The University of Wisconsin cheerleaders are part of the UW Spirit Squad, along with the Dance Team and the Bucky Badger mascots. The cheer program has two teams, a Coed team and an All-Girl team, and both are run by Wisconsin Athletics. UW holds its main tryout each April and publishes a tryout information sheet on its Spirit Squad page.

Where the cycle stands (September 30, 2026): tryouts for the 2026-27 squad were held April 17–19, 2026. UW says the cheerleading squad also holds an additional tryout in September, but no fall 2026 or 2027-28 tryout details are posted yet. The 2026 dates below show how the process works.

Who Can Try Out

• UW students: Spirit Squad members must be full-time students carrying at least 12 credits per semester for the entire upcoming school year.
• GPA: a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0.
• High school seniors and transfers: eligible to try out each spring, on campus or by video, once they’ve been admitted to the university.
• Athletes from any sport: the 2026 tryout sheet invited “former or current athletes (any sport or athletic activity),” men and women, for spots on the Co-Ed and All-Girl teams.

How the 2026 Tryout Worked

1. Informational meeting: Tuesday, April 7, 2026, 6:30 p.m., at the UW Field House (enter through Gate C off Breese Terrace). Tryout paperwork was handed out there. If you couldn’t attend, you could email the Spirit Squad Director to have the tryout packet emailed to you.
2. Physical and medical forms: a physical dated after October 1, 2025 was required, on forms signed by a doctor, due by noon on Wednesday, April 15, 2026.
3. Tryouts: Friday–Sunday, April 17–19, 2026, at the UW Field House.
4. Video option: if you couldn’t make the in-person dates, a video tryout was required, due April 1. Video instructions come from the Spirit Squad Director by email.

UW doesn’t publish a skills list for cheer tryouts. For the specific skills evaluated, ask for the tryout packet.

What the Squad Does

Both teams cheer at football games, home and away, plus women’s volleyball, men’s basketball and women’s basketball. The season includes travel around the Big Ten and to bowl games and Big Ten and NCAA tournaments. On football Saturdays at Camp Randall, the cheerleaders perform stunts, tumbling, basket tosses and pyramids. During “Jump Around,” they line up in the end zone for standing tumbling, and after each touchdown they lift Bucky for his push-ups, finishing with a basket toss. The squad also performs at the Fifth Quarter after every home game.

Time Commitment

• Season: from about mid-August through the end of basketball season in March. You must be available over Thanksgiving, Winter Break and Spring Break.
• Practice: about three nights a week, three hours each, plus weightlifting two days a week for about an hour.
• Summer: usually four practice weekends (May, June, July and August) and UCA Camp.
• Game days: about six hours for football, about four for volleyball, and four to five for basketball. Homecoming week has about three to five mandatory events.

Support for Squad Members

UW Athletics covers the expenses directly tied to being on the squad. Members receive uniforms, practice gear, warm-ups and shoes. They also get sports medicine care, time with a strength and conditioning coach, and use of the Fetzer Student Athlete Academic Center.

Staff and Contact

Josette Jaucian is Director of Spirit Squad, and Tara Wolfe is Assistant Director. The 2025-26 staff list also names Zach Brenner and Collin Whelan as cheer assistants. For tryout packets, video tryout instructions or medical forms, contact Josette Jaucian at jrj@athletics.wisc.edu or (608) 262-6703.

Frequently Asked Questions

When are Wisconsin cheer tryouts?

The main tryout is in April; in 2026 it ran April 17–19. UW says cheer also holds an additional tryout in September. Dates for the next cycle aren’t posted yet.

What GPA do I need?

A minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0, plus full-time enrollment of at least 12 credits per semester.

Can I try out by video?

Yes. If you can’t attend the in-person dates, UW requires a video tryout. In 2026 it was due April 1.

Does Wisconsin have an all-girl team?

Yes. The program has both a Coed team and an All-Girl team.

Related Resources

• University of Minnesota Cheerleading Tryout Guide
• University of Iowa Cheerleading Tryout Guide
• How to Film a Cheer Tryout Video
• Big Ten Cheer Tryout Guides
• College Cheerleading Tryout Guides Directory

Sources: Wisconsin Athletics, Spirit Squad, 2026 Spirit Squad tryout information (PDF), Cheerleaders General Information, Football Season, Learn more about UW’s Spirit Squad (2023) and Spirit Squad Staff. Last checked September 30, 2026.