The San Antonio Spurs reportedly will be disbanding the Silver Dancers -- their all-female dance team -- starting in the 2018-19 season. The Spurs will instead have a 35-member "family friendly" coed hype team. Apparently, it was due to the dance team not drawing enough "fan interest."
According to a press release from the Spurs, the hype team will be doing "tumbling, acrobatics, dance and stunts." They will also "participate in a variety of community events and public appearances as well as perform at home games." The name is TBD.
The Spurs are the first team to disband their dance squad. As one might expect, members of the team felt blindsided by the news, and they questioned the motives behind the Spurs ending the team.
The Silver Dancers, who have been a part of the Spurs' gameday entertainment since 1992, have also had their Twitter and Instagram accounts taken down, not to mention their webpage on the team site. The move is already a divisive one. While some are lauding the Spurs for making games a more "family-friendly experience," others are bemoaning them taking away a mainstay of the team for 26 years.
The Spurs, however, seem happy with what they have planned.
"We are excited to announce our new Spurs hype team," Spurs Sports & Entertainment Vice President Tammy Turner said in the Spurs' release. "This team will further enhance the game-night experience for Spurs fans at the AT&T Center."