Hofstra students have started a petition to let the university's dance team practice and compete in a national competition.

The university designated the team as a club because of safety reasons from the pandemic.

That means for the first time ever, the Hofstra dance team is not allowed to practice or compete.

The dance team says they do not believe it is because of safety reasons. They say they believe the university does not want to spend money on providing COVID-19 testing or personal protection equipment.

"We know how to be safe, we will do anything, we will wear masks, we will sanitize and get tested as many times as we need," said Marina Lore.

Hofstra athletic teams have been given the go-ahead to practice and play, but not clubs.

"We have been told 'no' repeatedly, that's because we are not recognized as an athletic team," dance team member Amy Oliver said.

For months, the 20-member team has practiced on Zoom, hoping Hofstra will reconsider, especially with nationals around the corner.

The team created a petition calling for Hofstra to allow them to play.

Hofstra University said in a statement, "We are proud of our dance team and their commitment to Hofstra, each other, and the excellence of their team. The dance team's official designation has not changed during the pandemic. All student clubs and organizations have been operating only virtually to protect the health and safety of our community. Classes and NCAA athletics have different guidelines, requirements and infrastructure. We are currently examining new procedures to have some student groups conduct activities in person, keeping the safety of our students and campus community as our primary goal. As we have since the pandemic began, we will rely on the advice of our medical expert to guide these decisions."

The Hofstra dance team has been called a team since the 1990s and has won seven national titles and one World Gold title.