The most important thing to know about Ohio State cheer: there is no traditional tryout. The Ohio State University Cheer Team fills its roster through a structured recruitment process that starts in high school. The team is an official varsity sport at Ohio State and part of the Spirit Program with the Dance Team and Brutus Buckeye. It cheers at football, men’s and women’s basketball and women’s volleyball, and competes each year at the UCA Collegiate National Championship in Orlando. This guide follows Ohio State’s official Team Selection Process and Program Information pages.

Where the cycle stands (September 29, 2026): the recruitment deadline for the Class of 2027 is November 1, 2026, and fall clinics start October 11, 2026.

The Team

• Large Coed only: 12 men and 12 women. Ohio State does not offer group or all-female stunt spots. The 2026-27 roster lists 26 athletes.
• Titles: UCA Division 1A Large Coed national champions in 1981, 1983 and 1993. In January 2026, the Ohio State spirit program (cheer, dance and Brutus) won its third straight D1A Game Day national title.
• Commitment: about 20 hours per week, from the end of July through April, plus a training week in June. Fall and spring bring 3-4 practices a week plus lifting, home football and basketball, rotating away-game travel, Nationals in January, and Big Ten and NCAA basketball tournament travel.
• Support: as varsity athletes, team members get dedicated strength coaches, a nutritionist and athletic trainer, access to a sports psychologist, priority scheduling, free tutoring and printing, athlete dining and the Fuel Zone, Nike gear and the alumni association.

How Recruitment Works

1. Recruitment form and video. Submit the Cheerleading Recruiting Questionnaire. A video is required, and forms are reviewed on a rolling basis. You can submit from the spring of your sophomore year of high school (March 1).
2. Meet the staff. Ohio State encourages you to meet coaches in person at on-campus clinics, competitions or national recruiting events. It calls clinics the best way to meet the staff and train with current athletes.
3. Evaluation. Coaches may reach out for interviews, follow-up videos, references or more information.
4. Offers. Offers go out on a rolling basis, starting in the winter based on team needs. All offers for a recruiting class are issued by April 1 of that year.

Recruitment deadlines:

• Class of 2027: November 1, 2026
• Class of 2028: October 1, 2027
• Class of 2029: September 1, 2028

Ohio State also advises seniors to apply to the university by November 1 for Early Action consideration. Between clinics, email the coaching staff with updates such as competition video or campus visit plans.

Clinics

Ohio State runs Coed Stunt & College Prep Clinics through the year (summer, fall, a February winter clinic and an April spring clinic) to prepare high school and college cheerleaders for a collegiate coed tryout. They’re built for female flyers and for men learning coed partner stunting; group or all-female stunts aren’t trained. Upcoming fall 2026 sessions at the French Field House:

• Fall Coed Stunt & College Prep Clinic: Sunday, October 11, 2026, for athletes entering grade 8 or older. $175, plus a 3% online processing fee. You must register in advance; walk-ups aren’t allowed.
• Fall Coed Stunt School: October 12, 19 and 26 (evenings) and November 8 (morning), for grade 7 and older. $140 per session, in groups of 10-18 at a 3:1 participant-to-instructor ratio.

Prior coed stunting experience isn’t required for either clinic. See all dates on the Ohio State Cheerleading Camps page.

Coaches and Contact

Kelsea Giantonio became head cheer coach in June 2025. She was previously head spirit coach at Vanderbilt and a volunteer assistant at Ohio State from 2019 to 2021. The staff directory lists her as Kelsea Fithian-Giantonio, Head Coach, Cheerleading, at fithian-giantonio.1@osu.edu. Melissa McGhee directs the spirit program and coaches the Dance Team. Ohio State posts recruiting events and clinic news on Instagram at @ohiostatecheerteam.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Ohio State hold cheer tryouts?

No. Ohio State says it does not hold a traditional tryout. Team members are selected through recruitment: questionnaire and video, clinics and contact with the staff, evaluation, then offers.

Does Ohio State have an all-girl cheer team?

No. It is a Large Coed team of 12 men and 12 women, with no group or all-female stunt spots.

When is the deadline for the Class of 2027?

November 1, 2026. All offers for a class are issued by April 1.

When can I start the recruiting process?

You can submit your skills video and questionnaire from March 1 of your sophomore year of high school.

Related Resources

• How to Be a Better Cheerleading Flyer
• How to Base in Cheerleading
• All-Girl vs. Coed Cheer
• Big Ten Cheer Tryout Guides
• College Cheerleading Tryout Guides Directory

Sources: Ohio State Athletics, Team Selection Process, Cheerleading Program Information, Cheerleading Camps, 2026-27 Roster, Giantonio announcement (2025), 2026 national championships and Staff Directory. Last checked September 29, 2026.