Spirit Program competes and takes home second place in D1A 

The University of Louisiana at Lafayette’s Ragin’ Cheer and Ragin’ Jazz placed second in the division 1A spirit gameday competition. The team made it to the finals in the 2025 UCA & UDA college cheerleading and dance team national championship, marking their second-place victory as a huge accomplishment. 

UL Lafayette’s cheer and jazz teams are both notorious for proudly representing their college campus during football games, volleyball games and basketball games, whether it be the girls or guys performing. The teams actively cheer on the Ragin Cajuns in all that they do and their enthusiasm on the sidelines is very important for not only the players but the audience as well. 

The cheerleaders and jazz team hype up the athletes and the fans, whether the Ragin Cajuns are winning the game or losing. This helps everyone keep a positive, optimistic outlook on the sport. It also plays a huge factor in the willingness of the players. Both teams performance and passion give them the extra boost of confidence they need to change the tide of the game and make a comeback to secure the win for the Ragin Cajuns. 

However, sports aside, the cheerleaders and dancers represent UL Lafayette in other aspects as well. They make public appearances to truly engage with the fans and volunteer for the Lafayette community, often, happily helping those in need. 

Both teams also host clinics throughout the fall semester to help train and show future UL Lafayette spirit squad members what it takes to be on the team so they can try out with confidence the following semester. Overall, the team plays a vital role in the community that they are a part of. 

Additionally, on top of cheering and dancing for sporting events and spending time with the public, the teams also compete nationally against other teams across their division. Last year, the Ragin’ Cajuns Cheerleaders competed on the national level at the UCA collegiate national championship in Orlando, FL. Bringing home fifth place in the nation in the D1A spirit program gameday competition, which was quite the achievement at that time. 

The cheerleaders and dancers compete every year and thus far, the team has seemed to do nothing but improve over the last year. Especially the cheer team since they climbed the ranks from fifth to second. That is a huge feat for the UL Lafayette cheerleaders that took a lot of skill, practice, consistency and effort. To the public eye, these accomplishments may look easy, but being a part of the Ragin Cheer and Ragin Jazz teams is not easy. 

Cheerleaders and dancers are student-athletes too, they balance their daily school workload along with the duties of being on the team. They balance doing stunts and performing with studying and classes and this balancing act doesn’t come easy for most people. It requires patience and a strong willpower, but the UL Lafayette spirit squads take on the challenge to proudly represent their college campus. 

Madison Byrd, a post-baccalaureate student applying for graduate school to pursue a master’s in psychology, commented, “As a college cheerleader, you work all year for one singular day. Each team gets one shot to show the world and the judges what they are capable of. All of which takes place in a CajunDome-sized arena that is overflowing with other teams and screaming fans. This is what makes it so exhilarating.” 

Byrd continued, “As a member of the ULL Spirit Program, we understand that this pressure is a privilege. Before leaving for nationals, we spent months recreating this high-stress environment to prepare ourselves for what was to come. After competing and returning home, I can say without a doubt that we were prepared.” 

The Ragin Jazz and Ragin Cheer teams are more than spirit squads, they are men and women of action, motivated go-getters, friendly companions around their campus and the embodiment of what a student-athlete looks like. Their dedication to their craft is what helps the UL Lafayette spirit squads be inspirational leaders and role models both in and out of their cheerleading uniforms. 

The teams truly put in the effort this school year and worked hard to make a change in their placing in the division 1A spirit gameday competition. Jumping from fifth to second place in only a year’s time is definitely something to write home about for the cheerleaders but this time the jazz team jumped the rankings as well. Looking into the future, the Ragin Cajun cheerleaders and Ragin Jazz teams will definitely improve more. So maybe in the years to come, the teams will be bringing home the gold to UL Lafayette.