Competitive Cheer Pioneer Maryland Drops the 'Sport'

Paul Steinbach Headshot

As debate over whether cheerleading constitutes a sport continues, one thing appears almost certain: It no longer will be a sport at the University of Maryland.

An activity that Maryland was first in the nation to grant varsity status will be cut along with seven other sports, the university has announced. Athletic department insolvency was given as the reason. According to The Washington Post, the school had invested more than $4 million in the team, which morphed from "competitive cheer" to "acrobatics and tumbling," since 2003. That's when the university's athletic council first voted to grant varsity sport status to a program that first started seeking such recognition in 1987. The current squad operated with an annual budget of $629,686, spreading 11.3 scholarships among 40 team members.

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