The Universal Dance Association College Nationals, often called the Dance Super Bowl, took place Jan. 16-18. During this competition, D1 college dance teams perform in categories ranging from jazz, to game day, to hip-hop and even pom. This event aired on Varsity TV, with highly anticipated performances from schools including Ohio State, University of Nevada-Las Vegas, Louisiana State University, University of Michigan, University of Central Florida, University of South Florida, San Diego State University and University of Minnesota.
Preliminary Round
UDA competition begins with a preliminary round for each style of dance. Colleges debut their dances, hoping to advance to the semi-final and final rounds. The first set of preliminary competition focused on Jazz. The standout performances of this round included Ohio State, LSU, UCF and Minnesota. All of these dances featured unique movements, smart choreography and intense cleanliness. The second set of preliminary competition featured Pom dances. Ohio State, Texas Tech and Minnesota stole the show with their powerful showcase of athletic and artistic ability. With synchronized turn sections, unique use of the pom-poms and crisp lines, they earned their spot in the semi-finals. The next set of preliminary competition centered on hip-hop. LSU, UCF and UNLV displayed their synchronized and detailed routines, wowing the crowds and ensuring they advanced to the semi-finals. The final set of preliminary competition focused on Game Day performances. Finalists include Florida State, Texas Tech, UNLV and LSU. These clean routines blended aspects of cheerleading and dance and showcased the well-rounded training of the UDA dancers. In my opinion, throughout all of the preliminary categories, Ohio State and LSU showed up and showed out, outdancing all of their competition.
Semi-Finals
In the Semi-Final rounds, teams perform the same routines and receive new scoring to determine who will advance to the final competition. In the Jazz Semi-Finals, Ohio State remained a standout performance, securing first place, while Minnesota, with another amazing performance, secured fourth place. Though LSU and Texas Tech Jazz were clean performances, Minnesota should have placed higher. In the Pom Semi-Finals, Ohio State, Texas Tech and Minnesota took the top three spots, fighting their way into the finals. Though Texas Tech scored the highest, Ohio State’s choreography and execution caused them to still be my favorite performance of the competition. The next section of competition, hip-hop, featured intense and captivating dances, however LSU’s performance to the Kendrick Lamar mix was a display of excellence and deserved their first-place scoring. The final category, game-day, ended with a similar ranking to the preliminary round. The performance by UNLV showed their drive as they pushed through to the final round. Overall, the performances in the Semi-Finals were even more impressive than the preliminary round, especially as the pressure and stakes expanded for the competitors.
Finals
The final round of competition showcased the many talented dancers and their years of hard work; however, it also sparked much controversy in scoring. Ohio State won the jazz title, beating Minnesota by a fraction of a point. Though both of these performances were compelling, Ohio State earned the first-place trophy with its synchronicity and clever choreography. Shockingly, Minnesota won the Pom category, with Ohio State placing third overall, losing by less than one point. Both of these dances were incredible, but in the final performance, Minnesota ultimately performed a cleaner dance. The most controversial scoring comes from the hip-hop category. UNLV defended its title, claiming first place with LSU earning second by .33 of a point. LSU should have won this category with their powerful choreography, movement quality and entertainment level. The final stage of competition left UNLV the winners of the game day category, a well-deserved placement. The Finals did not disappoint, showcasing the best of the best in the world of college dance.
Overall, UDA 2026 featured incredible performances. The iconic turn sections, unique tricks and beautiful costumes all elevated the viewing experience when watching in-person, live and even on YouTube.
