Virginia Tech cheerleading is a co-ed partner-stunting program. It’s split into two teams, Maroon and Orange, and it competes at UCA College Nationals in Orlando each January. Virginia Tech is also unusually transparent: its official tryouts page publishes the full scoring rubric, so you can see exactly how each skill is scored before you walk in.
Tryout Dates and Format
The 2026-27 tryouts ran April 24–26, 2026, at Cassell Coliseum. As of September 29, 2026, Virginia Tech hadn’t posted dates for the next cycle, so the schedule and rubric below are from the 2026-27 tryouts page. Check that page for updates.
- Day 1 (Friday):
- Registration, then judging on all tumbling, a toss or hands extension, and a walk-in.
- The chant choreography is taught, and the men do fitness testing.
- First cuts are posted that night.
- Day 2 (Saturday):
- Women’s fitness testing, then interviews for everyone.
- Afternoon judging on the chant, sideline motions, a dismount stunt and a combo stunt.
- The final list is posted around 5 p.m., followed by a team meeting and gear sizing.
- Day 3 (Sunday): the new team’s first practice, then new-member physicals.
Come to tryouts already knowing the fight song. The chant is taught on Day 1.
The Scoring Rubric
Tumbling
- Back handspring tuck: execution out of 5 points.
- 5 consecutive standing tucks: 1 point per tuck, plus execution out of 10.
- Running pass: execution out of 15, plus a difficulty score:
- 1 — round-off back handspring
- 2 — round-off tuck
- 3 — RO BHS tuck
- 4 — RO BHS layout
- 6 — RO BHS full
- 8 — specialty pass with a full
- Bonuses: +2 for a standing full. Standing series: +1 for three to a full, +3 for two to a full, +5 for one to a full.
Stunting
| Stunt | Execution | Difficulty scale (low → high) |
|---|---|---|
| Toss stunt | /10 | Toss chair (1) → hands (2) → extension (4) → platform pull skill (6) → liberty (8) → stretch (women) / cupie (men) (10) |
| Walk-in | /10 | Chair (1) → hands (2) → extension (3) → liberty (4) → torch (5) |
| Dismount | /15 | Hands cradle (1) up through stretch double down (7), arabesque double down (8), scorpion double down (9), arabesque 1.5 (10) |
| Combo stunt | /15 (levels 1–8), /20 (levels 9–18) | From “hands, cradle out, toss hands” (1) up to “elite, elite” (18); bonuses for a full down or corkscrew mid-combo |
The fight song and chant are judged on Day 2.
Video Tryouts
If you can’t attend, Virginia Tech accepts video tryouts. In 2026 the deadline was April 23 at 5 p.m. Your video must include everything performed at tryouts, plus the tryout paperwork and the reason you’ll miss the in-person tryout:
- An introduction.
- The sideline chant and the fight song.
- 5 consecutive standing tucks, plus a standing full if you have one.
- A standing back handspring tuck, plus a standing series to a full if you have one.
- A running pass.
- A toss stunt, a walk-in, a dismount and a combo stunt.
Send videos as a Google Drive or YouTube link to larrickj@vt.edu.
Open Practices
In 2026, Virginia Tech ran open practices from late March until just before tryouts, in the Back Gym of Cassell Coliseum. Some may be cancelled because of NCAA or NIT tournament games, and updates are posted on @hokiescheer. Before your first one:
- See the athletic trainer to be cleared. Bring your insurance card, and expect forms and vitals.
- High school athletes need a copy of their physical.
High school students also need a physical from the last year to attend tryouts.
If You Make the Team
- Summer: two practice weekends in Blacksburg (late June and mid-July in 2026).
- Preseason: report in mid-August for two-a-days that lead into the first day of class.
- During the season: 8–12 hours of practice a week, plus required strength and conditioning workouts. The nationals team puts in extra hours.
- Game schedule: home and away football, home men’s and women’s basketball, ACC tournaments, and select wrestling and volleyball.
Coaching Staff
- Josh Larrick — Head Coach.
- Timothy Frye — Assistant Coach, Cheer.
Virginia Tech’s dance team, the HighTechs, holds separate tryouts.
How to Prepare
- Build standing tucks for volume. Five in a row is scored per tuck, so consistency beats a single great one. See our standing tuck guide.
- Use the rubric to plan. A clean toss liberty (8) or stretch (10) and a stretch double down (7) score well above basic stunts. Train up the scale steadily rather than attempting skills you can’t hit cleanly.
- Train with a partner. Everything is co-ed partner stunting. See our guides on flying and basing.
- Get fit. Both men and women do fitness testing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Virginia Tech have an all-girl cheer team? Virginia Tech describes its program as co-ed partner stunting, with Maroon and Orange teams.
How are Virginia Tech cheer tryouts scored? Virginia Tech publishes a point rubric for tumbling, toss stunts, walk-ins, dismounts and combo stunts, as summarized above.
Can I try out by video? Yes. The video must include every required skill, the paperwork, and your reason for missing tryouts.
When are tryouts? The 2026 tryouts were April 24–26 at Cassell Coliseum. Dates for the next cycle hadn’t been posted as of September 29, 2026.
Related Resources
- ACC Cheer Tryout Guides
- NC State University Cheerleading Tryout Guide
- Clemson Cheer Requirements
- College Cheerleading Tryout Guides Directory
Sources: Virginia Tech Athletics, Cheer Tryouts (2026-27 dates, schedule, rubric, video option, open practices), Cheerleading and the Spirit Programs roster. Last checked September 29, 2026.
