Tumbling into the Battle in the Big Easy 

By Daelyn House 

Flipping, tumbling, dancing, and stunts filled Xavier University’s Convocation Center during the Battle in the Big Easy on Feb. 5, 2026. Cheerleading teams from Xavier, Dillard, Loyola, Texas A&M University–Texarkana, along with other National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) programs, brought high energy to the arena for a chance to take home the title of Big Easy champions. 

The Battle in the Big Easy is an annual cheer and dance competition that brings teams from around New Orleans and the Red River Athletic Conference (RRAC) to compete for championship titles and moreexposure. Hosted by Xavier, the event highlights the athletic performance of cheerleading teams and school spirit.  

 “These are natural performers. This team has a performance drive that I’ve never seen before, and I’m very excited to see what they put out this season,” said Glenn Caston, the competitive cheer coach at Xavier. “Last year was a rough year for us as we were integrating into a large co-ed scene. We’re used to doing small co-ed stunts,” said Caston.  

Caston has been the coach at Xavier since 2019, winning the national championship in competitive cheer for the NAIA in 2022, winning the 2024 NCA championship, and finishing runner up in the 2025 season at the NCA championship.   

“Us hosting the Battle in the Big Easy means a lot to me because we get to see how much the community supports us,” said Kelsea Allen, a junior public health major from Atlanta, Ga.  “We’re coming in every day working hard to get better with the goal to win first place in Daytona,” Allen said. 

During the first night of the tournament, the crowd roared as Xavier took the floor to showcase the routine the team worked on throughout the offseason. The XULA cheer team is preparing for the National Cheerleaders Association College Nationals in Daytona Beach, Florida, in April after finishing second last season. 

“Coming off a loss, we knew we had work to do this year,” said Elias Cato, a junior sales and marketing major from Dallas, Texas  

During the Battle in the Big Easy, Xavier performed at a higher difficulty level than other participating schools due to the complexity of its routines and stunts. According to the competition’s scoring system, minor mistakes such as miscalculated flips or trips did not impact the team’s score because of the higher point value assigned to its routines. Xavier placed first during the third stage of the cheer competition. 

“We’re the only HBCU competing at our caliber and arguably one of the best in the nation. So, it’s very much an honor to get to do the skills that we’re doing,” Cato said.