5 Things To Know About UCF Cheer Before The 2026 UCA College Nationals
5 Things To Know About UCF Cheer Before The 2026 UCA College Nationals
The UCF cheer squad will be competing for national championships this year at the 2026 UCA College Nationals. Learn more about the Knights.
The iconic ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando, Florida, may not be the home facility of the University of Central Florida cheer team, but it’s as close as any squad at the 2026 UCA/UDA College Cheerleading & Dance Team National Championship is going to get.
The UCF Knights also call Orlando home, so they’ll at least get to enjoy the comfort of their own beds when it’s time for the 2026 edition of UCA/UDA College Nationals.
The competition is being held Jan. 16-18, and all of the action will be broadcast live on Varsity TV!
- Here’s More Info About How To Watch The UCA, UDA College Nationals 2026
- Insider Info: 2026 UCA & UDA College Cheerleading & Dance Team Nationals
- UDA College Nationals 2026 Block Schedule: What To Know
The Knights have hoisted the championship trophy at UCA College Nationals multiple times, so there’s no reason to expect the hometown team won’t be a threat again in 2026.
But, before we see what UCF has in store for us this year, here are a few things to know about the Knights:
About The University Of Central Florida Cheerleading Team
The UCF cheer squad usually includes 18 men and 16 women, and scholarship money is available to up to 20 team members each year.
Like most cheer and dance programs, the team performs at all of the school’s football games and makes appearances at home basketball games and volleyball matches.
The cheerleaders serve as ambassadors for UCF at school and community events, but one of the biggest responsibilities of the team, outside of national competition, is providing guidance for the next generation of cheerleaders.
UCF facilitates a number of camps/clinics each year (10 sessions across the calendar) for males and females from elementary school through high school. There’s stunt training, dance training – even tryout prep to help athletes get more comfortable with the process.
The combined rosters for the UCF cheer and dance teams include more than 50 student-athletes.
UCF Has Found Success At UCA College Nationals In Bursts
UCF broke through for its first cheer national championship in 2003 and reached the pinnacle again in 2007. These wins came in the Division IA Coed Cheer category.
The Knights added two more victories in the same event in 2020 and 2024.
The other national title for UCF came in 2019, when the team won the Division IA Coed Game Day crown.
In 2025, UCF was third in DI Game Day and fifth in DIA Coed Cheer.
The UCF Dance Team Also Has Enjoyed Continued Success
The UCF dance team also is a regular threat to finish in the top 5 at UDA College Nationals each year.
In 2024, the Knights finished fifth in Division IA Hip Hop, which was the best result in program history. The squad also turned in a top-10 performance in Division IA Jazz.
A year later, UCF improved again, landing in third place in the hip-hop competition, while finishing 17th in the 2025 jazz event.
Who Is The Head Coach For The UCF Cheer Team?
Linda Gooch is the head coach of the UCF spirit program, a role she has held for four decades. Her continued success now includes five national championships and helped her into the UCF Hall of Fame as a member of the Class of 2022.
Along with being a hall of famer and award-winning coach, Gooch, who graduated from UCF in 1985, is the longest-tenured member of the UCF athletic department, played a role in the design and introduction of the UCF mascot (Knightro) in 1994 and helped create the UCF dance team in 1996.
Where Does The UCF Cheer Team Work Out?
All of UCF’s athletic teams, including the cheer squad, train at the Wayne Densch Center For Student-Athlete Leadership, a three-story, 22,000-square-foot facility on the UCF campus that opened in 2016.
The property is more than just a workout facility, however. It also features computer labs, rooms for tutoring and mentoring, places to meet or study – all the things the student-athletes need to be successful on the field and in the classroom.
The cheer team also uses the UCF Education Gym for practice and for the camps and clinics.
A pair of local gyms – Orlando All Stars and Double Down All Star Gym – are used for weekend and offseason practice and preparation.
Here’s when the UCF cheer team will compete at UCA College Nationals 2026:
UCF Cheer & Dance Schedule At UCA College Nationals 2026
- UCF will compete in the DIA Cheer Game Day semifinals on Jan. 16 at 8:04 a.m. (AdventHealth Arena – South).
- UCF will compete in the DIA Jazz prelims on Jan. 16 at 4:34 p.m. (State Farm Field House).
- UCF will compete in the Coed Partner Stunt (Eliza LaBelle & Austin Robert) on Jan. 16 at 5 p.m. (AdventHealth Arena – North).
- UCF will compete in the DIA Cheer semifinals on Jan. 17 at 1:50 p.m. (AdventhHealth Arena – South).
- UCF will compete in the DIA Hip Hop semifinals on Jan. 17 at 8:39 p.m. (AdventhHealth Arena – South).
How To Watch UCA College Nationals 2026
The entire event is streaming on Varsity TV and the FloSports app beginning Jan. 16.
Event replays, highlights and breaking news will be available on both platforms.
Missed the Action? Watch The Rebroadcast
The rebroadcast will stream on Varsity TV on a delay of 24 hours.
Relive The Action With Varsity TV 24/7 Network
Whether you're a die-hard fan, a coach or an athlete, Varsity TV 24/7 Network brings the action of the competitive cheer and dance season straight to you—anytime, anywhere.
The always-live stream will feature all-access content and video replays hand-picked by experts on the Varsity TV team. Tune in to Varsity TV 24/7 Network live, starting on Nov. 1.
UDA College Nationals 2026 Schedule
Block schedules have been released. Check out the schedules:
- UCA and UDA College Nationals 2026 Block Schedule
- UCA and UDA College Nationals 2026 Performance Order
2026 UDA College Dance Team National Championship Results
UDA College Nationals Results From Past Years:
- View 2025 UCA & UDA College National Championship Results
- View 2024 UCA & UDA College National Championship Results
- View 2023 UCA & UDA College National Championship Results
- View 2022 UCA & UDA College National Championship Results
- View 2021 UCA & UDA College National Championship Results
- View 2020 UCA & UDA College National Championship Results
Tune in to Varsity TV from Jan. 16-18 to watch all the action live from the 2026 UCA & UDA College Cheerleading and Dance Team National Championship in Orlando, Florida.
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