San Diego State OTR: Top 5 College Dance Teams

Top 5 College Dance Teams

Posted by Lady Scarlet 07/24/2008 1:34 PM
Category: Tags: Americas Got Talent, Americas Next Dance Crew, Hot Girls, Dance

College dance teams are popping up everywhere on television, the Texas State Strutters were seen on America's Got Talent and the Rutgers University dance team, SassX7, got booted off of America's Next Dance Crew. In honor of dance teams bringing spunk to scripted reality, we've created a Top 5 List.

Here’s a fresh crop of dance starlets who have more than spirit fingers to work with.

5. The UNC- Chapel Hill Dance Team
This dance team has an impeccable reputation on the, er, dance floor. Consistently placing in the top five rankings at the NDA/NCA Collegiate Championships, which is no surprise since the team meticulously screens potential dancers for ability, determination, agility, and overall attractiveness.

4. Brigham Young University, Cougarettes
Um, yes you’re seeing Brigham Young University here. Apparently, Mormons are allowed to wear short skirts when it’s for purposes of dance competitions only. It’s somewhere in the Latter-Day Saints code, we swear. Pushing aside all the Mormon jabs, the team is serious about dancing, taking the #1 spot at the 2007 championships.

3. Duke University, Dancing Devils
When it comes to dancing, the Dancing Devils are always ready to make it hot. A favorite of sports fans and dance team groupies, they always have a solid following. We will try not to imply that it’s because of the skin tight blue attire.

2. Miami University, Redhawks

Residing in Oxford, Ohio, it's easy to bring intensity to dance. Keeping up with the rest of the collegiate dance scene, the Redhawks must always be in shape. Besides having seriously toned bodies, the team is original and fun to watch.

1. University of Louisville, Lady Birds
In it to win it at all times, the Lady Birds take the title almost every year. They have never slipped out of the top five, ever. Over the past decade, people have just been waiting for their stellar coach to keel over. Till then, they will continue to dominate every collegiate dance competition out there.

+ 71 comments

Anonymous says,

Duke's dancer are ass-ugly, come on. Posted 07/24/2008 7:49 PMReply

Anonymous says,

WHATEVER Posted 07/25/2008 01:28 AMReply

Anonymous says,

cincinnati won several titles in a row a few years ago Posted 07/25/2008 11:24 AMReply

Anonymous says,

The University of Minnesota won four in a row between 2003 and 2006 and placed 3rd in 2007. We held up five fingers before they left hoping they would come back with the five-peat. Posted 07/25/2008 11:44 AMReply

Anonymous says,

Are you kidding me?? Go look at Towson's. They've won the National Championship 8 years in a row or something like that. Posted 07/25/2008 11:49 AMReply

Anonymous says,

you obviously have never seen Texas Pom in their uniforms with chaps. Posted 07/25/2008 11:50 AMReply

Anonymous says,

How Towson is not at the top of your list is unfathomable, they have won 8 or 9 in a row. Cmon! Posted 07/25/2008 12:38 PMReply

Anonymous says,

Texas...end of story. Posted 07/25/2008 1:40 PMReply

Anonymous says,

As i am married to a former "High Kickin Heel" i take pride in this ranking, except duke, are you serious? Duke? I'm biased since wife is a tar heel, but before we met, i always though duke cheerleaders, dance team, students etc, were not the most attractive to put it nicely. Posted 07/25/2008 1:52 PMReply

Anonymous says,

Gotta go with the University of Florida Dazzlers... Most famous alumni - Erin Andrews! Posted 07/25/2008 1:55 PMReply

Anonymous says,

No LSU Golden Girls= No credibility of this list Posted 07/25/2008 2:12 PMReply

Anonymous says,

Duke and BYU, that is awful. Posted 07/25/2008 2:22 PMReply

synopsisav says,

@ Anonymous:

Towson has not won 8 in a row. I have the unique honor of having attended both Towson University and the University of Louisville, and I know that Louisville is the current 6 time defending champion and counting. Towson has won a specific competition that they claim as the "title," but it is simply not true. Posted 07/25/2008 3:36 PMReply

Anonymous says,

Towson has an athletic department??? I'm sure their dance team does look incredible against any of their sports teams.

GO CARDS!! Posted 07/25/2008 4:18 PMReply

Anonymous says,

who is towson Posted 07/25/2008 4:31 PMReply

Anonymous says,

@ Anonymous: Towson does have a great team too....but Louisville has stayed at the top in Division IA which is a major accomplishment. Towson has very little competition in the small division. That said, they are outstanding. Posted 07/25/2008 5:13 PMReply

Anonymous says,

@ Anonymous: The Louisville Ladybirds are talented and HOT. I dated a girl on the team and they have tough coaches. Todd and Cheryl I think? They scare me :O Posted 07/25/2008 5:17 PMReply

Anonymous says,

WAY TO GO LADYBIRDS!!! Posted 07/25/2008 5:17 PMReply

Anonymous says,

THIS YEAR DUKE DANCING DEVILS HAD A VERY TALENTED AND CUTE SQUAD....VERY TECHNICALLY TRAINED...NOT SURPRISING THEY MADE TOP 5...BUT I DO AGREE TOWSON IS AWESOME...MAYBE BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT DIVISION 1 THEY WERE OVERLOOKED..... Posted 07/25/2008 5:35 PMReply

Anonymous says,

Go Duke Dancing Devils! Watched them all year....much better than the cheerleaders that is for sure. Posted 07/25/2008 5:38 PMReply

Anonymous says,

Cheryls not so tough. She just expects her girls "to bring it" and it shows, and Todd is such a laid back cat (the dynamic duo!) Way to go Lady Birds! Posted 07/25/2008 5:39 PMReply

Anonymous says,

The BYU dance team was not the sole champions for 2007. This was a shared title with the UofL Ladybirds. Way to go BIRDS!!! Can't wait for this year. Posted 07/25/2008 6:14 PMReply

Anonymous says,

Weird that you have a list of top dance teams, but don't mention the Vols or the Gophers, who have excellent programs that have won titles in recent years. Having seen both Duke's and Tennessee's live, I can say the Duke group doesn't belong on this list. Posted 07/25/2008 8:32 PMReply

Anonymous says,

Tennessee is awesome. Minnesota is awesome. Louisville is awesome. If you watch every team in the USA side by side these three are by FAR the best of the BEST. Posted 07/25/2008 9:00 PMReply

Anonymous says,

Texas Pom is the best in the nation by far! Any man to pass up a gorgeous woman in chaps is an idiot. Hook 'Em Horns! Posted 07/25/2008 9:18 PMReply

Anonymous says,

Who exactly wrote this? And what even is this based on...maybe a couple teams with talent. But really? I want to see what made this determination.

And Townson...amazing! Posted 07/25/2008 9:19 PMReply

Anonymous says,

I can say the Duke Dancing Devils this year definitely belong on the list. Its about talent, not who can "hire" the best choreographer. Maybe in years past Duke couldn't hang with some of the others mentioned, but knowing some of the new girls on the team-their technical talent is amazing-Most of these teams have the support and funding of the athletic dept-the Dancing Devils do not and they should..they are an asset to the university. And yes, I agree that the Ladybirds and Townsen are awesome .. Posted 07/25/2008 11:18 PMReply

Anonymous says,

go l'ville title town baby Posted 07/26/2008 3:51 PMReply

Anonymous says,

UCLA ... the bruins dance team is absolutely gorgeous Posted 07/26/2008 3:57 PMReply

Anonymous says,

Go Birdies...i was a LB...we ****in rock Posted 07/26/2008 5:08 PMReply

Anonymous says,

miami brings da heat Posted 07/26/2008 7:01 PMReply

Anonymous says,

the miami dance team not only brings da heat...they are super fly!! i love liz! Posted 07/26/2008 7:12 PMReply

Anonymous says,

I have the unique honor of proving you wrong with the Ladybirds' own website. See http://louisvilleladybirds.com @ synopsisav: Posted 07/26/2008 9:03 PMReply

Anonymous says,

which dance team competitions are you looking at universal dance association or national dance association b/c nda blows and uda is biased as hell you my friend are an idiot... minnesota won at uda dance the last four years in a row with third place in 2007 season while a girl FELL that's how good they were. Cincinnati won three years in a row for uda hip hop and received 2nd place in both dance and hip hop in 2007... get your info straight... many of these teams don't have coaches and are just as hot; take Michigan State University for example... get it together Posted 07/27/2008 11:24 AMReply

Anonymous says,

Miami dance team doesn't even make it to finals at NDA Posted 07/27/2008 1:12 PMReply

Anonymous says,

Actually, the Miami Dance Team did make it to finals in 2007 and they placed 5th. Posted 07/27/2008 8:03 PMReply

Anonymous says,

go bucks Posted 07/28/2008 12:01 AMReply

Anonymous says,

If NDA "blows" as you put it, and UDA is "as baised as hell", I guess we can all pretty much figure out that you are connected to a team that has never won a title at either event! LOL. Maybe Michigan State (just for example, LOL)? How many teams have won National Championships at both???? Only Louisville and Memphis. For the record only Louisville has won more than one title at both UDA and NDA. Cry all you want- the writer at SI.Com picked the right #1. Posted 07/28/2008 01:28 AMReply

Anonymous says,

Oh, and by the way, Minnesota did not win the last four years in a row at UDA. Tennessee has won UDA the last two years. Minnesota was 2nd in 2008 and 3rd in 2007. And- NDA stands for National Dance Alliance, not National Dance Association. Posted 07/28/2008 01:34 AMReply

Anonymous says,

unc dancers are the best!!!
and sorry ut fans, it takes more than girls in chaps to have a good dance team... Posted 07/28/2008 11:17 AMReply

Anonymous says,

You're also forgetting the University of Memphis. They've won more national titles with their dance team than anyone. Posted 07/28/2008 12:03 PMReply

Anonymous says,

You need to do some more research. Just checking NDAs finalists in one division does not qaulify as adequate information. Not only is UDA a stronger competition top to bottom, but also you are leaving out a lot of smaller schools. Not mentioning Tennessee, Memphis, Minnesota makes this list a null opinion. Posted 07/28/2008 1:07 PMReply

Anonymous says,

and what about SMU?! They were NDA open champions in 2008, and i believe they also won in previous years. they always do extremely well Posted 07/28/2008 2:00 PMReply

Anonymous says,

Louisville is the best in recent years....live in the now people! In the last decade Louisville has won 5 Division IA Collegiate National Championships. FIVE. The next closest to this is Minnesota with 4 championships in the last decade and BYU with several NDA titles. The whole "UDA" vs. "NDA" talk is not valid. There are great teams at both, and two great teams (Memphis and Louisville) have won BOTH. Towson is the most winning non Division IA team, but we are not talking about non Division IA schools here people! The same with all sports. Division IA gets the media coverage, etc. Posted 07/29/2008 12:54 AMReply

Anonymous says,

I love how all of these comments are written under anonymous because everyone is getting all butt hurt about their teams and being all defensive. But of course we obviously all know who is writing these comments. But the comments will continue to remain anonymous because some 2-faced people don't want a bad rep from other teams, coaches, or even judges and officials at their competition. Because heaven forbid if all those years of ass kissing went down the drain, right?

And to add in my own 2 cents, I think Louisville is good, but I think the competition at UDA is much harder. To win a UDA national championship says a lot more than winning NDA. I'd like to see what would happen if Louisville ever left their comfort zone and went back to UDA. Then I think we could really decide who deserves to be #1. Posted 07/29/2008 3:11 PMReply

Anonymous says,

ok yes miami did not even make it to finals at nationals year!!! the TOP THREE TEAMS were Louisville, BYU, and OHIO STATE...and those three teams all deserved it! Posted 07/30/2008 2:32 PMReply

Anonymous says,

While I'm not an expert, from what I have seen, the Louisville Ladybirds are the standard to judge all others by. They are the complete package! Posted 07/30/2008 7:49 PMReply

Anonymous says,

As a Louisville Cheerleader we are so proud of our Birds!!! NBAN! This is why they're hot ya'll!!! Love ya'll! Congrats! Congrats Todd & Cheryl as well! Go Cards!

-ch Posted 07/30/2008 11:48 PMReply

Anonymous says,

If all of this anonymous posting is driving you crazy why did you not break the pattern and reveal who you are? Are you also one of the two-faced ass-kissers you reference?
Memphis and Louisville have won both NDA and UDA. Louisville knows how tough UDA as they have won 2 National Championships at UDA. UDA offers each team twice the opportunity to win a title each year as they also name a hip hop champion in each division. At NDA you have one shot at the title each year. Both events have top teams and both are difficult to win. Posted 08/01/2008 01:23 AMReply

Anonymous says,

Go look at who has the most titles in NDA. They are listed at Varsity.com under Wall of Champions on the college page under Dance Division 1A. I think you will find it very clear who has dominated that competition for the past 10 years. Yes, it is BYU!! Posted 08/03/2008 12:29 PMReply

Anonymous says,

@ synopsisav: Towson has won 9. Louisville does not have 6 in a row they won 02 03 & 04 and tied with BYU in 07. They beat BYU this year by .02 in a very "questionable" final result Posted 08/03/2008 10:12 PMReply

Anonymous says,

Actually, Towson has won 10 in a row, not 9. If you are going to correct other people get your facts straight. Towson is in a smaller far less competitive division so I am not sure what point you are trying to make. They are not division IA and have never competed with the IA schools. Louisville has won 5 NDA National Championships since 2002. 2002, 2003, 2004, 2007, 2008. There was nothing "questionable" about the results at nationals this year. Even God watched BYU fall out of their turns as usual. What was "questionable" was that BYU "tied" Louisville in 2007. They should have been 3rd. The proof is available on dvd. Posted 08/03/2008 10:34 PMReply

Anonymous says,

hey is it true that the BYU dancers are all dance majors in a dance program at school where they receive credits for taking dance? One of the BYU parents told me at nationals that was the case. If so, they should be winning every year. Most college dance teams can only practice late at night after class and without university facilities, etc. Seems like a clear advantage to me. Posted 08/03/2008 10:40 PMReply

Anonymous says,

The "Wall of Champions" is wrong and needs to be corrected. In 2007 Louisville and BYU tied. It lists BYU as the winner. It also incorrectly lists Charlotte as beating Towson for the title in 2001. Did not happen. They tied.
FACTS:
2000- Champion: Memphis
2001- Champion: BYU
2002- Champion: Louisville
2003- Champion: Louisville
2004- Champion: Louisville
2005- Champion: BYU
2006- Champion: BYU
2007- Champions (tied) Louisville/BYU
2008- Champion: Louisville
So- since Louisville and BYU and faced one another Louisville has won 5 times and BYU has won 4 times (that is if both teams get credit for the tie). Go LADYBIRDS! Posted 08/03/2008 10:53 PMReply

Anonymous says,

BY-WHO? Nobody cares about them. They can do some jazz on occasion but their pom and hip hop is so funny! Posted 08/03/2008 11:03 PMReply

Anonymous says,

@ Anonymous:
@ Anonymous:
The dancers from BYU are not all dance majors, but they do receive credit for class time as do the other performing companies in their dance department. Technique is what the competition should focus on - that is how they score most competitions including UDA. It's funny how only BYU is criticized for "falling out of turns" Take another look at Louisville. Posted 08/04/2008 12:37 AMReply

Anonymous says,

Why all the lies?! Technique is scored at NDA. And to imply that BYU is the only team with good technique at NDA is laughable. And after taking yet another look- it is still BYU that fell out of turns (as usual). Bitter, bitter, bitter. The competition should focus on the best performance, including technique, choreography, sync, etc. Everyone can see why you would only want technique to decide the competition as BYU is a joke at both Pom and Hip Hop. Not to mention sync, timing, formations, costuming, etc. Posted 08/04/2008 01:45 AMReply

Anonymous says,

GO MEMPHIS. LOUISVILLE IS GREAT TOO, BUT GO TIGERS! Posted 08/04/2008 01:50 AMReply

Anonymous says,

@ Anonymous:
Its a good thing you are not judging because year after year, the judges and spectators see it differently. Costuming cmon who is bitter???? Posted 08/04/2008 12:09 PMReply

Anonymous says,

Your comments are really stupid. If the judges saw it differently, BYU would win every year (which clearly is not the case). As far as the spectators go, since I am one, I can say without reservation that most of the general crowd likes Louisville better. Keep believing the hype that your coach and parents tell you if it makes you feel better. Posted 08/04/2008 4:31 PMReply

Anonymous says,

@ Anonymous:
you're living in a little L'ville bubble - so go ahead and believe what you want. Posted 08/04/2008 9:55 PMReply

Anonymous says,

don't you have another wedding to plan or something? If you get the "last word" will you go away? Posted 08/04/2008 10:30 PMReply

Anonymous says,

@ Anonymous: Good one! Don't worry the other wives are taking care of the cooking and cleaning right now. We will continue to agree to disagree Posted 08/04/2008 10:55 PMReply

Anonymous says,

You know...you are funny and that did make me smile. Clearly I am a L'ville fan but will admit that I think BYU is pretty great too. I know at the end of the day the Ladybirds have a great deal of respect for the Cougarettes. Posted 08/04/2008 11:10 PMReply

Anonymous says,

@ Anonymous:
Both squads are clearly good at what they do and the respect does go both ways. Its been entertaining sharing comments with you as well. :) Posted 08/04/2008 11:14 PMReply

Anonymous says,

The Ladybirds are by far the hardest working collegiate dance team in the nation. They make hundreds of appearances throughout the year to support all of the other athletic programs. They also travel to every away game for both football and basketball (which falls during National Season). They practice in hotel ballrooms....going full out 2 to 4 girls at a time. They have heart, dedication, and a hell of an athletic team. And of course they are coached by the two greatest and most respected coaches in the nation.....Todd Sharp and Sheryl Knight! Ladybirds are most definitely the number one college dance team in the nation!!! Posted 08/05/2008 9:51 PMReply

Anonymous says,

@ Anonymous: BYU ALSO WON IN 1997, 1998, & 1999 SO THEY HAVE MORE NDA TITLES THAN LOUISVILLE 7 TO 5!! Posted 08/18/2008 01:03 AMReply

Anonymous says,

Louisville did not compete at NDA College Nationals in 97, 98, or 99. Louisville did not start attending NDA until 2000. You can only compare the records of BYU and Louisville for the years they actually competed...since that time Louisville has won MORE.
Louisville did however win UDA Nationals in 95 and 97. Posted 08/20/2008 11:44 AMReply

Anonymous says,

Hi, my daughter is on a high school dance team, and we are wondering how to get on a college dance team? Do you call the college, go to tryouts, or do they come to look at you dance in high school and ask you to tryout? We are in Tennessee, and are looking at a lot of the southern schools. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thank you, Lyn. kibbey@realtracs.com Posted 10/01/2008 08:22 AMReply

Anonymous says,

If your daughter is in High School she needs to research all the dance teams at schools she is interested in. For instance, some schools give scholarships for the dance team, University of Tennessee is one, and some College dance teams are only considered club sports, if that, and do not recieve any help from the university with money, uniforms, traveling, and competition. Also, I would suggest going to the UDA or NDA websites and look and see what dance teams have good records for wins. In the NDA Louisville is probably the best southern school, in the UDA Tennessee is by far the best. They have a great program too! (I know someone who was on the UT-Knoxville Dance Team) Hope this helps. In NC, Carolina and NC State have decent dance teams but I do not think they are recognized as "varsity sports/spirit squad" so you might be forking out a lot of money. If your daugter is very good and is very well trained I would look for schools that compete in the UDA. Tennessee is the best. Posted 01/15/2009 1:43 PMReply

Anonymous says,

@ synopsisav: Posted 12/01/2009 2:31 PMReply