The College is the 38th institution in the country to add new athletic program, which is a discipline of gymnastics involving tumbling, tosses, acrobatic lifts and pyramids. Notre Dame is the 27th member of NCAA Division II to announce the new offering.
The Falcons acrobatics and tumbling team will compete as a member of the Mountain East Conference (MEC), which has sponsored the sport since 2019. Notre Dame will be the eighth program in the MEC.
Notre Dame is in the process of hiring a coach and is expected to begin competing in the 2021-2022 academic year.
Acrobatics and tumbling, as an evolution of gymnastics, requires competitors to demonstrate significant strength, power, flexibility and balance in their skill set. The National Collegiate Acrobatics and Tumbling Association (NCATA) is the governing body for acrobatics and tumbling. All NCATA events are sanctioned through USA Gymnastics.
“We are thrilled to announce the addition of Notre Dame College as an NCATA member and the eighth Acrobatics & Tumbling program in the Mountain East Conference,” said Dr. Renee Baumgartner, NCATA President. “We are looking forward to working with Scott [Swain, director of athletics at Notre Dame] and his team, and officially welcoming Notre Dame College into the A&T family.”
The NCATA provides leadership, governance and education for the sport of Acrobatics & Tumbling at the collegiate level based on fair and safe athletic competition while continuing to expand varsity opportunities for female student-athletes at the collegiate level.
“Each new program adds varsity opportunities for young women to compete while they pursue their academic goals,” Janell Cook, NCATA Executive Director, said. “The addition of Notre Dame College brings new opportunities to the state of Ohio and expands the footprint of A&T within the MEC to a new state. It will also provide diversity in scheduling for other existing member programs nearby in Mich. and Pa.”
Acrobatics and tumbling was recommended for the NCAA emerging sports program by the Committee on Women’s Athletics. The initiative is a pipeline supporting the advancement of women’s sports to NCAA championship status. The program also provides athletics opportunities for women and sport-sponsorship options for colleges and universities.
A sport must have a minimum of 20 varsity teams and/or competitive club teams that have competed in a minimum of five contests to be considered for the emerging sports program. The sport must reach 40 varsity programs to move forward to the NCAA governance structure for championship consideration.
May 2021
About Notre Dame College
Notre Dame College is a private, Catholic, liberal arts college in South Euclid committed to teaching students how to make a good living and live a good life. Founded by the Sisters of Notre Dame in 1922, the college offers bachelor’s degrees in 30 disciplines plus a variety of master’s degrees, certification programs and continuing and professional development programs for adult learners on campus and online. For more information, visit NotreDameCollege.edu.