Role of College Cheerleading Becoming Controversial Issue

Sports Illustrated (SI.com) explores the role of competitive cheerleading in college athletic departments.

HAMDEN, Conn. (AP) -- They jump, tumble and work the crowd. They also bristle at being called cheerleaders.

"We don't even use that word anymore," said Tori Maynard, a senior on the University of Oregon's competitive cheer team. "It's a stereotype. People don't understand what competitive cheerleading is."

Maynard and others involved in competitive cheer say it is a sport, similar to gymnastics. A smattering of colleges agree, some seeing it as a cheaper way to help comply with Title IX, the federal law that requires schools to offer equal athletic opportunities to men and women.

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