A season of promise for WT Spirit
The upcoming 2026‑27 football season at West Texas A&M University will see the WT Spirit Program’s Gameday and Pom Squads take the field for every home contest, beginning with the August 27 opener against the Western Colorado University Mountaineers.
Head coach Annalisa Mayhew, who leads the Spirit Program, says the team is entering the season with a noticeable uplift in talent and a stronger sense of culture, highlighting the program’s focus on accountability, communication, teamwork and professionalism.
Launched in 2021 under the university’s Office for Student Engagement and Leadership, the Spirit Program also incorporates the Bucky mascot team and has quickly become a staple of campus life, extending its reach beyond the stadium to events such as New Student Orientation, Buff Branding, Start Strong Week and Family Weekend.
At the 2024 National Cheerleaders Association college nationals, the squad finished fifth in its division, a testament to the rigorous training that equips members with skills that translate to graduation success and future careers.
The 2026‑27 Gameday Squad features students from a wide array of majors — including history, athletic training, nursing, political science, animal science, business and social work — while the Pom Squad is composed primarily of dance majors from Amarillo, with a few exceptions.
Beyond competition, the program’s community involvement reinforces the university’s broader mission, which includes a Carnegie Foundation research classification, 65 undergraduate and 41 graduate programs, and participation in NCAA Division II’s Lone Star Conference across 16 athletic disciplines.