12/17/25 – Updated Scheduling Information for State Competitive Cheer/Dance Championships

December 17, 2025 2025-2026 News Releases

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Thank you for your patience as the KHSAA staff has worked to reschedule the State Competitive Cheer & Dance Championships following the recent weather-related postponement. We are thankful to the host site, George Rogers Clark High School, for accommodating an early January date. This allows us to conduct our full Cheer and Dance competitions while minimizing conflicts with late-winter and out-of-state events for many KHSAA member squads, which often start very early in January. We also want to respect the requests from member schools for their staff and student-athletes to enjoy the full winter break as originally planned.

While weather-related calendar adjustments can create unavoidable conflicts, the dates below represent the best available option for the greatest number of participating programs to experience a complete and equitable championship. 

COMPETITION DATES

• Competitive Cheer
  • January 9
    • Coed & All-Girls Medium Divisions
  • January 10
    • Session 1 – Game Day Small/Large Divisions
    • Session 2 – All-Girls Small/Large/Super Divisions
• Dance
  • January 11
    • Session 1 – Hip Hop Small/Large & Pom Divisions
    • Session 2 – Jazz & Game Day Divisions

KHSAA staff also carefully reviewed concerns related to event conflicts on the rescheduled date, particularly academic obligations. We have also been very sensitive to several conflicts that were scheduled on that weekend, including those culminating events for long-term commitments. We would like to thank the event organizers for their prompt communication and cooperation. Any revisions to time schedules reflect the Association’s best effort to prioritize the student-athletes while preserving the integrity and competitive balance of the event. 

SUBSTITUTIONS / ROSTER REVISIONS

Due to the rescheduled date, member schools will be permitted to edit the postseason roster in KHSAA360 (ArbiterSports.com). For the 2025-26 season only, additional competitors may be added to the school’s roster, even if the roster exceeds the division limits. These additions or revisions may be made due to injury or illness, or unforeseen circumstances. This does not allow for additional non-participating individuals to be admitted to the event; however, it provides coaches with flexibility to substitute over the next few weeks to utilize eligible student-athletes from the postseason roster. 

TIME SCHEDULES

After a few minor adjustments, the tentative time schedules are available to view at the link below and on the website: 

• Competitive Cheer Tentative Detailed Order of Appearance
• Dance Tentative Detailed Order of Appearance

If your school cannot attend the rescheduled date/time and chooses to withdraw, please respond to sbridenbaugh@khsaa.org by December 19th, 4:00 PM ET. No penalty will be applied for 2025-26 to a team that scratches from the state championship after qualifying. In the event of a withdrawal, no new teams will be added to the competition.

A final time schedule will be released on December 22nd. Schools should expect minimal changes other than those necessitated by the withdrawing teams. 

KHSAA appreciates the communication, cooperation, and flexibility of its member schools as it continues to work collaboratively to provide meaningful athletic opportunities for Kentucky’s student-athletes, despite the unexpected weather last weekend.

 

– KHSAA –

About the Kentucky High School Athletic Association
The Kentucky High School Athletic Association was organized in 1917 and is the agency designated by the Kentucky Department of Education to manage high school athletics in the Commonwealth. The Association is a voluntary nonprofit 501(c)3 organization made up of 291 member schools, both public and non-public. The KHSAA awards 229 state championships to 59 teams and 178 individuals in 13 sports and six sport-activities, funds catastrophic insurance coverage for its more than 109,000 rostered member school student-athletes, provides coaching education and sports safety programs for more than 12,000 coaches and licenses and facilitates the distribution of training material for over 4,000 contest officials.

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