PURDUE University is located in West Lafayette, Indiana, and has had winning teams in sports since the 18th century.
But like many NCAA teams, many are curious about who the Purdue University cheerleaders are and what their mascot means.
Who are the Purdue University cheerleaders?
Purdue University is a school that is in the Big 10 Conference.
The University has a long tradition of being competitive in the highest division of NCAA basketball and football, among other sports.
Cheering them on from the sidelines and stunting at mid-field during halftime is the co-ed cheerleading squad, which is a highly competitive team to make.
Representing Purdue at women's sporting events, football games, and competitions is their all-girl squad.
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What are the requirements to make the Purdue cheerleading squad?
The 2023-2024 cheerleading squad will be required to submit a 5-minute-long video of them performing specific skills and showing off their personalities.
Then, an unspecified number of cheerleaders will be invited to the second round of tryouts in person.
To be considered for the co-ed group. all females must have specific tumbling skills (beginning with a standing back tuck) and be able to fly.
To be considered for the all-girl group, the girls must be able to stunt and fly, though tumbling is highly sought-after.
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What is a Boilermaker?
Purdue's fans and alumni call themselves 'Boilermakers,' which has a historical background.
In 1891, during a football game against Wabash College, the Purdue University team dominated with a 44-0 win.
A local paper ran the headline: "Wabash Snowed Completely Under by the Burly Boiler Makers from Purdue," and their nickname stuck.
Boilermakers are a specialized type of blacksmith, many of whom eventually worked on railroads in the northern midwest region.
While Wabash meant it as an insult (they were a liberal arts school whose students were traditionally wealthier than the middle-class students who attended the land grant school of Purdue), the football team at Purdue took it as a compliment, and it stuck.
Today, it stands for "the school's well-established reputation as a world leader in engineering teaching and research," according to Knox news.
