Erie will host three national championship events this weekend as the 2026 Lake Erie National Cheer and Dance Championships and the National Club Basketball Association (NCBBA) Men’s and Women’s National Championships return to Erie.
The 2026 Lake Erie National Cheer and Dance Championships, hosted by Champion Cheer Central, will be held Saturday and Sunday at the Erie Insurance Arena. Competition kicks off Saturday at 6:15 a.m. and runs until 9:10 p.m., picking back up Sunday at 6:45 a.m. and continuing through 6:15 p.m. A total of 260 teams and 3,145 athletes will travel from across the Great Lakes and Northeast regions to compete in a wide range of divisions, making the event one of the largest cheer and dance competitions in the region and a key end-of-season championship opportunity for participating programs.
The NCBBA Men’s National Championships will take place Friday through Sunday at the Highmark Events Center. Eight collegiate club men’s basketball teams, including James Madison University, Boston University, Syracuse University, the University of Florida, Boston College, California State University, Northridge, Ohio State University and UCLA, will compete in a single-elimination tournament to determine the 2026 national champion. For more information on game times and brackets, click here.
The NCBBA Women’s National Championships will also run Friday through Sunday, beginning with opening-round games at the Hagerty Family Events Center on Friday through Sunday. Eight women’s collegiate club basketball teams, including Cal Poly, Michigan State University, Boston College, the University of Michigan, Virginia Commonwealth University, Ohio State University, Syracuse University and Sacred Heart University, will be participating in the single-elimination tournament, advancing through postseason play to reach the national championship. For more information on game times and brackets, click here.
In addition to the three championship games happening this weekend, the Flagship City Throwdown at ASCEND Climbing will be held on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. along with the FINA Speed/Endurance Qualifier at Sinai Sports on Sunday, with competition held from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.
