Sep 9, 2010 9:14:44 AM

USA Cheer announced Wednesday a new derivation of competitive cheerleading called "stunt" that the organization will attempt to push as an NCAA emerging sport for women.

The USA Cheer effort is similar to last week's action by the National Collegiate Acrobatics and Tumbling Association, which formed in January.

Both organizations have outlined six-part competitions including various skills such as basket toss, tumbling and pyramids. The NCATA is a governing body over several institutions that sponsor "acrobatics and tumbling" at the varsity level, including Baylor, Maryland, Oregon and Quinnipiac. The NCATA hired an executive director in July and will hold a national championship in the sport in April 2011. Last week, USA Gymnastics announced it will sanction NCATA events.

The USA Cheer announcement included an administrator's guide detailing the sport's financial commitment, structure and a Title IX analysis. In a letter to potential stunt sponsors, USA Cheer Executive Director Bill Seely touted the sport's benefits and the organization's commitment.

"After careful deliberation with colleagues in the cheerleading community and consultation with Title IX and athletics experts, we believe that stunt will be able to develop as an NCAA emerging sport and into a sport that can assist institutions in meeting their compliance requirements under Title IX while still protecting and respecting the integrity of traditional cheerleading and the valuable role it plays on many college campuses today," Seely wrote.

The most recent sport to be added to the NCAA emerging sports list was sand volleyball, which will be added in Divisions I and II in August 2011. The sport was added after the volleyball community, led by the American Volleyball Coaches Association, lobbied for its inclusion, pointing to the popularity of the sport at the club and collegiate levels.

To be added as an emerging sport, a sport like stunt or acrobatics/tumbling must present a proposal to the NCAA Committee on Women's Athletics. The proposal must address various factors, including participation at all levels (high school, intramurals, club level), potential NCAA structure and rules, opinions of a coaches association, interest from conferences and support from the U.S. Olympic Committee, if relevant. The sport community also must demonstrate that at least 20 programs are competing at the collegiate level (in club, varsity, NAIA or other such competition) to prove that there is a core foundation on which the sport can grow.

For the Committee on Women's Athletics to consider the sport as emerging, 10 university presidents and athletics directors must send letters of support. The letters are valid for one year.

After analyzing the sport's viability in the NCAA, the Committee on Women's Athletics makes a recommendation and each division decides if the proposal makes its way through the legislative cycle.