AMERICA'S SWEETHEARTS CHEER THEIR WAY BACK INTO OUR HEARTS IN AN ALL-NEW SEASON OF "DALLAS COWBOYS CHEERLEADERS: MAKING THE TEAM" PREMIERING FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 6 ON CMT

LOS ANGELES - July 2, 2013 - Summer heats up as America's hottest cheerleaders return for the eighth season of DALLAS COWBOYS CHEERLEADERS: MAKING THE TEAM beginning Friday, September 6 at 9:00 - 10:00 p.m., ET/PT on CMT. The network's longest running non-music series will feature eight one-hour episodes. Each season, the Lone Star State's most iconic group of women take on more challenging dance routines and face incredibly talented candidates while navigating all the drama that comes with competition; with more action-packed episodes, heart-tugging storylines, challenges and surprises, this season will be no different.

Making dreams come true or crushing them are longtime DCC director Kelli McGonagill Finglass and choreographer Judy Trammell. Once again, the hit series follows the girls as they must survive the rigorous auditions, training camp, the powerhouse technical coaching of former DCC Kitty Carter, meet the demanding expectations of fitness trainer, Jay Johnson and of course rehearsals for their first performance at the enviable Cowboys Stadium. A lot has changed in the sports world since the DCC came on the scene, but one thing remains a constant: The Dallas Cowboys are still considered "America's Team," and their cheerleaders, the best in the business.

Rookies have their work cut out for them, however, as an unprecedented 32 veterans return, making this the most competitive season ever. And the competition doesn't stop with veterans - out of the 500 vying for a coveted spot on the squad, 30 are former professional cheerleaders from other teams, 50% of the girls are from states outside of Texas and cheerleader hopefuls from as far as Japan, Canada and Australia raise the stakes for a Texas-sized showdown the likes of which the friendly state has never seen.

Following Season 8 preliminary auditions, 146 competitors make it to the semi-finals where that number will dwindle down to 86, leaving 47 young ladies to duke it out in training camp for one of the prized 37 spots on the squad. In a never-before-seen twist, this season DCC democratizes the voting process by allowing fans to also vote online for their favorite candidate to make it into training camp. (Voting began on May 9, 2013 and closed on May 17th).

Proving that Season 8 is rife with real emotion and adversity is a storyline of a training camp candidate who tears her ACL on camera while performing a routine and is forced to withdraw from the competition; a 26-year-old single, working mom fights for her right to try for the squad and in a most dramatic, first of its kind, turn of events, Kelli and Judy make an "in the moment" split decision to bring back a veteran who had already been cut, but then pulled four veterans from the "Cameos" photo shoot because she thought they weren't in good enough shape.

And the cameras never stop rolling as rookies finally settle into Dallas and adjust to life in training. The ladies soon realize that when they are not being tested physically, their emotional and mental strength is put to task. Once the quintessential Dallas Cowboy Cheerleader herself, Kelli understands the importance of image so she calls on world-renowned designer Abi Ferrin who has dressed celebrities such as Carrie Underwood and the Duchess of Cambridge herself, Kate Middeleton, to host a "Do's and Don'ts of How to Dress Like a DCC," fashion seminar. The result is a few of the most dramatic makeovers DCC has ever seen. And teaching the ladies new and different styles of choreography are celebrity choreographers, DJ Guthrie ("American Idol," "Dancing with the Stars") and Jordan Johnson ("So You Think You Can Dance").

Tune-in to find out who gets the privilege of MAKING THE TEAM for the 2013-2014 season and representing "America's Team." DALLAS COWBOYS CHEERLEADERS: MAKING THE TEAM is produced by Triage Entertainment with executive producers Stu Schreiberg, Stephen Kroopnick, Eugene Pack, Adam Vetri, Peter Zasuly and Kelli McGonagill Finglass. Melanie Moreau and Jayson Dinsmore are executive producers for CMT.

For photo galleries, bonus clips and more, visit CMT.com or CMT Mobile at m.cmt.com. Join the conversation on the show's Facebook page and follow @CMTshows on Twitter.

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