Heart sends three teams to 2026 NAIA Competitive Cheer and Dance National Championships 

The NAIA has announced the qualifiers for the 2026 Nfinity NAIA Competitive Cheer and Dance National Championships, set for March 27–28 at the Stormont Vail Events Center in Topeka. Three teams from the Heart of America Athletic Conference will compete for national titles across the two championships. 

In competitive dance, Baker University and Grand View University will represent the Heart among the 12-team field. Baker earned its spot as the championship host and received an at-large selection, while Grand View secured the conference's automatic berth after capturing the Heart Competitive Dance Conference Championship. 

The NAIA Competitive Dance National Championship begins Friday, March 27, with preliminary rounds at 7 p.m. CT. The championship finals will take place Saturday, March 28, beginning at 2:30 p.m. CT. 

On the cheer side, Missouri Valley College and Baker will represent the Heart among the 15 qualifying teams. Missouri Valley claimed the conference's automatic berth by winning the Heart Competitive Cheer Conference Championship, while Baker qualified as the championship host with an at-large selection. 

The NAIA Competitive Cheer National Championship will begin Friday, March 27, with preliminary rounds at 4 p.m. CT. Finals are scheduled for Saturday, March 28, starting at 10 a.m. CT. 

Both championships will be streamed live on the Urban Edge Network and the NAIA Network as teams compete for the NAIA Red Banner. 

More information on the NAIA Championships here.