Daytona Beach has been the home of the College Cheer and Dance National Championship(CCDNC) for 27 years. This is one of the largest events that Daytona Beach has ever held. Will it still be held there in 2024? Will the champions still run into the waves with their trophy?
Over the years, the UCA College Nationals have become a very popular event. Bill Boggs, the director of collegiate cheer, said to Molly Reed of ClickOrlando.com, “ We hit record numbers last year with over 350 teams. We have about 430 teams this year.”
Based on these numbers, this event will only get more and more populated. The college-level teams are just getting better. The more teams that earn bids to nationals will increase the number of teams that compete at the CCDNC.
The venue has a lot of significance to a lot of teams. Most teams have lines in their music about going to the water after they win.
The head coach of Navaro Cheer says, “Our music says take me to the water, and we’re pointing at the water. I just can’t imagine not being here.”
Bill Boggs told Molly Reed that there were too many teams and not enough hotels to accommodate them. Last year’s event was one of the biggest yet.
Right now, one of the biggest problems is that, “Two of the largest beachside hotels are closed for renovations from last year’s hurricanes.”
Even if they were open, the event is starting to outgrow the rooms available.
The rates are also going up at these beachside hotels, to the point where some teams can’t afford it.
Boggs claims, “We’re not asking people to give rooms away. Just be reasonable and be conscious of the fact that our event is growing and teams need a place to stay.”
In all, the biggest problem is that the event is outgrowing the venue. There are many teams that are putting in the work and getting bids to nationals that are now not able to afford it. Teams also have to commute when they are at nationals because they don’t have any other options since everyone around the venue is booked. There is an emotional pull to Daytona Beach for many teams. From the information given by Boggs, it sounds like the best option for the teams would be to move the event to a different location.