The University of South Florida has two separate cheerleading teams — a Coed team and an All Girl team — plus the SunDolls, which are USF’s official dance team rather than a cheer squad. Each has its own coaches and its own selection process, so the first step is working out which team you’re actually trying out for.

Both cheer teams are among the most successful in college cheerleading. At the January 2026 UCA College Nationals, the Coed team won the Division I-A national title and the All Girl team won the Division I All Girl Game Day title, according to USF Athletics.

USF’s Three Spirit Teams at a Glance

Coaching staff can change between seasons. The names above match the USF Athletics staff directory as of September 2026.

USF Coed Cheer Tryouts

The Coed team publishes the most detailed tryout information of the three. Here’s what its official tryouts page lists.

Who can try out

• Full-time USF students.
• Incoming first-year students with a USF acceptance letter for Summer or Fall.
• Transfer students who have been accepted, or whose completed USF application is pending a decision.

Before tryouts

• Pre-register (once only), uploading a headshot and your acceptance letter.
• Learn the USF Fight Song and the “We Are South Florida” sideline — both are linked from the tryouts page.
• Print the USF liability waiver and bring it with you.
• Get a physical or a physician’s clearance letter. New candidates must have one before trying out.

What’s evaluated

USF is explicit that it’s a true coed team: all men are bases and all women are flyers. It also says flyers don’t need a coed background — most come from all-girl high school or all-star teams. The evaluation list is:

1. Women’s tumbling — a solid standing back tuck is required; a running layout and/or full is encouraged.
2. Game-day stunts — extension, liberty, cupie, tick tock, and spinning variations.
3. Elite stunts — hand-in-hands, rewinds, back and front handspring ups, and inverted skills.
4. Sideline and fight song — sharpness and motion placement.
5. Baskets — straight ride, toe touch, tuck, layout, and how quickly you pick them up.
6. Crowd leading.
7. Interview and attitude.

USF notes that not every skill is needed to make the team. Candidates are judged individually on execution, difficulty, coachability, and attitude.

How selection works

Tryouts run over several days and are closed to spectators. You must attend every day; cuts may happen after each session, and the team is announced at the final one. Practices for the selected team begin straight after. If tryouts fall on a school day, USF can provide a letter on letterhead so you can use a college visit day.

As of September 2026, USF hadn’t posted dates for the next cycle. The tryouts page also still references 2025 in places, so confirm dates and paperwork with the Coed staff at bullscoedcheer@usf.edu (subject line: “YOUR NAME – COED TRYOUT INFORMATION”).

USF All Girl Cheer Tryouts

The All Girl team doesn’t publish a public tryout page. Its official team page says only that all members are full-time students and lists head coach Sandy Clarke (sveley@usf.edu) as the contact. Your best route is to email the coaching staff and follow @usf_allgirl_cheer on Instagram for announcements.

Don’t assume the Coed team’s skill list applies here. All-girl stunting uses multi-base groups rather than partner stunts, so the evaluation will differ. Ask the staff what they expect from your position.

If You’re Actually Looking for the SunDolls

The SunDolls are USF’s official dance team, so their auditions test dance rather than cheer skills. According to the SunDolls page, auditions start with the Common Dance Team Recruiting Video, followed by virtual interviews and in-person finals in Tampa. Members must take at least 12 credit hours per semester and hold a 2.5 GPA. See the SunDolls auditions page for the current timeline.

How to Prepare

• Women trying out for Coed: make your standing tuck consistent on a hard floor before anything else — it’s the one listed requirement. Then work toward a running layout or full.
• Flyers: practice the game-day stunt list — extension, lib, cupie, tick tock — until body positions are locked. Our flyer technique guide covers the fundamentals.
• Men (bases): partner-stunting strength and technique matter most. See how to base in cheerleading.
• Everyone: learn the fight song and sideline before you arrive so you can focus on stunts and tumbling during tryouts.
• Watch recent USF Coed or All Girl routines on the teams’ Instagram accounts (@usfcoedcheer, @usf_allgirl_cheer) to see the style and level.

For general tryout-day advice, see Cheerleading Tryout Tips: How to Stand Out.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many cheer teams does USF have? Two — a Coed team and an All Girl team. The SunDolls are a dance team, not a cheer team.

What tumbling do I need for USF Coed? Women need a solid standing back tuck; a running layout or full is encouraged.

Can I try out before I’m a USF student? For the Coed team, yes — incoming first-years with an acceptance letter and transfer students who are accepted or have a completed application pending are eligible.

Do I need a physical? Yes, for the Coed team. New candidates must have a physical or a physician’s clearance letter before trying out.

When are USF cheer tryouts? USF hadn’t published next-cycle dates as of September 2026. Check the Coed tryouts page or contact the relevant coaching staff.

Related Resources

• College Cheerleading Tryout Guides Directory
• Florida State University Cheerleading Tryout Guide
• Cheer Stunts & Tumbling Hub
• Cheerleading Glossary

Sources: USF Athletics — Coed Tryouts, Coed team page, All Girl team page, SunDolls page, staff directory, and the January 2026 championship release. Last checked September 23, 2026.