For 2026-27, Florida selected two cheer squads:
- Florida Coed — 8 to 10 couples.
- Gator All-Girl — 3 to 4 stunt groups.
Tryouts start with a virtual highlight reel. Candidates who advance are invited to in-person rounds in Gainesville. Below are the official Florida cheer requirements, taken from UF’s 2026-27 Cheerleading Tryouts page. UF hadn’t posted 2027-28 tryout information when this guide was last checked on September 29, 2026, so confirm the details once the new cycle is announced.
Who Can Try Out
- You must be a full-time UF student, or an incoming student with an official letter of acceptance from UF.
- Still waiting on admission? For 2026-27, you could still submit a highlight reel, but you had to know your acceptance status by June to make the team. Transfer applicants who wouldn’t hear until June were explicitly allowed to try out with a printout of their application status.
Minimum Skill Requirements
Women
| Area | Florida’s minimum |
|---|---|
| Coed stunting | Toss chair, toss toe touch, shoulder sit, walk-in chair, full up chair, full off from chair, chair to hands, toss hands, walk-in hands, toss extension |
| All-girl stunting | Quick toss to extension, straight-up liberty, full up to prep, full up to extension, full off from extension, bump and go full around |
| Tumbling | Standing back tuck; cartwheel tuck; round-off back tuck or layout; running round-off back handspring tuck or layout |
Men
| Area | Florida’s minimum |
|---|---|
| Stunting | Toss chair, toss toe touch, shoulder sit, walk-in chair, attempt a full up chair, toss or walk-in hands |
| Tumbling | Standing tuck encouraged but not required; round-off; handstand. More tumbling, up to a layout, is encouraged. |
Everyone is also judged on interview, crowd appeal and cheerleading skills. Florida doesn’t list jumps among its requirements.
How Tryouts Work
Round 1: Virtual highlight reel
In 2026, the reel window ran from April 1 to April 30. To submit:
- Register and pay the $35 tryout fee. You’ll then get an upload link.
- Edit your reel into one continuous video with three parts:
- Introduction: name, age, hometown, major and why you chose UF Cheer.
- Tumbling: your best standing skill, your best running skill, and a standing tuck, each finished with a Gator Chomp. Skills must be on a hard floor, dead mat or grass, in shoes, “or they will not be judged.”
- Stunting: up to five clips, all filmed within the past six months. Top girls trying out for either squad should show both coed and all-girl skills.
Invitations to in-person rounds go out on a rolling basis through April, so submitting early can mean hearing early.
In-person rounds
In 2026 these were held May 1–2 at the Florida Indoor Football Practice Facility and were closed to the public. Bring:
- A completed UF Cheer application.
- A signed liability waiver.
- A copy of a current physical.
- Your UF ID number.
- A copy of your Gator1 ID or UF acceptance letter.
- An unofficial transcript.
Florida’s page doesn’t list a GPA figure, but it does ask for an unofficial transcript.
Scholarships
The University Athletic Association and Mr. 2 Bits provide partial scholarships for all team members at the end of each semester. They’re based on years of participation, academic achievement and financial need. UF notes that scholarships can’t be offered before you’re both accepted to the university and on the team.
How to Prepare
- Train your tumbling on hard surfaces. Reel clips on a spring floor won’t be judged. Make your standing tuck and cartwheel tuck consistent on a dead mat or grass.
- Top girls: film both styles. Include coed skills (toss chair through toss extension) and all-girl skills (full ups, full arounds). See our flyer guide.
- Men: focus on toss and walk-in technique to chair and hands. See how to base.
- Submit early in the April window, since invitations roll out as reels are reviewed.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the minimum Florida cheer requirements for tumbling? For women: a standing back tuck, a cartwheel tuck, a round-off back tuck or layout, and a running round-off back handspring tuck or layout. For men, tumbling beyond a round-off and handstand is encouraged but not required.
Is there a video round? Yes. Round 1 is a virtual highlight reel, followed by invite-only in-person rounds.
What GPA do I need for UF cheer? UF doesn’t publish a GPA figure on its tryout page. Current students submit an unofficial transcript.
How much does it cost to try out? $35, and the fee isn’t refundable.
Does UF give cheer scholarships? Yes. All team members receive partial scholarships each semester.
Related Resources
- SEC Cheer Tryout Guides
- Florida State University Cheerleading Tryout Guide
- University of Georgia Cheerleading Tryout Guide
- College Cheerleading Tryout Guides Directory
Sources: Florida Gators, 2026-27 Cheerleading Tryouts (eligibility, squads, minimum skills, highlight reel, in-person rounds, fee, scholarships). Last checked September 29, 2026.
