KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Dickinson State cheer has received an at-large bid to the 2026 Nfinity NAIA Competitive Cheer National Championship, the NAIA announced this week. The Blue Hawks are among 15 teams that will compete for the national title March 27–28 at the Stormont Vail Events Center in Topeka, Kansas.
Dickinson State enters the championship as one of the top teams in the nation, ranking second nationally in average score (93.14) heading into nationals. The Blue Hawks have recorded five qualifying scores this season and trail only Saint Ambrose in national scoring average.
The Blue Hawks also appeared prominently in the most recent NAIA Competitive Cheer ARC ratings released March 15, earning a No. 3 ranking in ARC 1.
The national championship begins Friday with preliminary competition at 4 p.m. CT. The top teams will advance to Saturday's finals, scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. CT.
Dickinson State will perform third in the preliminary round. The full preliminary order includes:
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Florida Memorial
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Baker (Kan.)
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Dickinson State (N.D.)
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Lourdes (Ohio)
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UT Southern (Tenn.)
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Indiana Wesleyan
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St. Ambrose (Iowa)
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Saint Mary (Kan.)
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Northwestern (Iowa)
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Cumberlands (Ky.)
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Madonna (Mich.)
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Missouri Valley
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Xavier (La.)
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Taylor (Ind.)
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Oklahoma City
The championship will be streamed live on the Urban Edge Network and the NAIA Network.
Dickinson State enters the event with a strong track record at nationals. The Blue Hawks placed third in 2025 and have finished inside the top five in each of the past four championships:
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2025: 3rd place
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2024: 5th place
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2023: 4th place
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2022: 4th place
The Blue Hawks will look to build on that success as they compete for the program's first NAIA national championship.
