The University of Kentucky Cheerleading Squad
No other college cheerleading squad has dominated the Universal Cheerleaders Association National Championships like Kentucky.
The UK squad has won UCA’s National College Cheerleading Championship an unprecedented 24 times (1985, 1987, 1988, 1992, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019), more than any other Division IA school. UK’s squad is the only team to win back-to-back championships four times, once in 1987 and 1988, again in 1995 and 1996, a third time in 2008, 2009 and 2010, and most recently in 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019. Furthermore, UK is the only squad ever to win three, four, five, six, seven and eight championships in a row.
UK’s eight year streak of championships was broken in 2003 when the Wildcats finished runner-up to Central Florida. They regained the title in January 2004 and won their third straight in 2006. Central Florida regained the championship in 2007 when UK finished in third place. But the next year, UK came home with its 16th title.
The squad generates vocal support and significant enthusiasm for some of the finest athletic programs in the nation. The Wildcat basketball team is the winningest college basketball program in the nation and has won the NCAA national championship eight times.
The squad receives substantial media exposure. Having finished in the top 10 every year since the existence of the UCA National College Championships, each year the UK squad is seen on the ESPN televised Championships Program, which airs at least eight times nationally. In addition, the UK squad is seen on television as every UK basketball game is televised nationally. The squad is frequently the subject of highlight stories by television, radio stations, and newspapers. The squad has been featured on the “CBS Evening News,” Connie Chung’s “Eye to Eye,” the “CBS Morning Show”, in “Southern Living” and “Gentlemen’s Quarterly,” “ESPN the Magazine,” and “Seventeen” magazine.
The cheerleaders regularly attend University Athletics Association and Alumni Association functions. They also represent the University at many charitable and public relations events.
