2023 Competitive Dance National Championship Qualifiers Announced
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) has announced the 12 qualifying teams for the 2023 Competitive Dance National Championship. The 7th Annual event will be held at the George Gervin GameAbove Center in Ypsilanti, Mich from March 10th through 11th.
The field includes six automatic qualifiers and six at-large bids. The automatic qualifiers are determined by the winners of the regional grouping competitions which were won by Baker (Kan.), Doane (Neb.), Loyola (La.), Oklahoma City, St. Ambrose (Iowa), and Thomas More (Ky.).
Reigning National Champion Morningside (Iowa) looks to defend their crown as an at-large berth; the Mustangs are one of three programs to win a Red Banner as the trio have combined for five titles. Aquinas (Mich.), Baker, Grand View (Iowa), Midland (Kan.), Morningside, Oklahoma City, and St. Ambrose have qualified for championship play each season the NAIA has hosted the competition. Concordia (Mich.) is into the field for the first time in program history.
| Institution | Qualifications | Appearances | Last | Titles |
| Aquinas (Mich.) | At-Large | 7 | 2022 | 0 |
| Baker (Kan.) | Midwest Grouping | 7 | 2022 | 0 |
| Concordia (Mich) | Host Berth | 1 | - | - |
| Doane (Neb.) | Northwest Grouping | 3 | 2022 | 0 |
| Grand View (Iowa) | At-Large | 7 | 2022 | 0 |
| Loyola (La.) | Southeast Grouping | 5 | 2021 | 0 |
| Midland (Neb.) | At-Large | 7 | 2022 | 2 |
| Morningside (Iowa) | At-Large | 7 | 2022 | 1 |
| Oklahoma City | Southwest Grouping | 7 | 2022 | 0 |
| St. Ambrose (Iowa) | Northeast Grouping | 7 | 2022 | 2 |
| Thomas More (Ky.) | Central Grouping | 2 | 2022 | 0 |
| Viterbo (Wisc.) | At-Large | 2 | 2022 | 0 |
The order of competition for the Preliminary Rounds will be announced March 1, 2022.
Teams at the Competitive Cheer and Dance National Championships will be competing on a level playing field as regular season and qualifier scores are not taken into consideration during the championships. The NAIA is the only athletics association to offer a national championship in this sport.
