Alcorn State University holds cheer tryouts each spring. For 2026-27 it used a three-round process: an emailed application with an introduction video, a skills video, and an invite-only in-person tryout in Lorman, Mississippi. The Braves cheer for a Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) athletics program, and for 2026-27 the program has grown to two teams, co-ed and all-girl. This guide follows Alcorn Athletics’ own tryout announcement and cheer news.

Where the cycle stands (September 30, 2026): tryouts for the 2026-27 squad finished in April 2026, and Alcorn hasn’t posted 2027-28 tryout information yet. The details below are from the 2026-27 cycle. Use them to prepare, and confirm the new dates when Alcorn announces them.

How the Tryout Worked (2026-27 Cycle)

Alcorn announced the 2026-27 process on February 16, 2026. Head coach Dr. Timothy D. Queen’s program ran it in three rounds.

1. Round I: application (due March 27, 2026, 5 p.m. CST). Candidates emailed everything to cheer@alcorn.edu: a completed digital registration form, the $50 non-refundable tryout fee, the required documents, and a 2-minute introduction video. In the video you give your name, hometown, classification or grade, position (flyer, side base or main base) and why you want to cheer at Alcorn. Each candidate gets a tryout number for the rest of the process.
2. Round II: skills video (due April 3, 2026, at noon). Candidates who advance receive an email with instructions and a private YouTube link. The video shows your name and tryout number, tumbling, the required jumps (toe touch, herkie, pike and a jump series), the fight song, one original cheer and one original chant. Wear a black top and black bottoms. Incomplete videos aren’t considered.
3. Round III: in-person tryout (invite only, April 17–18, 2026). Both days are mandatory. Friday is a stunt clinic and Saturday is the official tryout. A cheer and a one-minute dance are taught on site.

Skill Minimums

• Running tumbling: your best pass, with a back handspring series as the minimum.
• Standing tumbling: your best skill, with a standing tuck as the minimum. Tumbling in the video must be repeated at Round III, and there’s no spring floor.
• All-girl stunting (minimum): full-up extension, full down, toss liberty, toss extension, and a pike front dismount.
• Co-ed stunting (minimum): toss, toss extension, toss cradle, and a choice skill (your most advanced).

Eligibility and Documents

• A minimum 2.5 cumulative GPA
• Unofficial transcripts (current students and transfers)
• An acceptance letter (incoming freshmen and transfers)
• Medical documentation from the last six months: a physician clearance form and sickle cell test results
• A negative COVID-19 test within five days of tryouts
• The $50 non-refundable tryout fee

All materials were due by email by the Round I deadline, and all documents, including medical paperwork, had to be presented in person on arrival at Round III.

The Teams

Alcorn selected 30 cheerleaders for 2026-27 after the April tryouts. In June 2026 the program announced it would split into two teams:

• Co-Ed Team (15 women and 6 men): all home football games, selected away football games, men’s basketball, pep rallies and community appearances.
• All-Girl Team (10 women), overseen by assistant coach Kala Blanton: home football games, women’s basketball, pep rallies and campus events.
• A Competition Team made up of selected athletes from both squads.

In July 2026 the squad earned a Bronze Bid to the 2027 NCA Collegiate National Championship in Daytona Beach, Florida, at NCA Collegiate Camp in Dallas.

Summer Cheer Camp

Alcorn Cheerleading runs a camp for middle and high school cheerleaders. The 2026 camp ran June 29 to July 2 on campus, and it included the first tryout for the Alcorn State University All-Star Cheerleaders, a youth ambassador team. The camp is a chance to learn from the Alcorn squad; it isn’t part of the college tryout.

Contact

Alcorn’s cheer news directs all questions to the Alcorn State University Cheer Program at cheer@alcorn.edu. Dr. Timothy Queen is the head cheerleading coach and Kala Blanton is the assistant coach, according to the 2026-27 roster.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can incoming freshmen try out?

Yes. Incoming freshmen and transfers include an acceptance letter with their application.

Is there a video round?

Yes. Round I includes a 2-minute introduction video, and Round II is a skills video. Only invited candidates go on to the in-person tryout.

What is the minimum tumbling?

For 2026-27: a standing tuck and a back handspring series.

Related Resources

• Alabama State University Cheerleading Tryout Guide
• Alabama A&M University Cheerleading Tryout Guide
• How to Film a Cheer Tryout Video
• How to Do a Standing Back Tuck
• College Cheerleading Tryout Guides Directory

Sources: Alcorn State University Athletics, Alcorn Cheer Announces Tryouts Information (February 2026), Cheer Announces 2026-27 Squad, Alcorn Cheerleading Announces Expansion for 2026-27, Alcorn Hosts Middle and High School Cheer Camp, Braves Earn Top Honors at NCA Collegiate Camp and the 2026-27 Co-Ed Cheerleading Roster. Last checked September 30, 2026.