HBCU Cheer Combine Elevates Cheerleaders as Elite Athletes and Connects Them with High-Impact Collegiate Programs

When most people hear the word "combine," they think football. Strength drills. Scouts with clipboards. The pursuit of athletic excellence. But at the CAO HBCU Cheer Combine, the athletes wear bows instead of helmets - and their power, precision, and endurance are every bit as impressive.

Returning for its fourth year on Sunday, December 14, 2025, at the Marriott Gateway Hotel in Atlanta, the HBCU Cheer Combine is the first and only event of its kind in Georgia - a professional, athletic-style recruitment showcase where college coaches and recruiters from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) scout cheerleaders for scholarships and team placement opportunities.

"Cheerleaders are athletes - full stop," said Toni Kendrick, Founder and Director of the CAO HBCU Cheer Combine. "They condition, they lift, they sprint, they fly. The Combine gives them the same recruiting stage that football and basketball players have always had. We're just putting the spotlight where it belongs."

At the 2025 Combine, over 200 high school cheerleaders will showcase strength, stunting, tumbling, and endurance in front of coaches from prestigious programs such as Alabama A&M University, Fort Valley State University, Langston University, Morgan State University's Acrobatic & Tumbling Program, Southern University, Talladega College (Cheer & Dance), and Tuskegee University (Dance).

The event features a series of skills evaluations, team-building challenges, and live recruiting sessions, where college coaches assess athletic performance, spirit, and leadership potential.

"This is where talent meets tradition," Kendrick added. "Cheerleading is one of the most physically demanding sports there is - and HBCU cheer programs set the national standard for athleticism, creativity, and precision. This Combine gives athletes the access they deserve."

LEVELING THE FIELD FOR ASPIRING STUDENT-ATHLETES

The CAO HBCU Cheer Combine was created to eliminate barriers of access and visibility for cheerleaders of color, many of whom have limited exposure to college recruiters compared to their peers in traditional sports.

This year's event expands that mission with college readiness workshops, mentorship panels, and on-site scholarship interviews, helping athletes and parents navigate the recruitment and admissions process.

"When people see cheerleaders fly six feet in the air, hold bodyweight stunts, and tumble across a full floor - that's athleticism," Kendrick said. "They train with the same commitment as any other sport. This Combine exists to make sure the world recognizes that."

CAO Elite/HBCU Cheer Combine
91 Andrews Drive
Suite 200
Stockbridge, GA 30281
678-834-5296
Jacqueline Howell, press contact

Since 2004, CAO Elite has been a premier competitive cheerleading program based in the Southeast. Under the direction of Owner Toni Kendrick, CAO boasts back-to-back D2 National Championships, an NCA Allstar National Championship, NCA Herkie High Point Winners (Grand Champions), a UCA National Championship, JAMfest National Championship, and over 200 other National Championship Titles. For more information about our program, please visit: www.gocaoelite.com.

This release was published on openPR.