10 Most Prestigious Cheerleading Squads

They are the hottest, the most beautiful and the most wanted women in the entire world; we present the 10 most prestigious cheerleading squads.

People have played all kinds of team games throughout history to entertain themselves in their spare time. These games evolved into the modern sports that we have today, such as football, basketball, hockey, soccer and many others. Alongside the players, there was the audience, the crowd that cheered for them. Together with sports, cheerleading advanced to the professional level.

Today we have many cheerleading squads all across America. We also have cheerleaders in others parts of the world, but our focus will only be the United States, because of their majority and prestige.

In 1948, cheerleading squads agreed to form a unique National Cheerleaders Association to improve their organization and quality. Since then, the Association provides summer camps for cheerleaders and actively participates in improving the quality of this organization. The founder of the NCA was Lawrence “Herkie” Herkimer, the “Grandfather of Cheerleading,” after whom a famous cheerleading move is named. Many groups are known for extraordinary skills that make our hearts skip a beat during the halftime show when these beautiful ladies are usually performing.

The all-time favorite sport in the US is football, and the NFL has the most prestigious cheerleader squads on the planet. After NFL cheerleader squads, we include university cheerleading squads that are known for their big numbers and choreography. In 1979, Hollywood held the first “Battle of the NFL Cheerleaders.”

Cheerleading squads are mostly a part time job and notoriously low paid. Cheerleaders have completed their studies and begin traditional careers after about one to four seasons of cheering. Members of the squad participate in training camp, games, practice, photo shoots, and charity events. Their duty of cheering is not their only task. All of them are available for appearances at events, conferences, schools, and more. Cheerleading is a part of American football culture, but it also represents one of the biggest entertainment groups to perform for the United States Armed Forces.

To do our best in creating this list, we have to be objective. The competition for the best squads is growing every day, and every crew tries to be in its best shape at the game day. To rank them correctly we used already published lists on this subject by the Washington Times, Sporty Ghost and the Sports Googly. By combining these records, we came up with our list of the 10 most prestigious cheerleading squads. We ranked their prestige by the criteria of rewards they received and by the team social media impact. We added one point for every 100K followers of the organization and ranked their popularity level considering the score. We were also influenced by their appearance because they are representing American football on a global scale.We previously published a list of the 11 most expensive NFL stadiums to build that is also an interesting theme to read.

Here is the list of the 10 most prestigious cheerleading squads.

10. Cheerleaders of the University of Memphis

Score: 1.2
The University of Memphis is serious about their cheerleading program, and they provide excellent academic progress for their students. Their scholarships are one of the highest in the US, making this university perfect for cheerleaders that want to grow both educationally and in their careers.
The Memphis Squad has 14 national titles: one from the National College Championship and 13 from the UDA National College Championship (1989-1998). They won their 14th title in the Hip-Hop Division at the 2012 UDA National College Dance Team Championship.

9. Cheerleaders of the University of Louisville

Score: 1.8

The cheerleading squad of the University of Louisville is highly competitive, and they are known for many trophies and awards given by the NCA. The squad won the NCA championship 15 times (1985–86, 1989, 1992, 1994, 1996, 1998–99, 2003–05, 2007–09, 2011). They are in charge of cheering one of the best college basketball teams. The team consists of 20 members, and there can be variations of male/female ratio. They are ranked 9th of 10 most prestigious cheerleading squads in America.

8. Louisiana State University Cheerleaders

Score: 8.45

The LSU are one the finest universities in the US, and they have one of the best football stadiums, the famous Tiger Stadium. They are known all across America for their impressive skills and performance on the field. In 2008, they were placed sixth in Division I-A (major colleges) at the National Collegiate Cheerleading Championship. LSU won the 1st place in Gameday material, which is the most prestigious collegiate award. The group received the leadership award and many other 1st place trophies.

7. The Ohio State University Cheerleaders

Score: 22

The cheerleaders of the Buckeye football team are one of the most famous groups in the US. This team has traveled to a lot of football bowl games, like the 1998 and 1999 Sugar Bowls, the 2001 Outback Bowl, the Citrus Bowl, the 1997 Rose Bowl, Holiday Bowl. The Ohio State University cheerleader’s squad has the potential to be at the top, because of the quality and the tradition of their college makes them number seven on our list.

6. Atlanta Falcons Cheerleaders

Score: 27.5

The Atlanta Falcons squad, also known as “The Falconettes” was founded in the 1960s. They count 40 members and are known for their great fair play spirit. No matter the team is winning or not, the squad cheers at the same level to bolster the team. The cheerleading squad consists of highly educated women; some of them are attorneys, chemist, and accountants. They are also involved in public appearances through volunteer work.

5. Indianapolis Colts Cheerleaders

Score: 31

Famous for being the first cheerleading squad in the NFL founded in 1954, the squad initially membered ten girls. The Indianapolis Colts Cheerleaders squad is also popular for their extraordinary stunts from Super Bowl XLI and Super Bowl XLIV. They are also involved in activism, appearances on public events and many charity programs. In 2011, CNBC named the Indianapolis Colts Cheerleaders at the “Best Cheerleading Squad in the NFL”. On the field, cheerleaders perform for more than 63,000 fans at Lucas Oil Stadium.

4. Houston Texans Cheerleaders

Score: 33.4

Although formed recently in 2002, this squad is not far behind from its older competition. Famous for their acts and the way they interact with the audience; Houston Texas Cheerleading squad will grow even more in the years that come. Currently, 33 members actively participate in entreating of the audience. Houston Texas cheerleaders are also known for their charity work and many volunteer appearances in the public.

3. Denver Broncos Cheerleaders Squad

Score: 56.2

Nearly 200 women auditioned for the position in this squad in 2013, proving that the competition is significant. With their quarterback Peyton Manning, who is one of the finest, we can expect significant results from this NFL team, and of course from their squad that needs to be at their top. Denver Broncos Cheerleaders featured many television shows such as The Today Show, Good Morning America, Fox News, Fox Sports E!, The Late Show with David Letterman, ABC’s Monday Night Football. They also performed in Afghanistan, Egypt, Cuba, Guam, the Marshall Islands, Italy and Australia for the US troops.

2. New England Patriots Cheerleaders

Score: 95

New England Patriots formed their cheerleading squad in 1977, and it’s currently counting 27 members. They have acts that include their official mascot Pat Patriot, and they even went to China to prepare themselves for the act of Chinese dances at the Olympics in 2008. Their squad is selected every year, with more than 300 candidates applying every year for this contract-based position. They were on the covers of Men’s Style, FHM, Maxim, and Muscle and Fitness.

1. Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders Squad

Score: 111

We can say that Dallas Cowboys cheerleading squad is the best out there, according to all resources. They are famous for being on TV shows such as “The Love Boat,”, “Saturday Night Live”, and even for producing their reality TV series “Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders: Making the Team” in 2006. They release an annual swimsuit calendar, which is one of the most popular in sports. This crew deserves the number 1 place of the 10 most prestigious cheerleading squads list, considering that their popularity is beyond measurable.