Varsity Brands

Varsity Brands Inc. is made up of three companies: Varsity Spirit, which sells uniforms, hosts competitions, and runs instructional cheerleading and dance camps; Herff Jones, which is a provider of graduation and educations products such as class rings, jewelry, caps and gowns, yearbooks and recognition products; and BSN Sports, a distributor of sports uniforms and equipment.

Varsity Brands made news in 2014 when it began negotiations to be acquired by Charlesbank Capital Partners, a private equity group.

Varsity Brands is a holding company with ties to national cheerleading competitions within the United States. The company produces apparel for football, cheerleading, and dance activities, with subsidiary units and programs that regulate and administer most organized cheerleading activities within the United States. Involvement in cheerleading activities includes its ownership of subsidiaries and programs that conduct competitions and camps. Notably, the breadth of influence Varsity Brands Inc. possesses over cheerleading activities has led to discussion of potential conflicts of interest including its interests related to the issue of the classification of competitive cheerleading as a sport in the United States.

While holding an interest in the business of cheerleading apparel, Varsity Brands Inc. owns subsidiaries and programs:

These conflicts of interest were a main focus of Season 8, episode 1 of Penn & Teller: Bullshit!

Programs and subsidiaries of Varsity Brands Inc. include:

In 2015, Varsity Brands created the America’s Most Spirited High School Contest. High schools from 33 states were represented in the inaugural contest. In September 2015, Vista Murietta High School in California was announced as the winner. The school received $25,000 from Varsity Brands.

In 2016, Varsity Brands launched the Varsity Brands School Spirit Awards. The awards include sixteen different categories. Each winner received prize money, adding up to $25,000 in awards from Varsity Brands.

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