,” said Adam Blumenfeld, CEO of Varsity Brands, which was acquired by private equity firm KKR from Bain Capital last year as part of a $4.75 billion deal.