Wake Forest University competes in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) as the Demon Deacons. Wake Forest Cheer is part of the athletics department’s Spirit Program, with the dance team and the Demon Deacon mascot. The squad cheers at football and men’s and women’s basketball, leads traditions and appears at campus events, and also takes part in community outreach and select competitions. Tryout details come from the official Wake Forest Cheer page.
Where the cycle stands (September 30, 2026): the audition packet linked from the official cheer page is still the 2025-26 version, and clinic information is listed as “coming soon.” Wake Forest hasn’t posted dates or a packet for a later season. The 2025-26 process below shows how the most recent posted tryout worked; confirm the format before you film anything.
How the 2025-26 Tryout Worked
For 2025-26, Wake Forest ran a two-round virtual tryout with no in-person tryout:
- Preliminary round (open to anyone interested): documents and videos were due May 1. Results went out by email in May.
- Final round (late May or early June): finalists had a Zoom interview with the coaching staff and could be asked for more videos of new material or of stunting and tumbling.
Eligibility
- Previous cheerleading or gymnastics experience is required.
- Men don’t need previous experience; Wake Forest looks for athletic men for coed stunting.
- You must be an admitted student for the coming academic year and in good standing with the university.
What to Submit
- A resume or list of activities, work experience and community involvement.
- A letter of recommendation from a teacher or coach.
- Proof of acceptance to Wake Forest (incoming students).
- Videos of the requested material, uploaded to YouTube as unlisted and labelled with your full name.
Skills Requested in the Video
- Tumbling: standing tuck and standing back handspring preferred, plus one running pass of your choice. Men can apply without tumbling. Women without tumbling can still apply; the staff says it always looks for strong stunting and game day experience.
- All-girl stunting: toss extension (a coed-style pop-off preferred), extended lib (from the ground, or toss style preferred), plus any extra skills.
- Coed stunting: toss hands, toss extension and extended lib, plus any extra skills.
- Material: two cheers and two band dances, taught through a tutorial video linked in the packet.
The video order was: an introduction (name, hometown, incoming grade and “why Wake Cheer?”), the two cheers, the Fight Song dance, the “Mortal Kombat” band dance, standing tumbling, running tumbling, the stunt sequences, then any extra stunting videos filmed in the last calendar year.
Attire: a white top (sports bra, T-shirt or tank), black shorts, skort or skirt, and white soft-soled cheer shoes. Hair in a ponytail and out of your face, and game-day-ready makeup.
Prospect Forms and Clinics
The official page has prospect inquiry forms by entry year (2026, 2027 and 2028) for students who want to be recruited. It also says more clinic information will be released soon. Both are on the Wake Forest Cheer page.
Contact
Annie Forbes is Wake Forest’s Director of Spirit Programs. Her university email, listed in the athletics staff directory, is sandela@wfu.edu. The team posts updates on Instagram at @WakeCheerleading.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Wake Forest hold in-person cheer tryouts?
Not in 2025-26, the most recent packet posted. That year’s tryout was two virtual rounds: a video preliminary round and a final round with a Zoom interview.
Do I need a back handspring to make Wake Forest cheer?
No skill is listed as required. A standing tuck and standing back handspring are preferred, and women without tumbling can still apply. Men can apply without tumbling.
Do men need cheer experience?
No. Wake Forest says men don’t need previous experience and it looks for athletic men for coed stunting.
When are the next Wake Forest cheer tryouts?
Wake Forest hadn’t posted them as of September 30, 2026. In 2025-26, preliminary submissions were due May 1.
Related Resources
- How to Film a Cheer Tryout Video
- How to Do a Standing Back Tuck
- All-Girl vs. Coed Cheer
- ACC Cheer Tryout Guides
- College Cheerleading Tryout Guides Directory
Sources: Wake Forest Athletics, Wake Forest Cheer and the 2025-2026 Audition Packet linked from it; Spirit Program (Cheer/Dance/Mascot); Staff Directory. Last checked September 30, 2026.
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