After Cal Poly cut the men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams in early March, and turned down $10 million in funding to save the program, the athletics department has announced it will elevate STUNT to a varsity sport.
STUNT is a competitive sport derived from cheerleading that includes basket tosses, jumps, tumbling and partner stunts. Teams compete head-to-head, executing skills in four quarters of competition. According to USA Cheer, STUNT is one of the fastest-growing female sports in the country.
According to Go Poly News, STUNT began as a club sport and two years ago won the club national championship.
The new team will include 65 roster spots for female student-athletes, and it will compete against the currently 80 varsity STUNT programs across the country. Cal Poly cited the team as a “cost effective sport model with limited equipment and travel expenses.”
Related: Cal Poly Rejects Millions Raised to Save Swimming and Diving Program
Cal Poly also announced that it would look to add women’s flag football as early as 2027, joining the 45 universities that have already added the emerging sport.
Don Oberhelman, director of athletics, acknowledged the timing of adding STUNT in the wake of shuttering the swim and dive programs. “I want to acknowledge that the additions of STUNT and flag football come at a time when Cal Poly was recently forced to eliminate its swim and dive programs,” he said. “Unfortunately, the university was unable to support the programs financially -- especially at a level required to be competitive. Additionally, they did not shift the ratio of opportunities for Cal Poly's female student-athletes. While discontinuing a sport is difficult, it was a necessary decision.”
