The Washington Football Team Announces It Will Replace Cheerleading Squad With Co-Ed Dance Team

The Washington Football Team will kick off its new season with a co-ed squad of cheerleaders.

This week, the organization announced that it would be replacing its all-women squad, known as the “First Ladies of Football,” with a co-ed dance team, according to NBC News. This all comes after a move to rebrand the organization after its former offensive name was removed. The co-ed pitch for the team was proposed last month.

“As we set out to modernize the Washington Football gameday, it’s important that we develop a top-notch entertainment program that keeps our fanbase excited and connected to the game and the team,” Washington Football Team president Jason Wright said in a statement.

As a part of the move, 33-year-old Petra Pope was hired as a senior advisor to help develop the team’s entertainment experience. Pope worked for the NBA, managing the Laker Girls. She also launched the Knicks City Dancers. Her job will be to hire and train the new staff members and develop new choreography for the team.

In the meantime, fans are still waiting on a new name for the football team, which Wright says should be officially decided by 2022. The news outlet also reports the organization has settled its legal battle with a group of former cheerleaders seen in a vulgar video allegedly shown to the team’s executives. According to NBC Washington, an investigation was launched after claims of sexual harassment and misconduct; the team is waiting on the probe’s findings.

Petra is a force of nature and an innovator in this space. With her boldness, creativity, and passion paired with new world class expertise in Guest Experience, Joey Colby-Begovich, we will create something fresh and dynamic for our fans in the coming years. We owe it to them! https://t.co/5DXhJ0qUtH

— Jason Wright (@whoisjwright) March 3, 2021