Athletic Dance Grand Nationals

Athletic Championships Dance Grand Nationals & Cheer Nationals
January 23-25, 2026
Columbus, OH

Columbus Convention Center
400 N High St
Columbus, OH, 43215

Performance Days:

• Solos – Friday
• Cheer & Dance Teams – Saturday & Sunday

Event Contacts
Our team is here for your team. The following staff members can assist your program with this event.

• Registration Specialist: Lindsey Hyden – lhyden@varsity.com
• Advisor: Alexyea Ward – award@varsity.com
• Event Coordinator: Sami Davis – sdavis@varsity.com

• Dance Block Schedule – updated 12/17/25
• Cheer Block Schedule – updated 12/17/25

2025-2026 Bid Information:

The Dance Worlds

• 3 Partial-Paid Bids
• 6 At-Large Bids

The Summit Championships

• View 2025-2026 Summit Championships Bid Guide (The Summit, The D2 Summit, The Youth Summit, The Rec Summit, The Regional Summit)

• View 2025-2026 Dance Summit Bid Guide & View 2025-2026 Dance Summit Bid Declaration

The Quest Recreational Championship

• View 2025-2026 Quest Gold Bid Guide

The U.S. Finals

• Golden Tickets

Admissions:   

• We will not sell physical tickets at the door or take cash for admittance at any Varsity All Star competitions. Spectators purchasing tickets will need a valid email address and a credit card number. They will receive a digital ticket that can be scanned upon entry. 
• Digital tickets can be purchased HERE.
• Admission pick up will be located in A120.

Venue Information:   

Please note the facility has restriction on the following:   

• Security Information for This Weekend’s Event: As we continue to prioritize the safety of our athletes, families and fans, we want to inform you that enhanced security measures will be in place at this weekend’s events. This incudes increased law enforcement presence and enhanced security screening procedures, which may result in longer entry times. Please plan accordingly and allow extra time for arrival and check-in. If at any time a reunification point is necessary, we will post the location in the Spectator  BAND. We appreciate your cooperation in sharing this information with your teams and families to help ensure a smooth event experience. For more details on our commitment to safety and the steps we are taking, please review our Safety Page.
• For the safety of participants and spectators, items such as weapons, firearms, pepper spray, air horns, and laser pointers are not permitted. The full list is available on our Safety Page. 
• Athletes are encouraged to bring their own water bottles to the event and throughout the warm-up process. There are water filling stations available throughout the venue.  Coaches, it may be helpful to bring an extra bag or tote with you into warm-ups to collect your team’s water bottles before they take the performance floor.  

Concessions & Vendors:  

• Concessions will be available throughout the venue.  
• The Varsity Spirit Shop will be selling event merchandise throughout the weekend.  
• RT Productions will be providing action photography throughout the weekend. To view these photos, please visit www.rtevent.com.

Event Results:  

• Event results will be uploaded throughout the weekend on Varsity TV. 

Photography/Media Policy:   

• Varsity will allow recording on personal devices. No commercial recording (audio or visual) or commercial live streaming is allowed in the competition venue or other event related venues (including but not limited to, hotels and restaurants) or on the grounds of any such venues (collectively, ‘Event Locations’).  
• Interested in photographing at a Varsity Spirit event? Click HERE!  

Social Media:  

• Please share your journey to this event and pictures captured at the event with us on social media!  Instagram: @varsityallstar  & @varsityallstar_dance!

Booking through our housing partner TTS is required for all athletes, coaches and spectators attending this event. For your convenience, we have secured attendee blocks throughout the city with amazing rates specifically for Varsity All Star customers. Team Travel Source (TTS) has also successfully negotiated team friendly terms and conditions with each of our host hotels to take the worry and hassle out of booking hotel accommodations so that you can focus on your teams preparation and performance.  Please use the link below for next steps to secure your team housing for this exciting event. If you have questions about Stay Smart please e-mail staysmart@varsity.com.