Vanderbilt fields a single co-ed cheerleading program under Vanderbilt Athletics (vucommodores.com/cheer-tryouts) — not separate coed and all-girl squads. Its tryout process has two stages, and the first one is easy to miss if you’re only expecting a single tryout day.
How Vanderbilt Cheer Tryouts Actually Work
- Stage 1 — Submission (deadline in mid-March): submit a resume/activity list, a 1-minute personal statement video, a headshot, a detailed skills list, a fight-song performance video, and a skills video showing 2 standing and 2 running tumbling skills, plus your current transcript (or admission letter if you’re an incoming student).
- Stage 2 — Final Tryout (in-person, mid-April): candidates invited from the submission round attend an in-person final tryout.
Exact dates shift year to year — confirm the current cycle’s deadlines directly on vucommodores.com/cheer-tryouts.
Eligibility
Vanderbilt’s own tryout page lists its specific eligibility requirements as still to be determined for the current cycle rather than fixed numbers — don’t assume a specific GPA or insurance requirement; check the official page directly closer to the submission deadline.
Skills Actually Required (Verified, Gender-Specific)
- Female candidates: a standing back handspring is the baseline expectation. Recommended (not strictly required): standing back handspring to tuck, round-off back tuck, and back handspring to back tuck.
- Male candidates: no tumbling skill is strictly required. Recommended: cartwheel/handstand basics, with a back handspring or back tuck preferred, and round-off back tuck for running tumbling.
- All candidates: a dedicated fight-song performance (submitted on video, then performed in person if invited to the final round).
What to Wear
Cheer shoes, athletic shorts, and a fitted top. Female candidates wear class-year color-coded shirts: White (incoming freshman), Gray (rising sophomore), Black (rising junior), Gold (rising senior). Male candidates wear athletic shoes, gym shorts, and a t-shirt.
What You Get If You Make the Team
Verified program opportunities include UCA College Camp, home and away football games, home volleyball, SEC/NCAA postseason basketball travel, and UCA College Nationals competition, backed by athletic training, strength and conditioning, sports nutrition, and sports psychology support, plus approved absences for team travel.
How to Prepare
- Start your tumbling and fight-song video well before the submission deadline — production quality (clear framing, good lighting) matters since this is your first impression.
- Practice the specific skills listed above rather than generic tumbling passes.
- Review the official page’s full requirements early, since some eligibility details are finalized closer to the deadline each year.
Related Resources
- College Cheerleading Tryout Guides Directory
- Beginner Cheerleading Hub
- Cheer Stunts & Tumbling Hub
- Cheerleading Glossary
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Vanderbilt cheerleading coed or all-girl? Coed — Vanderbilt fields a single co-ed program, not separate squads.
What do I need to submit for Vanderbilt cheer tryouts? A resume, a 1-minute personal statement video, a headshot, a skills list, a fight-song performance video, a skills video with 2 standing and 2 running tumbling skills, and your transcript or admission letter — all due by the submission deadline, before any in-person round.
What GPA do I need? Vanderbilt’s own page doesn’t publish a fixed number for the current cycle — check directly rather than relying on a generic figure.
Who do I contact with questions? A specific staff contact is published on Vanderbilt’s official tryout page — check vucommodores.com/cheer-tryouts directly, since contact details can change between cycles.
Source: Vanderbilt Athletics — Cheer Tryouts (official, directly verified). Last checked 2026-09-21.
