The National Cheerleaders Association High School Nationals returns to Dallas and the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center in 2024, and Varsity TV will be there to provide live coverage of the event. 

Enjoy complete coverage of the competition, as the country’s most outstanding high school teams, from novices to the most advanced, converge on the Lone Star State to prove who’s the best in three categories – Crowd Leading, Performance and Game Day Performance. 

Also on the line with the national championships are the coveted Golden Megaphone trophies, as well as the Go Be Great Award(s), presented to teams and individuals exhibiting exceptional service and leadership.

The NCA was created in 1948 and focuses on competition, camps/instruction and philanthropy, all geared toward helping participants become the best cheerleaders, leaders and people they can become.

• Who: High School, Junior High and Middle School Cheerleaders
• When: Jan. 19-21, 2024
• Where: Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center in Dallas
• Watch: LIVE on Varsity TV
• Rebroadcast: Watch HERE

What To Know About The Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center

The Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center features a million square feet of exhibit space, three ballrooms, 88 meeting rooms, a 1,750-seat theater, and a 9,816-seat arena, and it’s connected to a hotel with more than 1,000 rooms.

By welcoming every type of convention, meeting, concert, competition, trade show, and other events, the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center is among the busiest facilities in the country. 

The NCA High School Nationals returns with the top prep cheer squads in the nation, but they won’t be the only action in town. The week also will include the Texas Tough Gymnastics Invitational and Brick Fest Live consumer show, followed closely by the O’Reilly Auto Parts 2024 Leadership Conference.

Click HERE to see a photo gallery of the many areas of the convention center and the events that have been held there, or take a virtual tour of the property.

Click HERE for information about transportation and parking.

Things To Do In The Dallas Area

Click HERE to learn more about the diverse Dallas area, which features so many amazing neighborhoods – Downtown, Uptown, Deep Ellum, Bishop Arts District, Lower Greenville Avenue, Oak Lawn, and more, and that doesn’t count neighboring cities such as Fort Worth and Arlington.

Or, check out Dallas’ storied history.

There will be no shortage of activities for competitors and their guests to fill their free time, regardless of what their tastes prefer – museums, gardens, zoos, amusement parks, amazing baseball and football stadiums that offer tours, the International Bowling Museum and Hall of Fame, aquariums, escape rooms, John F. Kennedy Memorial, Fort Worth Stockyards – the possibilities are endless. 

Don’t believe us? Check out more than 70 things to do.

Of course, with some much culture, history, and diversity, the Dallas area also has an incredible food scene – everything from Tex-Mex to authentic Mexican to true Texas BBQ. 

Avis Car Rentals - All Varsity Spirit customers received discounted rates up to 25% off. These discounts apply to both event and leisure travel.

How To Watch The 2024 NCA High School Nationals

The 2024 edition of the NCA High School Nationals will stream LIVE on Varsity TV.

The rebroadcast will stream on Varsity TV on a delay of 24 hours.

If you will be in Dallas and want to see the event in person, click HERE for spectator and ticket information.

About The Format/Categories At The 2024 NCA High School Nationals

Regardless of experience, skill level, or specialty, there’s a place for all competitors at the NCA High School Nationals. Here’s a breakdown of the categories – Crowd Leading (novice, intermediate, advanced), Performance (novice, intermediate, advanced), and Game Day.

From Varsity.com’s 2023-2024 School Rules & Scoring:

Crowd Leading Divisions

Routine Length: 2:30 minutes (Music up to 1:45 minutes)

Levels: Novice, Intermediate, Advanced

Grade Levels: Junior High/Middle School, Junior Varsity/Freshmen, Varsity, Coed Varsity, Non-Building, Non-Tumbling, Junior Club

These divisions offer the best of both worlds! 

Crowd Leading divisions emphasize crowd-leading ability with crowd-effective material.

Routines in these divisions will include transitional stunts and pyramids, but the cheer section will encourage a crowd response, as if you were leading the fans at an actual game.

Teams can use all sideline-appropriate props, such as signs, poms and megaphones in their routines.

Performance Divisions

Routine Length: 2:30 minutes (Music up to 1:45 minutes)

Levels: Novice, Intermediate, Advanced

Grade Levels: Junior High/Middle School, JV/Freshmen, Varsity, Coed Varsity

Does your team excel in skills and performance environments? NCA Performance divisions showcase the athleticism of cheerleading, with a focus on visual elements. 

Teams competing in these divisions have routines that consist of transitional stunts, pyramids and a cheer. The cheer does not have to encourage crowd participation.

Game Day Divisions

Routine Length: 3:00 minutes

Grade Levels: Junior High/Middle School, Junior Varsity/Freshmen, Varsity

Bring your sidelines to the spotlight in an NCA Game Day Division! 

Teams combine their band chant, game-day cheer, and fight song with a game-day situational response to showcase in one three-minute performance. 

Game Day divisions are the perfect way to transition material you already have and practice on the sidelines for the national floor. 

Cheer teams also have the option to bring their dancers, mascots, and band members to compete in the Game Day Rally division (previously called Spirit Program Division). 

This division celebrates how spirit programs work together to enhance their school game day and rally experience.

The 2024 NCA High School Nationals Results

Results for the 2024 NCA High School Nationals can be found here.

The 2024 NCA High School Nationals Schedule

The schedule for the 2024 NCA High School Nationals can be found here.

Tune in to Varsity TV on January 19-21 to watch all the action live from the 2024 NCA High School Nationals in Dallas!