Alabama’s cheerleading program has two teams, All Girl and Coed, and both compete each year at UCA College Nationals in January. It’s one of the most successful programs at that event: the Coed team won the UCA Division IA Co-Ed national title in 2025, and the All Girl team won the Division IA All Girl title in 2026, the program’s eighth national championship. This guide follows Alabama Athletics’ Spirit Squads pages and the program’s own site, bamacheercamps.com, which Alabama Athletics links as its “Tryouts” page.

Where the cycle stands (September 30, 2026): Alabama hasn’t posted tryout dates or registration for the 2027-28 teams. The bamacheercamps.com home page says there are no upcoming events. The most recent recruiting event was an August 22, 2026 clinic for the classes of 2027 and 2028 (details below).

The Two Teams

• All Girl cheers home football games, women’s basketball, volleyball and gymnastics.
• Coed cheers all home and away football games and men’s basketball.
• The whole program cheers football; for other sports it splits into smaller groups. Football travel depends on years in the program and good academic standing.
• Cheerleaders schedule their classes around practice times set by the coaches and attend weekly workouts.

What Alabama Says About Making the Team

The program’s FAQ answers the most common tryout questions:

• Tumbling: a full isn’t required to make it past the first tumbling cut, but every current athlete on the team has at least a running tumbling full.
• Coed: you can make the coed team without cheering coed in high school, but Alabama says all its current coed cheerleaders developed coed skills before tryouts through private lessons or coed teams.
• Background: you don’t have to have cheered in high school or on a competitive or all-star team, though both help.
• No weight limit.
• Scholarships: offered on both teams; the amount differs each year.
• Time commitment: practice at least four times a week for about two hours, workouts twice a week at 5:30 a.m., and community appearances every week. The SEC basketball tournament falls around spring break, and members near campus may be asked to cheer events over holidays.

Some FAQ answers still describe the 2021 virtual tryout format, so check the tryout details Alabama posts for the next cycle for video and clinic rules. Alabama’s public pages don’t list a GPA minimum or a tryout fee.

Recruiting Clinic

The most recent Alabama Cheer Clinic was held August 22, 2026 at the Hank Crisp Indoor Facility, open only to the classes of 2027 and 2028. It was led by current athletes and coaches, cost $157.50, and athletes registered for the stunt position they’d work in; all females in the coed clinic had to be top girls. Watch the Cheer Clinic page for the next one.

Alabama also hosts UCA summer cheer camps for school teams (three sessions in May, June and July 2026), which are separate from the college tryout process.

Coaching Staff and Contact

• Jennifer Thrasher, Director of Spirit Programs/Head Cheerleading Coordinator. A former Alabama cheerleader, she took over the program in May 2011. Email jthrasher@ia.ua.edu.
• Christa Sanford, Assistant Cheerleading Coordinator, who coached the 2025 Coed national title team.
• Asia Chatman, Cheerleader Squad Assistant.

The Bama Cheer Office is at 205-348-3636. Alabama Athletics also has a Contact Spirit Squad Staff form.

Frequently Asked Questions

When are Alabama cheer tryouts?

Alabama hasn’t posted dates for the 2027-28 teams as of September 30, 2026. Check bamacheercamps.com and the Alabama Athletics Spirit Squads page.

Does Alabama cheer compete?

Yes. Both teams compete at UCA College Nationals in January. Alabama won the Division IA Co-Ed title in 2025 and the Division IA All Girl title in 2026.

Do I need a full to make the team?

Not to get past the first tumbling cut, but every current team member has at least a running tumbling full.

Does Alabama offer cheer scholarships?

Yes, on both teams. Alabama says the amount differs each year.

Related Resources

• SEC Cheer Tryout Guides
• Auburn University Cheerleading Tryout Guide
• University of Alabama at Birmingham Cheerleading Tryout Guide
• How to Be a Better Cheerleading Flyer
• College Cheerleading Tryout Guides Directory

Sources: Alabama Athletics, Cheerleading/Big Al Information, the Staff Directory, “Alabama Cheer Wins UCA Division IA All Girl National Championship” (2026) and “Alabama Cheer Wins Division IA Co-Ed Championship” (2025); Alabama Cheer, FAQ, Cheer Clinic, Cheerleading Information and Staff. Last checked September 30, 2026.