DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — College cheerleading teams from across the country are in Daytona Beach right now, preparing to compete for nationals. The city has hosted the iconic event for the last three decades.
However, recent hurricanes have disrupted hotel operations, leaving some teams struggling to find a place to stay.
The National Cheerleaders Association’s contract in Daytona Beach expires next year. There is currently another contract through 2030 out for bid right now.
The Daytona Beach Area Convention and Visitors Bureau is working closely with Varsity Brands, the company that owns NCA, to keep the competition in the area for years to come.
“We can’t think of any better place that they would be than Daytona Beach. It’s an iconic event and an iconic venue,” said Lori Campbell Baker, Executive Director of the Daytona Beach CVB.
Teams told Eyewitness News they center their whole season around getting to Daytona and they would hate to see the competition leave.
Senior Vice President of Varsity Brands Bill Boggs feels the same. However, he hopes host hotels can catch up as the event continues to grow. Boggs said at least two properties that were damaged during Hurricane Ian in 2022 still aren’t fully up and running at this point.
“It was a challenge to be honest. You know we’ve lost some hotels, some we thought we would get back and didn’t. But we picked up some new hotels. The Renaissance is open and it’s a beautiful property within walking distance,” said Boggs.
Competitions officially begin Thursday and run through Saturday. Teams compete at both the Bandshell and the Ocean Center. The event brings between $40 and $60 million to Daytona Beach.
This year is the biggest so far, with almost 500 teams and more than 10,000 competitors participating.
Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
©2025 Cox Media Group
