Baylor Acrobatics & Tumbling: The Complete Student Guide

There's a good chance you've walked past a Ferrell Center poster for Baylor Acrobatics & Tumbling without giving it much thought. Maybe you've heard classmates mention "ACRO," seen highlights on Baylor's social media, and thought it looked impressive — but had no idea what you were looking at. Here's what you're missing: Baylor acrobatics and tumbling is arguably the most dominant program in the history of collegiate athletics. It's on campus. Every home meet is completely free to attend.

What Is Acrobatics & Tumbling?

Acrobatics & tumbling (A&T) is a fast-paced, team-based collegiate sport combining elements from gymnastics, cheerleading, and synchronized athletic performance. Athletes compete in six events per meet — pyramid routines, synchronized tumbling passes, toss elements, acrobatic pairs, and team performances — all judged on difficulty and execution.

If you've never watched a meet, the closest comparison is a gymnastics event with faster pacing and more synchronized teamwork. A single meet runs about 90 to 120 minutes, moves quickly between events, and features the kind of physics-defying athleticism that makes you wonder why you're spending Saturday afternoon anywhere else.

Competitors come from gymnastics, cheerleading, diving, and dance backgrounds. The result is a sport where technical difficulty meets artistic precision — think a gymnast's tumbling run combined with the synchronized trust required in partner acrobatics, executed at speed with judges scoring every fraction.

The Most Dominant Program in College Sports

To understand how extraordinary Baylor's acrobatics and tumbling program is, you need context. In the 2025-2026 season, the Bears finished with a 9-0 regular season record, defeated the No. 2-ranked Oregon Ducks 286.810-277.680, swept every major end-of-year award offered by the NCATA, and then won the national championship.

Again.

Baylor has won 11 consecutive NCATA national championships from 2015 through 2026 — every title available since the national championship format began. The Bears carried a 62-meet winning streak into the 2026 postseason and hold an all-time championship record of 122-2 under head coach Felecia Mulkey. In April 2026, they closed out the NCATA era with an 11th straight title, defeating Quinnipiac 271.835-266.265 at the Felix Events Center in California.

For perspective: no college sports dynasty — in football, basketball, swimming, or any other sport — has won 11 consecutive national championships while losing only two total meets over 12 seasons. The Baylor A&T program isn't just good. It's historically unprecedented.

The 2026 championship was especially significant because it closed out the NCATA chapter entirely. In January 2026, acrobatics & tumbling was elevated to NCAA championship sport status, becoming the NCAA's 93rd championship sport. Starting in spring 2027, the Bears will compete for the first NCAA national championship in the sport's history.

The Coach Behind the Dynasty

Head coach Felecia Mulkey built this program from scratch and has won every national championship offered since she took over at Baylor in June 2014. Her career coaching record stands at 140-4 across 15 seasons. Before arriving in Waco, she won four consecutive NCATA titles at the University of Oregon.

At Baylor, Mulkey holds an 11-0 record in national championship meets with a 107-2 overall record. In 2026, she won NCATA Coach of the Year for leading the Bears to their final NCATA title. The Baylor Lariat called her the "architect of a sport" — she's been instrumental not just in winning championships, but in building acrobatics & tumbling into a legitimate NCAA discipline.

The 2026 roster produced a complete individual award sweep. Payton Washington won back-to-back NCATA Athlete of the Year honors (2025 and 2026), after claiming Freshman of the Year in 2024. She holds multiple national event titles in tumbling and pyramid, and has recorded perfect 10 scores in open tumbling. Leavy McDonald won Specialist of the Year; Mo Arthur took Freshman of the Year. Baylor didn't just win the team title — they dominated every individual category.

How to Watch: Free Admission, On Campus

This is the part that surprises most students: all home meets at Ferrell Center are free admission. You show up with your Baylor student ID, grab a general admission seat, and watch one of the most dominant athletic programs in the country compete in the same arena you associate with basketball.

The 2026 home schedule ran three meets at Ferrell Center: vs. Mary Hardin-Baylor (Feb 22), vs. No. 2 Oregon (Feb 28), and vs. Duquesne (March 28). For the 2027 season, check baylorbears.com/sports/acrobatics-tumbling for the schedule as it's released each fall.

A few logistics worth knowing:

• Arrive 30-45 minutes early for good seating. The senior night meet in 2025 set a Ferrell Center attendance record for the sport.
• Meet length: 90-120 minutes with six events running back to back — no lulls.
• Parking: Surface lots adjacent to Ferrell Center are available. Game-day parking restrictions don't apply to A&T meets.
• Follow the team: Search for Baylor Acrobatics & Tumbling on Instagram and X for live updates and meet day announcements.

If you live near Baylor's campus, Ferrell Center is essentially walkable from South Campus — close enough that attending a home meet requires no planning beyond remembering the date. For students at Centre Apartments on S. 11th Street, it's about a 15-minute walk from home.

The Baylor A&T Schedule: What to Expect Each Season

The baylor acrobatics and tumbling schedule runs during spring semester, typically January through April. The regular season features dual meets — one team competing against another in the same six events — across roughly 9-12 total meets, with 3-4 home events at Ferrell Center.

For current baylor acrobatics tumbling roster and schedule information, baylorbears.com is the authoritative source. Individual event tickets are not required; general admission is open to all.

What makes each meet worth attending:

• Six distinct events in sequence: Each team competes in the same event before scores are compared. You see both full performances before judging.
• Variety within a single meet: Pyramid routines look nothing like tumbling passes, which look nothing like synchronized acrobatic pairs. Six events means six completely different things to watch.
• Crowd energy: A home meet with Baylor carrying a long win streak generates real crowd noise — and you'll understand why by the third event.

What Changes in 2027: NCAA Championship Status

Starting with the 2026-27 academic year, baylor acro and tumbling operates under full NCAA rules — recruiting standards, academic eligibility requirements, and competition governance. The first NCAA national championship in the sport will be held in spring 2027.

52 NCAA institutions now sponsor the sport at the varsity level, with more than 1,300 student-athletes competing. Baylor's 11 NCATA titles stand as the definitive record of the pre-NCAA era. In 2027, the Bears begin pursuing NCAA championship history with the same program, the same coaching infrastructure, and — based on recent recruiting classes — the same talent pipeline that built the dynasty.

Centre Apartments: Close to Everything Baylor

If you follow Baylor athletics — including the free events most students don't know to attend — your address matters. Centre Apartments at 1901 S 11th Street puts you in the heart of the Baylor neighborhood, close to Ferrell Center, campus, and the full Baylor athletics calendar.

All Centre floor plans come with washer/dryer in every unit, high-speed internet included, and parking included — the kind of setup that simplifies daily logistics so you can actually show up for things like free national championship-level sporting events on campus. The amenities page has the full breakdown.

Ready to Make Baylor Your Home?

Baylor acrobatics and tumbling gives you a reason to be in Ferrell Center every spring semester watching the best program in college sports — for free. If you're planning your off-campus housing and want to be close to campus, close to Ferrell Center, and close to everything that makes Baylor worth attending, schedule a tour at Centre.

Browse floor plans to see what's available in 2BR, 2BR Townhouse, and 3BR layouts, or head to apply to get started. Baylor's most dominant sports dynasty is one of the best free experiences on campus — your apartment should make getting there easy.