Jeff Webb, Varsity Spirit Founder, Dies at 76

Jeff Webb, the founder of Varsity Spirit and a pivotal figure in transforming cheerleading into a competitive global sport, died Thursday at age 76 after suffering a severe head injury from a fall while playing pickleball.

Webb was hospitalized following the accident and remained on life support for two weeks before his family made the decision to remove it, according to reports from cheerleading industry sources. The announcement of his death came via an Instagram post from Varsity Spirit on March 19, 2026, which included a video montage of Webb at various events. No further details on the location of the incident were immediately available, though Webb was based in Memphis, Tennessee.

Webb founded Varsity Spirit in 1974, starting with the Universal Cheerleaders Association and expanding it into a multibillion-dollar enterprise that encompassed camps, uniforms, and national competitions. His innovations introduced acrobatic elements and entertainment to cheer routines, boosting the activity's popularity from the 1980s onward. He also established organizations such as the American Association of Cheerleading Coaches and Administrators, the United States All Star Federation, USA...