The Fighting Illini Cheerleading team is made up of coed and all-girl stunt groups, typically about 36 members. It is part of the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics, and new members are chosen through a qualifying video followed by an in-person final tryout. This guide follows the official Illinois Cheerleading Tryouts page.

Where the cycle stands (September 30, 2026): Illinois has a new head coach. Stephanie Record retired in June 2026 after 32 years leading the program, and MaKayla Gayler was named head cheerleading coach on August 6, 2026. The official tryout page still shows the 2025-26 process, and nothing has been posted for the 2027-28 team yet. The details below come from that 2025-26 cycle, so expect changes under the new coach.

How the 2025-26 Tryout Worked

1. Qualifying video: recorded in navy blue shorts and an orange top, ideally under five minutes, and submitted as a private YouTube link titled Last Name_First Name. Illinois warned against showing skills you no longer have or can only do on a spring floor, because it expects to see the same skills in person.
2. Paperwork: see the list below. Illinois called every item “non-negotiable.”
3. Online application: due March 26, 2025. New applicants also needed one letter of recommendation from a current or former coach, emailed by the recommender.
4. Finalist invitations: sent no later than April 2, 2025.
5. Final tryout: Sunday, April 13, 2025, at Huff Hall, with a material and stunt clinic in the morning, the clinic and tryouts in the afternoon, and a team meeting in the evening. Attendance was mandatory.

Required Paperwork (2025-26)

• Tryout video YouTube link and a personal photo
• Proof of acceptance to, or enrollment in, the University of Illinois
• Signed Code of Conduct and Expectations Agreement
• A pre-participation physical from within the past six months, on the provided form
• Elective/Voluntary Activity Waiver
• Sickle cell test results
• Copy of your medical insurance card (front and back)

Minors need a parent or guardian signature on the forms.

What the Video Covered

Women performed, in order: the first half of the Loyalty sideline; three consecutive standing back handsprings; three consecutive standing back tucks; their most difficult tumbling pass; up to four coed stunts (hands extension, liberty or stretch) and up to four all-girl stunts showing every position they can play; and a two-minute answer to an interview question about contributing to the team in whatever role they’re given. Tumbling had to be on a non-spring surface.

Men didn’t need prior cheer, stunting or tumbling experience. Illinois says it’s looking for “strong, athletic guys” who are enthusiastic about Fighting Illini sports. The video required the first half of Loyalty and the interview answer. A standing tuck, a running tumbling pass and up to four stunts (chair, hands extension, liberty or stretch) were recommended.

What Was Judged at the Final Tryout

• Fight song and sideline: judged on crowd appeal, projection and enthusiasm. Candidates had to know and sing the words to “Illinois Loyalty.”
• Two coed stunts: for example a chair, hands extension, liberty or stretch; a stretch with a full cradle; or a walk-in extension or liberty.
• Two all-girl stunts: an extension, liberty, stretch or arabesque with a cradle or twist cradle dismount, plus an advanced stunt such as a switch-up, low-high or full-up.
• Tumbling: a standing back handspring, a standing back tuck and one tumbling pass, with no spotting. Tumbling isn’t taught at tryouts.

If you couldn’t do a listed skill safely, you could perform the hardest version within your ability. Illinois said potential to improve would be considered.

Life on the Team

Illinois cheerleaders are considered student-athletes. The athletics department covers nearly all expenses, and members get Nike practice gear, warm-ups, travel gear and shoes, with uniforms, poms and megaphones provided free. Each cheerleader has two academic advisors, access to the student-athlete academic center, and an athletic trainer at every practice and game. The team travels to away football games, Big Ten basketball tournaments, bowl games and NCAA championships. In September 2026, a former cheerleader set up the David A. Mizer Cheerleading Education Fund, a new scholarship for team members.

Contact

MaKayla Gayler, a former two-time Illinois cheer captain, leads the program. Her contact details are listed under Cheerleading in the Fighting Illini staff directory. Ask her when the 2027-28 process will be posted and whether it will follow the 2025-26 format.

Frequently Asked Questions

When are Illinois cheer tryouts?

For 2025-26, applications were due March 26 and the final tryout was April 13, 2025. Illinois hasn’t posted dates for the next cycle.

Do men need cheer experience?

No. Illinois says prior cheer, stunting and tumbling experience is preferred but not required for men.

Do I need to be admitted first?

Yes. Proof of acceptance to or enrollment in the University of Illinois was required paperwork.

How big is the team?

Illinois says there are typically 36 members.

Related Resources

• Northwestern University Cheerleading Tryout Guide
• Purdue University Cheerleading Tryout Guide
• How to Film a Cheer Tryout Video
• Big Ten Cheer Tryout Guides
• College Cheerleading Tryout Guides Directory

Sources: Illinois Athletics, Cheerleading Tryouts, About Illini Cheerleading, Record retirement announcement (June 23, 2026), “MaKayla Gayler Named Head Cheerleading Coach at Illinois” (August 6, 2026), Mizer scholarship fund (September 4, 2026) and Staff Directory. Last checked September 30, 2026.