Buffalo, NY - Canisius University President Steve K. Stoute and Vice President and Director of Athletics Bill Maher announced today (Nov. 1) that women’s acrobatics and tumbling will be the school’s 21st intercollegiate athletic program offering. The newest varsity sport will aim to begin competition in the 2025-26 academic year.
“The addition of acrobatics and tumbling marks another significant step in Canisius University’s strategic vision to enhance the student experience,” President Stoute said.
“By expanding our athletic program offerings, we create exciting new opportunities for talented student-athletes to compete at the Division I level while growing our undergraduate population with exceptional students who demonstrate leadership in competition and in the classroom.
“As a member of the NCAA Committee on Women’s Athletics, I am particularly proud that Canisius University is advancing its commitment to women’s intercollegiate athletics through this emerging sport.”
“After an extensive conversation with several of our conference peers and the National Acrobatics and Tumbling Association leadership, we believe acrobatics and tumbling is a natural fit to be the next varsity sports program here at Canisius,” Maher added. “With the rise of acrobatics and tumbling as an emerging sport for women in the NCAA, this new program will integrate itself seamlessly into the goals of our university by providing fulfilling student experiences and helping drive our enrollment goals. Our department takes great pride in developing and producing high-quality female student-athletes, and we look forward to continuing that tradition.”
Acrobatics and tumbling is the evolution of different disciplines of gymnastics, which includes the athletic aspects of competitive cheerleading. Individuals and small groups execute acrobatic lifts, tosses, and tumbling. The format was created at the collegiate level in 2009. Competitors are primarily recruited from the various disciplines of gymnastics and cheerleading to participate in acrobatics and tumbling, as well as multi-sport athletes, divers and weightlifters. Rosters typically include 35-45 female student-athletes.
Currently overseen by the National Collegiate Acrobatics and Tumbling Association (NCATA), 54 programs will compete on campuses nationwide this year, with 12 of those schools at the NCAA Division I level. After reaching 30 members in 2020, acrobatics and tumbling was officially adopted as an NCAA Emerging Sport for women at all three NCAA Divisions (I, II, III) and legislation to apply for NCAA Championship status will be submitted after the 2024-25 academic year. Three of the current NCAA Division I programs (Iona, Manhattan and Quinnipiac) are members of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) along with Canisius, while a total of nine other schools at Division II and III levels are located within a six-hour driving radius of Canisius’ campus.
"The NCATA is thrilled to welcome Canisius University,” NCATA Executive Director Janell Cook said. “We are grateful for the opportunity to work with Bill Maher and Lisa Liotta to implement acrobatics and tumbling on their campus and continue our growth within the MAAC. The recent growth of Division I program sponsorship in the northeast region is a testament to the work of our membership and to the increasing popularity of the sport.
"The opportunity to help connect young women with institutions that provide opportunities that meet their interests and abilities is central to our mission. Young women training in the various disciplines of gymnastics and cheerleading now have another great avenue at Canisius to pursue their academic and athletic dreams."
The research and selection process for adding acrobatics and tumbling included squad size, availability of facilities and geographic competition, the number of emerging participants and the ability to assure a quality student-athlete experience. The addition of acrobatics and tumbling marks the first new sports offered at Canisius since the school added men’s and women’s indoor and outdoor track before the 2013-14 academic year.
Canisius will begin a national search for a head coach immediately.
