East Tennessee State University in Johnson City competes in the Southern Conference (SoCon) as the Buccaneers. The ETSU Cheer Team‘s main job is to create enthusiasm at Buccaneer football games and men’s and women’s home basketball games, and it also represents the university in the community. The team competes at UCA Nationals in Orlando in January. At the 2019 College National Championships it made the finals for the first time and placed fourth in the nation.
Where the cycle stands (September 30, 2026): ETSU doesn’t publish cheer tryout dates, skill requirements or a tryout packet on its athletics website. The ETSU cheer information that is published sits on the university’s Cheerleading & Dance Team page, part of its Creative Arts Scholarship program. Clinic and tryout updates are posted on the team’s Instagram.
What ETSU Publishes
- Game days: football, plus men’s and women’s home basketball.
- Support: cheerleaders are supported by the ETSU conditioning coach and athletic training staff.
- Nationals: the team competes at UCA Nationals in Orlando each January. Team members pay for that trip, and the team runs fundraisers during the fall and spring to help offset the cost.
- Sickle cell test: if you make the team as an incoming freshman or transfer, you must turn in sickle cell test results to the Spirit Coordinator before you take part. ETSU says there are no exceptions. If you have trouble getting the test, the Spirit Coordinator can arrange an appointment through ETSU’s in-house BUCSPORTS facility.
Creative Arts Scholarship for Out-of-State Students
ETSU’s Creative Arts Scholarship includes cheer and dance. If you make either team and qualify as an out-of-state student, the scholarship can waive your out-of-state tuition, so you pay the equivalent of the in-state rate. Key points from ETSU:
- It’s for first-time, out-of-state undergraduate and graduate students, including international and transfer students.
- You must be accepted to ETSU before you’re considered.
- In-state students aren’t eligible for a scholarship on either team.
- Students who already qualify for in-state tuition another way, such as the E-Rate or the Academic Common Market, aren’t eligible.
- Scholarships cover eight semesters (not summers). Freshmen must live on campus and buy a meal plan.
The cheer page links to the scholarship application and said fall 2026 submissions were open. The main scholarship page says spring 2027 submissions open September 15. See the Creative Arts Scholarship page for current windows.
Contact
For questions about tryouts and specific skills, ETSU directs students to the Spirit Coordinator, Van VanEaton, listed as Buc Spirit Coach in the athletics staff directory: vaneatonv@etsu.edu. Follow the cheer team on Instagram at @etsu_cheer for clinic and tryout updates and videos of current stunts and tumbling. For scholarship questions, contact the Creative Arts Scholarship office at creativearts@etsu.edu.
How to Prepare
Because ETSU doesn’t publish skill requirements, the most useful step is to email the Spirit Coordinator early and ask what the next tryout will involve, including dates, required tumbling and stunts, and whether video tryouts are accepted. Watching the team’s Instagram shows the level of stunting and tumbling the current squad performs. If you’re from out of state, apply for admission early, since you must be accepted before you can be considered for the Creative Arts Scholarship.
Frequently Asked Questions
When are ETSU cheer tryouts?
ETSU doesn’t publish tryout dates on its website. Follow @etsu_cheer and contact the Spirit Coordinator.
Does ETSU offer cheer scholarships?
Only for out-of-state students, through the Creative Arts Scholarship, which can waive out-of-state tuition if you make the team. There is no scholarship for in-state students.
Does ETSU cheer compete?
Yes. The team competes at UCA Nationals in Orlando in January, and members pay for the trip with help from team fundraisers.
Related Resources
- Cheerleading Tryouts Guide
- How to Do a Back Handspring
- Cheerleading Tryout Tips: How to Stand Out
- College Cheerleading Tryout Guides Directory
Sources: East Tennessee State University, Cheerleading & Dance Team, Creative Arts Scholarship and Contact Us; ETSU Athletics, Staff Directory. Last checked September 30, 2026.
