It is hard to believe, but until now, professional cheerleading wasn't a real path for even the most elite athletes.
For decades, they've trained like pros--with no league to chase.
That changes today.
Varsity Spirit is rewriting the playbook with the launch of the first-ever professional cheerleading league, giving elite athletes paid opportunities to continue their cheer careers beyond high school and college--with national visibility, team contracts, and a new path for top-tier talent.
Varsity Spirit has been leading the evolution of cheer for years--from showcasing cheerleading worldwide on Varsity TV and the ESPN network, to launching STUNT and The League by Varsity All Star.
A professional cheer league just felt like the natural next step to elevate cheerleading and create new competitive opportunities for athletes.
The Pro Cheer League is the first professional cheer league for athletes ages 18 and up.
As cheer grows in popularity globally, Varsity Spirit is giving fans something they've never had before--teams in cities they know and love, with athletes they can root for.
The launch of the Pro Cheer League is a groundbreaking moment for the sport of cheer and will give elite athletes a chance to continue in the sport after high school and college--and get paid for doing what they love.
Varsity Spirit launches with four teams in Dallas, Miami, Atlanta, and San Diego.
Teams of 30 will be formed of the most elite-level female and male cheer athletes aged 18+ across the country.
The inaugural season will feature five high-energy matches held from January to April, all leading to a championship event.
Each match has three periods, kind of like quarters in other sports, and each one is designed to show off different cheer elements: stunts, tumbling, pyramids--you name it.
Matches will rotate city to city, and locations will be shared with the full season schedule.
Tryouts will take place in early September, and they'll share full rosters in early October as part of the lead up to the first season.
Pre-season training for teams will begin in October/ November.
Visit procheerleague.com for more info and to join the mailing list and follow @ProCheerLeague on Instagram for the latest updates.