For anyone who has seen Bring It On, you know that cheerleading is not all fun and pom-poms. What you don’t know is what happens to talented cheerleaders once they graduate from their kingdom — high school. In a lot of ways they’re the same as most other athletes: many give up the sport (yes, sport) while the lucky ones continue at the college level. Some programs rise above the rest and attract the most elite and experienced cheerleaders by offering scholarships and the chance to be national champions. These cheerleaders take it a step further by not only cheering for football and basketball games, but also competing in fierce tournaments around the country.
10. University of Southern California
Technically, the USC Song Girls are not cheerleaders in the traditional sense. They don’t stunt and are primarily a dance team. However, they are a main staple when it comes to Trojan pride, as they were established in 1967 and perform dozens of new routines at sporting events every year. They’re beloved beauties who earn the right to call Southern California home.
9. Washington State University
Despite being around for a century, the Cougars are still considered to be up and coming in the cheer world. However that hasn’t stopped them from competing and placing high up in competitions. The team finished 12th at last year’s UCA National Championship and in USA Today the UCA CEO said, “[Washington State is] definitely a team on the rise.” Never doubt an underdog…or maybe cat in this case.
8. University of Minnesota
Cheerleading would not be the same without the Golden Gophers. It was at Minnesota when student Johnny Campbell decided to use choreographed cheers as a way to push the team to victory, changing how cheerleading was performed forever. They are still changing the game. You’ve heard of football cheerleaders, you’ve heard of basketball cheerleaders, but have you heard of hockey cheerleaders? With three cheerleading teams, a hockey cheer team and a dance team, the University of Minnesota doesn’t slack when it comes to spirit. With their all-girl team ranking 7th in the National Cheerleading Association nationals, the Golden Gophers must be doing something right.
7. Indiana University
One of the biggest aspect of cheerleading is the stunting, but Indiana takes it to the next level with impressive and original stunting without the help of male cheerleaders. The Indiana Hoosiers scream girl power not only by winning three consecutive all-girl national awards, but also by their impressive stunting and dancing completely in unison.
6. Louisiana State University
Not every team has a Nike sneaker named after them (talk about having street cred). The LSU Tigers know how to make an entrance. Every game, they enter Tiger Stadium atop mascot Mike the Tiger’s cage. This team takes it one step further; in addition to cheering for the teams and competing in national championships, they also perform with the marching band. “The best part about cheering for LSU is being able to cheer in Tiger Stadium on a Saturday night in Death Valley in front of over 100,000 people! Words cannot describe the feeling I get when the band takes the field for pregame. It’s one of the best feelings I’ve ever felt,” said Senior captain Skyler Bouillion.
5. University of Mississippi
Winning fourth at UCA Nationals, the Ole Miss Rebels take cheerleading to the next level. Famously known for their “Hotty Toddy” song, “Are You Ready? Hell Yeah! Damn Right! Hotty Toddy, Gosh Almighty, Who The Hell Are We? Hey! Flim Flam, Bim Bam Ole Miss By Damn!” these rebels hit the jackpot. All 28 cheerleaders receive $2,000 per year to cover tuition in addition to having all cheerleading fees covered. To top it off, members of the dance team receive one credit for each year they participate, so joining a spirit squad can actually improve your GPA.
4. University of Central Florida
As if going to college in sunny Florida wasn’t already incredible, imagine being on a renowned cheerleading team. Not only is the UCF team considered one of the top programs in the country, but also the cheerleaders serve as ambassadors for the university by making over 100 appearances a year at events. The cheerleaders can receive scholarships averaging anywhere from $500 – $4,000 a year.
3. University of Louisville
Between their football team and men’s basketball team, The the Louisville Cardinals have a ton of bragging rights. Once you add in their large co-ed cheerleading team squad, which that has won 15 NCA Cheerleading Nationals titles (the all-girl squad has won nine and the small co-ed team has won seven) the Cardinal cheerleaders are actually a triple threat.
2. University of Alabama
These roll tide cheerleaders are split into an all-girl squad and a co-ed squad, but both cheer for the football team on game days. They both compete at UCA nationals, and last year placed fourth and second respectively. These Southern belles recently brought home two more national championships in Florida this year, proving they are unstoppable. “We not only have great head coaches, but we also have amazing strength and conditioning coaches that keep us in shape throughout the year,” said co-ed team member Macie Cooley. “…this year we are lucky to have Alabama’s sport psychologist come in and talk with us about our mentality for competition. Without all of these things put together we couldn’t be as successful as we are.”
1. University of Kentucky
The Wildcats are a lot more than a bunch of kids singing and dancing through the halls. The ‘Cats won this year’s national Universal Cheerleading Association competition, making it their 20th title. It’s a nice addition to their string of consecutive wins between 1995 and 2002. The co-ed team led by Coach Jomo Thompson continues to mirror the wild (ha, get it?) success of their football and basketball teams. Okay, fine, maybe it is something to sing about.
College cheerleading requires hours of practice, which means you need lots of practice gear.
Correction: The original version of this article incorrectly stated that the Mississippi Rebels cheer team receives one credit for cheering. Members of the dance team actually earn one credit.
