Wheeling, W. Va. - On Tuesday the National Collegiate Acrobatics & Tumbling Association (NCATA) announced the 2026 schedule on Tuesday for all teams across the association's jurisdiction. The Wheeling University Acrobatics & Tumbling team followed suit on Tuesday evening with the announcement of their 2026 schedule. The Cardinals have six matches during the regular season, as they look to build off of their success from their inaugural season in 2025.

 Wheeling embarked on their inaugural schedule in 2025, and showed growth throughout the season on the mat. They participated in their inaugural event on February 2^nd, 2025, when they scored 185.170 points against West Liberty. After seeing their scores dip with the team being unable to compete in the team portion over the next two events, the Cardinals would make history as they traveled to West Virginia State. Wheeling would pick up its first win in program history, when they defeated West Virginia State 215.255-203.555 as they got both their first win and their first Mountain East Conference (MEC) win. They would score 200+ points against three straight teams, before finishing the regular season strong with a 198.190-174.900 win over Bluefield State. While they did not qualify for the team portion of the MEC Acrobatics & Tumbling Championships, the Trio Pass event would be the lone qualifier as they finished third in the event with a score of 5.525.

As they head into the 2026 schedule, the team begins MEC play right away with their first tri-meet of the season. They take on Glenville State and Bluefield State in their opening meet on February 12^th as they travel to Glenville, West Virginia. The Cardinals will be on the road for their first three meets of the season, with two of those being tri-meets to start the year. The road trip continues with their first dual meet against West Liberty on February 16^th, and wraps up with another tri-meet against Fairmont State and Frostburg State on February 22^nd. In their first three events of the season, the Cardinals will be battling three of the four teams that qualified for last year's championships, giving themselves a strong test early in the season.

They will compete in the Alma Grace McDonough Center for the first time on March 1^st, when they welcome in Canisus. It will be the Cardinal's first time taking on a Division I program as they get a chance to compete against one of the top schools in the country. After a bye week, the Cardinals will welcome West Virginia State inside the Alma Grace McDonough Center on March 15^th, as the Cardinals look to keep their winning ways going against the Yellow Jackets. The regular season wraps up on the road for the Cardinals, with the team traveling to Kutztown on March 28^th to round out the season. The Cardinals will be looking to qualify for the team portion of the championship event for the first time in program history as they battle through the season.

The Wheeling University Acrobatics & Tumbling team kicks off the 2026 schedule on Thursday, February 12^th, when they head to the Glenville State tri-meet to take on the Pioneers and Bluefield State. To view the full 2026 schedule, click HERE.