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        NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana will play host to the fourth annual Battle in the Big Easy at XULA's Convocation Center Friday and Saturday.
        The Battle in the Big Easy will feature mostly NAIA-member competitive cheer and dance teams. XULA will compete in cheer only at 7 p.m. and 8:40 p.m. Friday and 11:20 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. Saturday.
        The lone non-NAIA entry is Southern University, an NCAA Division I member that will compete in dance at 8:40 a.m. Saturday.
        The schedule (times Central Standard):

Friday, Feb. 28 — dual and triangular competitions
•  DANCE:  Loyola (N.O.) (5:15 p.m.) vs. Texas A&M-Texarkana (5:25 p.m.)
•  DANCE:  Dillard (5:35 p.m.) vs. Texas A&M-Texarkana (5:45 p.m.)
•  DANCE:  Our Lady of the Lake (5:55 p.m.) vs. Loyola (N.O.) (6:05 p.m.)
•  CHEER:  University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy (6:40 p.m.) vs. Simpson (Calif.) (6:50 p.m.)
•  CHEER:  XULA (7 p.m.) vs. Langston (7:10 p.m.)
•  CHEER:  Our Lady of the Lake (7:30 p.m.) vs. Texas A&M-Texarkana (7:40 p.m.)
•  CHEER:  Loyola (N.O.) (7:50 p.m.) vs. Tennessee Southern (8 p.m.)
•  CHEER:  Langston (8:10 p.m.) vs. Texas A&M-Texarkana (8:20 p.m.)
•  CHEER:  University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy (8:30 p.m.) vs. XULA (8:40 p.m.)

Saturday, March 1 — multiple team and triangular competitions
•  DANCE:  Southern University (8:40 a.m.), Texas A&M-Texarkana (8:50 a.m.), Loyola (N.O.) (9 a.m.), Our Lady of the Lake (9:10 a.m.) and Dillard (9:20 a.m.)
•  CHEER:  Simpson (Calif.) (10:20 a.m.), Langston (10:30 a.m.), Tennessee Southern (10:40 a.m.), Texas A&M-Texarkana (10:50 a.m.), University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy (11 a.m.), Our Lady of the Lake (11:10 a.m.) and XULA (11:20 p.m.)
•  DANCE:  Texas A&M-Texarkana (11:40 a.m.) vs. Loyola (N.O.) (11:50 a.m.) and Dillard (noon)
•  CHEER:  Texas A&M-Texarkana (12:10 p.m.) vs. University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy (12:20 p.m.) and XULA (12:30 p.m.)

        XULA is No. 3 this season in the NAIA in points per cheer performance with 93.15 out of a possible 100. Dickinson State leads with 95.19, and two-time defending national champion St. Ambrose is second with 93.93, Oklahoma City, which will play host to XULA and others March 8 in the Sooner Athletic Conference Championship — that winner will receive an automatic bid to NAIA nationals — is fourth at 92.13.
        Among the cheer teams competing at XULA this week, Tennessee Southern is 10th at 86.40, OLLU is 52nd at 62.77, Langston is 65th at 49.16, and Simpson is 67th at 48.63.
        Among the dance teams, OLLU is 31st nationally at 68.10.
        XULA is in its sixth season of competitive cheer, a coed sport. The Gold placed fifth at NAIA nationals in 2021, won the national championship in 2022, was sixth in 2023 and second in 2024. Also in 2024, XULA won a National Cheerleaders Association national title in the advanced large coed NAIA division.