Cal Cheerleading is one of UC Berkeley’s spirit groups, alongside the Cal Dance Team, the Mic Men, the Bearettes, the UC Rally Committee and Oski. As of September 30, 2026, Cal hasn’t posted audition information for the next season: the Cal Spirit site’s Audition Info page says “coming soon.” The most recent audition page Cal Athletics has published is for the 2024-25 team. The details below come from that 2024 page, so treat them as a guide to how Cal has run auditions, not as current rules.

The Program

• Cal Cheer supports Cal Athletics as a traditional collegiate sideline team. In 2024 it cheered at football, volleyball, and men’s and women’s basketball, and it also appeared at rallies, alumni and community events.
• The cheerleaders work with the Mic Men, who lead the stadium yells, and perform with the Cal Band.
• In 2024, Cal said the team works under an advisor and a coach, and that physical and medical support is available through the athletic department.
• Conference: Cal competes in the ACC.

How Auditions Worked in 2024

• Eligibility: a current registered Cal student with at least a 2.0 GPA, or an admitted student who had committed for fall 2024 by the audition date.
• Returning members had to audition again each year. The squad was capped at 20 members.
• Application: due April 23, 2024, at 5 p.m. PT, with a personal photo, a resume, unofficial transcripts, your letter of acceptance (if applicable), and a physical or doctor’s clearance.
• Audition day: Sunday, April 28, 2024, 10 a.m.–6 p.m. Round 1 material was taught and performed in groups, then first cuts were made. Semifinalists learned and performed Round 2 material, then interviewed. The 2024-25 team was announced the same day.

Recommended Skills (2024)

• Women: strong performance skills, high energy, and a standing back handspring (strongly recommended).
• Men: strong performance skills, prior experience on coed cheer teams, and a standing back handspring (strongly recommended).

What to Wear (2024)

• Women: a white sports bra, athletic top or tank; black athletic shorts; white socks and athletic shoes; a white bow or ribbon; hair half up or in a ponytail; natural game-day makeup with a bold natural lip (no bright red).
• Men: a white athletic top, black athletic shorts, white socks and athletic shoes. Clean-shaven with trimmed hair.
• Everyone: no watches, rings or jewelry other than stud earrings. Nude or French-manicure nails only.

The Commitment

Cal’s 2024 page listed:

• Practices on Tuesday and Thursday evenings (7–10 p.m.), plus summer practice and home camp in late July.
• Friday noon rallies on Upper Sproul before home football games, the Homecoming and Big Game bonfire rallies, and game days that start about three hours before kickoff.
• Travel to away football games, bowl games (usually December 23 to January 1) and the ACC basketball tournaments in March. Members must be available over winter and spring breaks.
• Two tickets each to home football and men’s and women’s basketball games.
• Cal’s 2023-24 team packet said members must be full-time students taking 13 units a semester and keep a cumulative 2.0 GPA.

Contact

Cal’s 2024 audition page named Chelsea Toler as head coach. She was hired in October 2022. For current questions, the Cal Spirit site lists a general contact, calspiritrequests@berkeley.edu. The team posts on Instagram at @calcheerteam.

Frequently Asked Questions

When are Cal cheer tryouts? Cal hasn’t posted dates for the next season. In 2024, auditions were held in late April, with applications due a few days before.

What GPA do I need? In 2024, current students needed at least a 2.0.

Can incoming freshmen audition? In 2024, admitted students could audition if they had committed to Cal for the fall by the audition date.

How big is the team? Cal said in 2024 that it selects no more than 20 members each season.

Related Resources

• Stanford University Cheerleading Tryout Guide
• UCLA Cheerleading Tryout Guide
• Cheerleading Tryout Tips: How to Stand Out
• College Cheerleading Tryout Guides Directory

Sources: Cal Athletics, 2024 Cheer Tryouts, 2023-24 Team Member Packet (PDF), Cal Names Cheer, Dance Head Coaches (2022); Cal Spirit, home page and Audition Info. Last checked September 30, 2026.