Iowa State’s cheerleaders are part of the Iowa State Spirit Squad, along with the dance team and Cy, the mascot. The cheer program has a coed team and an all-girl team, and squad sizes vary each year at the coaches’ discretion. The teams cheer at football, volleyball and men’s and women’s basketball, compete at NCA College Nationals in Daytona Beach, Florida, and cheer in the Big 12 Conference.
Where the cycle stands (October 1, 2026): recruitment for the 2027-28 team is open. Video submissions opened September 1, 2026 and are accepted until January 1, 2027. Iowa State hasn’t set dates for the 2027-28 tryout itself yet. Fall 2026 prep clinics are on October 10 and November 8.
Two Paths Onto the Team
Iowa State runs a recruitment process for high school seniors and college transfers, and a three-day in-person tryout. Recruits who receive an offer letter still have to attend the tryout.
Recruitment (High School Seniors and Transfers)
- Send in the recruitment application, with your video ready to upload.
- Attend clinics and recruiting events during the year. Iowa State marks this step as required.
- Plan an official campus tour.
- Apply to Iowa State. You can send the recruitment application before you’re admitted.
The 2027-28 timeline: video submissions September 1, 2026 to January 1, 2027; an evaluation and interview period from January to March, with invitation-only team practice offers; and committed offer letters in April 2027.
Younger athletes (8th grade through high school juniors) are asked to fill out an interest form and come to clinics. Both are on the official recruitment page.
The Recruitment Video
The video must be filmed together and include all three sections. Iowa State suggests a public YouTube link. Women wear hair half up with a white bow, black shorts or spandex and a black tank or sports top; men wear black shorts.
- Introduction: a personal portrait, your name, your current school, and your answer to: “What interests you about the Iowa State cheerleading program?”
- Coed stunts: toss hands or extension; toss lib or awesome; and two more elite (inverted) stunts of your choice with a flipping dismount.
- All-girl stunts: full up lib to heel stretch; back handspring up; and two more elite (inverted) stunts of your choice with a flipping dismount.
- Jumps: a three-jump sequence and a toe touch tuck or full.
- Standing tumbling: five consecutive standing tucks or fulls, and standing two back handsprings to a layout or full.
- Running tumbling: round-off back handspring layout or full, and a specialty pass with a punch front, whip or Arabian ending in a layout or full.
All tumbling must be on a dead mat, with no spotting or assisted equipment.
The Tryout
The tryout is a three-day, in-person process that is closed to the public, with cuts possible throughout the weekend. You must be fully cleared to take part in every round; an injury that keeps you from completing a round rules you out.
- Day 1: tumbling and stunt group practice (not scored).
- Day 2: tumbling (scored, first cuts), then stunting (scored, second cuts).
- Day 3: game day material and interviews (scored, final team selection).
Required tumbling: a standing tuck; a standing sequence of two back handsprings to a tuck, layout or full; a round-off back handspring to a tuck, layout or full; a specialty pass that includes punch fronts, whips or Arabians to a layout or full; a toe touch to tuck or full; and a three-jump sequence of toe touch, pike and hurdler.
Required stunts: all-girl athletes show a full up stretch and a back handspring up with a pop-off, plus one more stunt that highlights their position. Coed athletes show toss hands and a toss extension or lib with a pop-off, plus one more stunt. Flyers must include a body position in the extra stunt (heel stretches don’t count). Women who fly can try out for both coed and all-girl, but the coaches decide which squad they join.
Game day: interview questions, the Iowa State Fight Song with a stunt, and game day chants with poms, signs and megaphones. Practice videos are sent after you register.
Video tryouts aren’t allowed unless you’re competing at Cheerleading Worlds or Summit and the head coach has verified it.
Fall 2026 Prep Clinics
The College Stunt & Prep Clinic runs on Saturday, October 10 and Sunday, November 8, 2026, noon to 3 p.m. (check-in from 11:30 a.m.) at the Lied Recreation Athletic Center. It’s open to students in grades 6–12 and college students and covers coed and all-girl stunting and game day material. It costs $75 per clinic or $140 for both, and you’ll need an athletic physical completed within a year of the clinic. Register here. A winter 2027 clinic is planned, but its date isn’t set.
Eligibility and Commitment
- Academics: at least 12 credit hours at Iowa State each semester and a 2.0 cumulative GPA.
- Full year: you can’t try out for part of a year.
- Schedule: summer practices in June, July and August; NCA College Cheerleading Camp at the end of July or early August; three to four practices a week of two to three hours each, plus workouts; all home football games; assigned volleyball, basketball and gymnastics events; games and practices during breaks; and four required appearances.
- Fundraising: members take part in all Spirit Squad fundraising.
Iowa State lists these team benefits: scholarship opportunities, letter jacket qualification, paid uniforms and most accessories, and all-expenses-paid travel to away games, tournaments and competitions.
Coaches and Contact
Liza LoVan is the head coach, with assistant coaches Romie Williams and Kearstyn Lennon. Iowa State’s clinic page lists Coach LoVan at llovan@iastate.edu. The Spirit Squad office number in the athletics staff directory is 515-294-4805. The team is on Instagram at @cyclonecheer.
Frequently Asked Questions
When are Iowa State cheer tryouts? Iowa State hadn’t set the 2027-28 tryout dates as of October 1, 2026. The recruitment video window runs September 1, 2026 to January 1, 2027.
What GPA do I need? A 2.0 cumulative GPA, with at least 12 credit hours each semester.
Is a standing tuck required? Yes. It’s on the required tumbling list for the tryout.
Can I try out by video? Only if you compete at Worlds or Summit and the head coach verifies it. Recruits send a video, but they still have to attend the tryout.
Related Resources
- Big 12 Cheer Tryout Guides
- University of Iowa Cheerleading Tryout Guide
- How to Film a Cheer Tryout Video
- College Cheerleading Tryout Guides Directory
Sources: Iowa State University Athletics, Iowa State Spirit Squad, Iowa State Cheerleading Recruitment, the Fall 2026 College Stunt & Prep Clinic registration page and the Staff Directory. Last checked October 1, 2026.
