You’ve seen the teal. You’ve probably heard the "Chants up" mantra. But if you think Coastal Carolina University cheerleading is just about standing on the sidelines of Brooks Stadium during a football game, you’re honestly missing the biggest part of the story. It’s loud. It's sweaty. It involves people literally flying through the air with enough force to make a physicist nervous.
Coastal Carolina University (CCU) has quietly—or maybe not so quietly if you’re in Conway, South Carolina—built a cheer program that rivals some of the biggest names in the ACC or SEC. It isn't just a club. It isn’t a hobby. It’s a full-throttle competitive machine that operates under the intense pressure of the Universal Cheerleaders Association (UCA) standards.
Most people see the pom-poms and the smiles. What they don't see are the 6:00 AM conditioning sessions or the repeated "cradles" and "baskets" that leave athletes covered in bruises. It’s a grind. Basically, if you aren't tough, you won't last a week on the teal mats.
The Reality of the Teal and Bronze Mats
What makes the Coastal Carolina University cheerleading program stand out? It’s the versatility. Unlike some schools that focus strictly on being "crowd leaders," CCU demands that its athletes be high-level elite stunters and tumblers.
The program is usually split. You have the All-Girl squad and the Coed squad. Both have different vibes, but the same goal: winning at the UCA College National Championship in Orlando. If you’ve ever scrolled through ESPN2 in January, you’ve seen it. The bright lights of the Disney World resorts, the high-tension music, and the two-minute-and-thirty-second routines that determine an entire year's worth of work.
The Coed team is where you see the massive power stunts. Think one guy holding a girl above his head with a single hand while she does a heel stretch. It looks effortless. It’s not. It requires core strength that most gym rats would find terrifying. Then you have the All-Girl side, which is all about synchronization and incredibly fast-paced pyramid transitions.
Why UCA Matters So Much
In the world of cheer, there’s a bit of a divide. You have NCA (National Cheerleaders Association) and UCA. Coastal is a UCA school. This means they focus heavily on "traditional" collegiate style—think big signs, loud megaphones, and very clean, sharp movements.
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But don't let the word "traditional" fool you.
The difficulty levels are through the roof.
We’re talking full-up twists to immediate elite stunts.
The Recruitment Path: How to Actually Make the Team
Getting into Coastal Carolina is one thing. Making the cheer team is a whole different beast. Honestly, the days of just showing up with a good toe-touch and a smile are long gone. If you want to wear the teal, you’ve gotta bring the skills.
Usually, the coaching staff looks for very specific tumbling minimums. For the women, a standing back tuck is basically the entry fee. If you don't have a layout or a full twisting back salto, you're going to struggle to keep up. For the guys, they often look for "athletic" builds—people who might have played football or wrestled but have the agility to toss a flyer twenty feet in the air without blinking.
- Clinics: These are huge. If you're a high school senior and you aren't attending the CCU prospect clinics, you're basically invisible. It's the only way the coaches can see how you take "critique."
- Video Entry: Often, the first round is digital. You send in a highlight reel of your best stunts and tumbling.
- In-Person Tryouts: This is the pressure cooker. It’s usually a multi-day process in the HTC Center where you're judged on everything from your "game day" presence to your elite stunting ability.
It’s competitive. You’re competing against kids who have been doing competitive "All-Star" cheer since they were five years old. The level of polish is insane.
The "Game Day" Experience at Brooks Stadium
While the competitions are the peak of the season, the heart of Coastal Carolina University cheerleading is Saturday in the fall. If you’ve never been to a game at the "Surf Turf"—yes, the grass is actually teal—it’s an experience.
The cheerleaders are the bridge between the fans and the team. When the Chanticleers (that’s the mascot, a fierce rooster from Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, for those who didn't know) take the field, the energy is electric. The cheer squad is responsible for keeping that energy up through four quarters, regardless of the humidity. And in South Carolina, the humidity is no joke.
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They work closely with the Coastal Carolina marching band (the "Sprit of the Old West") and the dance team to create a wall of sound and movement. It’s a coordinated effort. It’s about branding. It’s about making sure that every person in the stands feels like they are part of the game.
Misconceptions About College Cheerleading
Let's clear some things up. People still argue about whether cheerleading is a "sport."
If you define a sport by physical exertion, specialized skill, and competitive scoring, then yes, it is. The athletes at Coastal Carolina train just as hard as the baseball or soccer players. They have mandatory weight room hours. They have strict academic requirements. If your GPA slips, you don’t step on the mat. Period.
Another misconception? That it's all about "looking pretty."
Sure, the uniforms are sharp.
But those uniforms get soaked in sweat.
The "sparkle" is usually just a cover for the grit underneath.
The Impact of "The Chanticleer" Brand
Coastal Carolina has seen a massive surge in popularity over the last decade. The football team’s rise to national prominence definitely helped. When the football team is on ESPN, the cheerleaders are on ESPN. That exposure has turned the cheer program into a recruiting magnet.
They are getting athletes from all over the country—not just South Carolina. You’ll find flyers from California and bases from New Jersey. It’s become a destination program. This influx of talent has pushed the difficulty of their routines to a level that consistently places them in the top tier of UCA rankings.
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What it Costs (Time and Money)
Being a part of this squad isn't cheap, though the university does provide support. There are travel costs, gear costs, and the "time tax."
You basically give up your weekends. You give up your winter break to prep for Nationals. While other students are heading home for the holidays, the cheerleaders are often in the gym, perfecting a pyramid that keeps collapsing. It takes a certain kind of mental toughness to do a backflip at 9:00 PM on a Tuesday when you have a biology exam the next morning.
But the payoff? The ring. The chance to be called a National Champion. For these athletes, that’s worth every 5:00 AM alarm.
Actionable Steps for Aspiring Chanticleer Cheerleaders
If you’re looking to join the ranks of Coastal Carolina University cheerleading, you need a game plan. You can’t wing this.
- Film Everything: Start recording your tumbling passes now. Coaches want to see progress, not just a finished product. Show your "standing tuck" and your "running full."
- Focus on Stunting Versatility: If you’re a flyer, learn how to do more than just a scale. You need to be able to spin and flip out of stunts. If you're a base, work on your grip strength and explosive power.
- Check the Requirements Yearly: CCU updates their tryout rubrics. What was "elite" three years ago is "basic" today. Stay on top of the UCA score sheet trends.
- Attend the Clinics: I can’t stress this enough. Being a "face" the coaches recognize is half the battle. It shows commitment.
- Get Your Academics in Order: Don't let a low SAT score or a bad GPA kill your dream before you even get to try out. The athletic department won't clear you if you aren't a solid student first.
The program at Coastal Carolina is a reflection of the university itself: rising, ambitious, and slightly unconventional. It’s about the teal. It’s about the "Chant" chant. Most of all, it’s about proving that a "beach school" can be as tough as any powerhouse in the nation.
If you're serious about it, start training. The mat is waiting.