WACO, Texas (KXXV) — The NCAA unanimously voted to recognize Acrobatics and Tumbling as an official sport.
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"I have a vote hangover. Like, I'm still trying to process it all and, you know, it's 18 years of work that's really come to fruition," Baylor head coach Felecia Mulkey said.
Mulkey has been part of the sports growth since the beginning — she was physically there for the vote to get the results.
"I told the team, I was here when we came back from break for one day, and I said thanks in advance for not being mad at me, but I'm going and I'm going to be in the room — and they were like, coach, you have to go," she said.
"Kelsey, my assistant coach, who was on my very first team at Oregon, shared with the team and so they got it on video. There was a lot of emotion," Mulkey said.
Leading from the front 🗣️#SicEm🐻 pic.twitter.com/hpJPczoLsQ
— Baylor A&T (@BaylorAcroTumb) January 16, 2026
In 2027, we will see the first NCAA Acrobatics and Tumbling champion — and it adds a level of prestige ti the trophy.
"It's really going to be that championship experience. I've always said it, but them having that blue dot on the trophy, it'll be great for us, but it really legitimizes it for the people out there who are kind of late adopters," Mulkey said.
For three years, I have seen how much this sport has grown. For head coach Mulkey, it not only brings more opportunities for women athletes, but it also brings validation.
"So many people said, you know, it's never gonna happen and I went watch me," she said.
"I remember walking out of a guy's office when I was at the University of Oregon and he really gave me a run for my money. We're buddies now. He was one of my first phone calls when we got in, but I turned to him and I said, this is going to work and you're going to see," Mulkey said.
2027 changes everything as the athletes will hit the mat to compete under the NCAA banner.
