Where to watch Illinois High School Cheerleading Championships: IHSA cheerleading events schedule, channels, live streams originally appeared on The Sporting News. Click here to add Sports News as your go-to source.
With the annual dance competition in Illinois wrapping up, the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) will host the 2026 Cheerleading Championships this weekend.
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Two days of action-packed action with nearly 100 teams showcasing their best performances in 1A, 2A, 3A and co-ed classes. Only a handful of the most dominant teams leave Bloomington with state championship hardware.
As per tradition, preliminaries will be held on Friday and finals on Saturday, marking the end of the cheerleading season. Be sure to tune in and cheer for your favorite team.
Here’s everything you need to know about the 2026 Illinois High School Cheerleading Championships, including TV channels and streaming options for the annual event.
Where to watch the Illinois High School Cheerleading Championships: TV channels, live streams
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The Illinois High School Cheerleading Championships will not be broadcast on television channels. You can live stream both days of the event on the NFHS Network.
The NFHS network offers two basic plans: annual ($6.67 per month) or monthly ($13.99 per month). These plans enable subscribers to watch live sporting events and create clips of their favorite game moments.
When are the Illinois High School Cheerleading Championships held?
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date: Friday, February 6th to Saturday, February 7th
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time: 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., 11 a.m. to 5:15 p.m. Central Time
The Illinois High School Dance Championships will be held on Friday, February 6th and Saturday, February 7th. Friday’s game will be from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., while Saturday’s game will be from 11 a.m. to 5:15 p.m. Central Time. The game will be held at Grossinger Arena in Bloomington.
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2026 Illinois High School Cheerleading Championships Schedule
The 2026 IHSA Cheerleading Championships will be divided into three competitions. All levels (1A, 2A, 3A) will have preliminary rounds on Friday followed by team finals on Saturday.
Friday, February 6
Section 1 – 1A and 2A Preliminaries
|
Time (CT) |
event |
|
8:55 am |
Welcome and national anthem |
|
9 am |
First performance (1A, 2A alternate performances) |
|
1:10pm |
last performance |
|
1:15pm |
Group 1A finalists announced |
|
1:30 pm |
Group 2A finalists announced |
Section 2—3A and Coed Preliminaries
|
Time (CT) |
event |
|
3:25pm |
Proclamations and National Anthem |
|
3:30 pm |
First time performance (3A and co-ed alternating performances) |
|
7:40pm |
last performance |
|
ISU Competition Day Exhibition |
|
|
7:45pm |
Group 3A finalists announced |
|
8pm |
Finalists announced for mixed gender category |
Saturday, February 7
Section 3—1A, 2A, 3A and Coed Team Finals
|
Time (CT) |
event |
|
10:55 am |
Proclamations and National Anthem |
|
11 am |
Team finals (1A, 2A alternate performances) |
|
12:45 noon |
1A Team Award |
|
1:15pm |
2A Team Award |
|
2:30 pm |
ParaCheer Midwest – Special Olympics Cheerleading Team |
|
2:55pm |
Welcome and national anthem |
|
3pm |
Team Finals (3A and Alternate Coed) |
|
4:45 pm |
3A Team Award |
|
5:15 pm |
Mixed Team Awards |
