ORLANDO — The University of Tennessee’s cheer team claimed its first national championship in school history on Friday in Orlando, Fla.
The Vols’ cheer team placed first in the Division 1A Game Day Competition.
UT press release:
Day one of the 2020 UCA & UDA College Cheerleading and Dance National Championships wrapped up with Tennessee’s Spirit program putting Rocky Top on top—literally.
Tennessee’s cheer team claimed the first national championship in its history by placing first in the Division 1A Game Day Competition. The squad entered the finals on top after placing first in the semifinals among a field of 20 competing teams. Cincinnati finished second, followed by Ole Miss in third.
The Vols’ dance team, five-time national champions in the Jazz Dance Competition, finished second nationally in this year’s Division 1A Game Day Competition after also placing second in the semifinals. UNLV won the national championship, and Washington State placed third.
Game Day Competition is a three-minute routine that mimics situations from a live collegiate football game. Cheer teams display the skills used to lead the crowd during a game.
“We just brought Neyland Stadium to the competition floor,” senior cheerleader Anthony Brown said of Friday’s performance. “We wanted to give the crowd an experience of what it’s like to be at the best gameday and best stadium in the country.”
Tennessee was one of just two programs to place both its cheer and dance teams in the top five of Division 1A in the Game Day Competition, joined only by SEC colleague Ole Miss.
The national championship competitions continue Saturday with the dance team competing in the semifinals for jazz and pom routines, the cheer team competing in the semifinals for cheer routines and costumed Smokey competing for the mascot national championship.