Portland State University cheerleaders are fighting to save their program after receiving a letter from the associate athletic director that said the university had decided to “pause” the program for the upcoming 2023-2024 season.
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – Portland State University cheerleaders are fighting to save their program after receiving a letter from the associate athletic director that said the university had decided to “pause” the program for the upcoming 2023-2024 season.
The PSU Vikings cheer team posted a copy of the letter on their Instagram account on Friday.
“I understand that this news comes as a disappointment to the members of the cheer team. Please know that this decision was not made lightly and was based on a variety of factors, including budget constraints due to significant cuts to athletics,” Associate Athletic Director Leah Thyne wrote.
She went on to say the athletic department hopes to restart the program during the 2024-2025 academic year. In the meantime, the athletic department has reached out to the campus recreation center to see if the school can create an official student-run club sport.
In the comments on the Instagram post, many people say PSU’s cheerleaders don’t deserve to have their program cut and that the university always made cheerleading a last priority.
Some said the PSU cheer team was the only reason they attended the university.
In protest, the team has started a petition on Change.org, hoping to save the program for the upcoming season. Their goal is to get 5,000 signatures.
The petition points out that at the USA national competition, the team placed 1st in College Band Chant, 2nd in College Situational Cheer, and 3rd in Four-year University Small Co-ed Show Cheer.
The cheer team says they’ve always fundraised each year to cover the cost of transportation and to attend the national competition. They also reuse their uniforms from season to season, pay for their own shoes, camps, transportation to games, and food at games and competitions.
“We want to show the university how much this program means to so many people and that stopping the momentum we have already gained would be a mistake,” the petition states.
