Arkansas has one cheer team, the Razorback Co-Ed Cheer Team: 16 men and 16 women, all partner stunting. The single most important thing to know is that Razorback cheer tryouts are by invitation only. You can’t just show up; you have to earn an invitation first. Arkansas has already posted its process for the 2027-28 team on its official Spirit Squad Tryouts page.
How to Get an Invitation
There are two routes:
- Attend a Collegiate Prep Clinic. Prospects who attend an in-person clinic may receive an invitation directly from the cheer coaching staff. Dates are on the clinic registrations page.
- Submit an application and skills video by March 5, 2027.
A few more rules:
- Invited candidates must attend the in-person tryouts on the dates in the application materials.
- Arkansas offers no roster spots before the official tryout.
- You’re welcome to send a skills video purely for feedback from the coaching staff.
- All skills must follow USA Cheer safety rules.
Skill Requirements
These come from Arkansas’s current cheerleading requirements sheet. It’s labeled 2026-27, so check the tryouts page in case a 2027-28 version is posted.
Required stunts
- Toss chair
- Toss hands, full-around down
- Toss extension
- Toss immediate liberty
- Toss platform heel stretch (the stretch must be pulled to the front)
- Full up (preferred)
Arkansas says women are judged with “a strong focus on stunt technique with emphasis on body position, placement, and skill execution.” For men, the emphasis is “on having the proper grips.”
Preferred elite stunts
- Rewind
- Back handspring up
- Front handspring up
- Hand-in-hand pop through (extended preferred)
Elites should hit to a liberty, heel stretch or arabesque with minimal movement, and finish with a twisting dismount (double down preferred) or a flipping dismount. Arkansas’s standards include pointed toes, legs together on twisting dismounts, and arms by your sides when spinning.
Required tumbling (women)
- A standing tuck with poms
- A standing back handspring back tuck
- A cartwheel tuck
- A standing series to a layout or higher (full preferred)
- A running series to a layout or higher (full preferred)
Standing and non-twisting skills must be shown on turf, grass, a non-spring floor or a gym floor. Twisting skills must be on turf, grass or a non-spring floor.
Men: no tumbling is required, but it’s highly recommended. A standing tuck is the preferred minimum.
What the Team Does
The Razorback cheerleaders perform at:
- All home and away football games, including bowl games.
- Home volleyball.
- Men’s and women’s basketball.
- Women’s gymnastics.
- SEC and NCAA postseason tournaments.
The Spirit Program also includes the 28-member Razorback Dance Team and the mascot team. Both have their own separate audition processes.
How to Prepare
- Go to a clinic if you can. It’s a direct path to an invitation, and you get feedback from the staff.
- If you’re filming instead, follow the surface rules exactly and hit the March 5 deadline. Show every required stunt cleanly before trying elites.
- Women: the tumbling list is demanding. A standing series to a layout means a consistent back handspring foundation first.
- Partner stunting is everything. The team is coed-only, so find a reliable partner. See our guides on flying and basing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are Arkansas cheer tryouts open? No. They’re by invitation only, and you earn an invitation at a Collegiate Prep Clinic or through an application and skills video.
When is the video deadline? March 5, 2027, for the 2027-28 team.
Does Arkansas have an all-girl team? No. Arkansas cheer is one co-ed team of 16 men and 16 women.
Do men need to tumble? It’s not required, but it’s highly recommended. A standing tuck is preferred.
Related Resources
- SEC Cheer Tryout Guides
- Ole Miss Cheer Recruitment
- University of Alabama Cheerleading Tryout Guide
- College Cheerleading Tryout Guides Directory
Sources: Arkansas Razorbacks, Spirit Squad Tryouts (2027-28 process), Razorback Spirit Program Team Information and the Cheerleading Requirements sheet (26-27). Last checked September 29, 2026.
