IN NUMBERS: Which university has won the most UAAP cheerdance championships?
MANILA, Philippines – The UAAP Cheerdance Competition is one of the most anticipated events in Philippine collegiate sports.
Since 1994, the competition has witnessed numerous nail-biting performances, captivating routines, and the crowning of outstanding champions.
Ahead of the UAAP Season 87 cheerdance competition, Rappler looked into how universities performed through the years.
The University of Santo Tomas (UST) emerged as the early powerhouse, dominating the competition in the mid-1990s. From 1994 to 2006, the UST Salinggawi Dance Troupe secured the championship title eight times.
In 1998, the Far Eastern University (FEU) Tamaraws secured their first championship title.
Claiming the top spot in 1999, the University of the Philippines (UP) Pep Squad rose to prominence, maintaining its reign for several consecutive years.
UP continued its dominance in the late 2000s, clinching the championship in 2007 and 2008. The Tamaraws managed to break UP’s streak in 2009, but UP swiftly reclaimed the title in 2010 until 2012.
Starting in 2013, National University (NU) embarked on an unprecedented championship streak that lasted until 2019.
That streak was temporarily disrupted in 2017, when Adamson University claimed the top spot, but the Bulldogs swiftly reclaimed the championship in 2018 and 2019.
The cheerdance competition, as well as other UAAP games, were temporarily halted in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In the competition’s comeback in May 2022, FEU claimed the gold, once again shattering a winning streak, this time held by NU. The Bulldogs, however, were able to reclaim the title in Season 85 held in December of the same year.
In 2023, the Tamaraws regained their crown with a “Super Mario”-inspired performance.
Overall, UP and UST boast the highest number of championship titles, with both universities clinching a total of eight titles each, closely followed by NU with seven titles.
Don’t miss the excitement of this year’s UAAP cheerdance competition on Sunday, December 1, at the Mall of Asia Arena. – Rappler.com
Editor’s note: This story was originally published in 2023 and has been updated to reflect the latest information ahead of the UAAP Season 87 Cheerdance Competition in 2024.