The countdown is on for the Southeast Showdown at the 2024 ASC Battle Under The Big Top Grand Nationals! Some big time programs from the Southeast are gearing up for a big weekend including Cheer Extreme Raleigh, The Stingray All Stars, ATA, and Star Athletics ATL just to name a few! This weekend marks another big opportunity for teams & programs to gain confidence from a great performance before heading into the holiday break. We've seen a few sneak peaks and performances from showcases, but now it's time to see these teams for real as they take the stage and go all out. We're ready for another GRAND weekend of cheerleading! Here's a few storylines to look out for at Battle Under The Big Top Grand Nationals.

• See Who's Heading To Atlanta: Battle Under The Big Top Teams
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2024 Battle Under The Big Top Grand Nationals

Return of the World Champions

They're baaaaaaack! As we get ready to see some of these teams for the first time this season, it's always fun to reflect on who were some of the heavy hitters last season. Many people reflect back on who won some big-time competitions last season, and even how these teams finished at end-of-season events. This weekend at Battle Under The Big Top Grand Nationals features a loaded lineup of teams who found success at the USASF Cheerleading Worlds. Here's a look at who will be in attendance this weekend: 

World Champions:

• Cheer Extreme Raleigh Cougars - L6 U18 NT
• Cheer Extreme Raleigh SSX - L6 Senior Small
• Cheer Extreme Raleigh Code Black - L6 International Open Coed NT
• The Stingray All Stars Electric - L6 International Global Coed 

Worlds Medalists: 

• The Stingray All Stars Steel - Bronze Medal - L6 Senior Medium Coed 
• The Stingray All Stars Orange - Silver Medal - L6 Senior Large

Teams Taking On New Divisions

A few familiar teams are taking on the challenge of a new division this season! That first competition of the season is almost like the "welcome party" if you will!! Welcome to a new division, welcome to a new season, welcome to all the fun! Although the process is still the same for how these teams prepare, it's always fun to see some of your favorite teams go head-to-head against new teams in a different division. Here's a list of a few teams to keep an eye on at Battle Under The Big Top Grand Nationals as they debut in new divisions! 

• The Stingray All Stars Steel - returning to L6 Senior Large Coed 
• The Stingray All Stars Electric - moving to L6 International Open Large Coed 
• The Stingray All Stars Shadow - new to L6 Senior Medium Coed
• ATA GeneSIX - new to L6 Senior XSmall 
• Cheer Extreme Raleigh Exorcis7 - new to L7 International Open Coed - NT
• Cheer Extreme Raleigh Cobra Coed - new to L6 U18 Coed NT 
• Designer Athletics Cartier Coed - new to the L6 Limited Coed -XSmall division 
• Georgia All Stars Notorious - new to L6 Limited Coed - XSmall 
• Star Athletics ATL Smack - new to L6 Limited Small 

Gaining Confidence Before The Holiday Break

For many of these teams & programs, it's going to be their one & only competition weekend before heading into the New Year. Some teams do back-to-back weekends in December to get back into the swing of things, but others focus on finding success at one big event! A solid performance this weekend can give these athletes confidence as they head into the holiday season and take some time off before coming back strong in the New Year. It's also a feeling like no other to get back into the swing of things with the adrenaline that comes from getting to perform on stage in front of a crowd! Along with that confidence, teams also have the opportunity to earn 600 points to The League by Varsity All Star! It never hurts to get a 600-point jumpstart on The Leaderboard. 

The League by Varsity All Star

The League by Varsity All Star is the official ranking system for the sport of All Star cheerleading, changing the conversation from “Who won the weekend?” to “Who ranks at the top this season?”

Every team that competes at a Varsity All Star Event this season will be included in The League by Varsity All Star. 

Team rankings are determined by the Points System displayed here. At each Varsity All Star event your team competes, your team will earn points based on the assigned event and placement point value.

At the end of the season, your six best Varsity All Star event scores will be used to calculate your final rank.

In total, 128 winners will be recognized from first to third place across each region. One champion will be crowned in each of the five regions across the eight eligible divisions, and two League 6 conferences, meaning 42 champions will be awarded in total. Champions will win cash and prizes!