The Shocking Truth: 5 Times NFL Cheerleaders *Do* Travel To Away Games (And Why They Don't For The Rest)

The role of an NFL cheerleader is often misunderstood, blending high-energy performance with extensive community ambassadorship. As the 2024-2025 NFL season gets into full swing, a common question always arises from fans watching a road game: where are the visiting team's cheerleaders? The simple, and often surprising, answer is that for the vast majority of the regular season, they remain at home. This policy is a standard practice across nearly all 25 teams that currently employ a cheerleading squad, a practice rooted in logistics, team focus, and the demanding nature of the job itself.

The standard NFL policy dictates that cheerleaders perform exclusively at their home venue, such as the Minnesota Vikings Cheerleaders (MVC) at U.S. Bank Stadium or the Atlanta Falcons Cheerleaders at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. However, the narrative of "no travel" is not absolute. There are specific, high-profile, and fascinating exceptions to this rule where these talented performers become global ambassadors for the NFL brand. Understanding these exceptions reveals the true scope of an NFL cheerleader's duties beyond the sideline.

The Standard Rule: Why NFL Cheerleaders Stay Home

The primary reason NFL cheerleaders do not attend regular-season away games is straightforward: they are primarily employed to enhance the home game experience and serve as local community representatives. Their focus is hyper-local, centered on their team's home market.

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Logistical and Financial Constraints

Unlike the players, coaches, and essential team staff, the cheerleading squad is not considered a critical component of the on-field competition. Traveling with a full squad—which can number 30 to 40 members—involves significant costs for airfare, accommodation, and meals. Given that most NFL cheerleading roles are considered part-time work with relatively low compensation, adding mandatory, unpaid travel expenses would be financially prohibitive for the performers and unnecessary for the team's core mission.

The Part-Time Nature of the Role

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For most squads, including the Minnesota Vikings Cheerleaders, the position is part-time. Cheerleaders often hold full-time jobs or are college students, dedicating their evenings and weekends to practice and home games. Requiring them to take additional time off work for a dozen or more away games would make the job unsustainable for the majority of candidates.

Focus on Home Market Engagement

On away game weekends, the cheerleaders remain active in their home city. Their schedule is often filled with local appearances, charity events, and community outreach programs, fulfilling their role as ambassadors for the team's charitable foundation. This local engagement keeps the team's brand visible and connected to the community even when the players are on the road.

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5 Critical Exceptions: When Cheerleaders Go Global

While the regular-season policy is strict, there are five major circumstances where NFL cheerleaders are not only permitted but are required to travel, often acting as the face of the entire league on the world stage.

1. The Super Bowl

This is the most obvious exception. The Super Bowl is the ultimate showcase for the NFL, and both participating teams’ cheerleading squads travel to the host city. Their presence is integral to the week-long festivities, including media events, fan rallies, and, of course, the performance on the world's biggest stage. It is one of the few times the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders (DCC), for instance, would perform at a venue other than AT&T Stadium for a competitive game.

2. International Series Games (London, Germany, Brazil)

The NFL's International Series, which includes games in London, Frankfurt, Munich, and now São Paulo, is a major exception. When an NFL team travels overseas to play a regular-season game, their cheerleading squad typically travels with them. These trips are not just about the game; they involve extensive cultural tours, fan engagement events, and media appearances to promote American football to a global audience. The New England Patriots Cheerleaders, for example, have traveled to Germany for promotional tours.

3. Overseas Military Tours (Salute to Service)

This is arguably the most significant and consistent travel commitment for many squads. Through partnerships with organizations like Armed Forces Entertainment and Protour Productions, many NFL cheerleading teams embark on extensive, multi-week tours to military bases across the globe. These "Salute to Service" tours are a core part of their ambassadorial duties.

• The Baltimore Ravens Cheerleaders have participated in over two dozen overseas tours to support troops.
• The Los Angeles Rams Cheerleaders and Houston Texans Cheerleaders have traveled to locations like Poland to lead fitness tours and visit servicemen and women.
• The Indianapolis Colts Cheerleaders are also frequent participants, traveling worldwide to boost morale.

These humanitarian trips, which involve no actual football game performance, are where the cheerleaders spend the most time traveling internationally.

4. Promotional and Corporate Appearances

While not a "game" in the traditional sense, cheerleaders frequently travel for corporate and promotional events sponsored by the team or the NFL. These appearances—which can be paid at a rate of $50 to $75 per hour—are often used to market the team's brand in key domestic or international cities. These are highly selective trips, involving only a handful of squad members, unlike the full-squad travel required for the Super Bowl.

5. Pre-Season Exhibition Games

In rare instances, particularly for local or regional pre-season games, a team may opt to bring a small contingent of cheerleaders. However, this is not a league-wide standard and is entirely dependent on the individual team's budget and marketing strategy. For the vast majority of pre-season games, the home team's squad performs, and the visiting team’s cheerleaders remain home, just as in the regular season.

The Evolution of the NFL Cheerleader Role and Compensation

The role of the NFL cheerleader has evolved significantly in recent years, moving beyond just sideline routines. This evolution is closely tied to the debate over compensation and the demanding schedule.

The Fight for Fair Pay

Historically, cheerleaders were paid notoriously low wages, sometimes as little as $75 to $150 per game, and often had to cover their own costs for uniforms, hair, and makeup. Legal battles in the last decade have forced many teams to increase pay, with some squads, like the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, now reportedly earning up to $500 per game, plus an hourly rate for practices and appearances. This increase in compensation, however, has not generally translated into an increase in regular-season travel, which remains a massive, unbudgeted expense for most organizations.

The Rise of Male Cheerleaders

Another major shift has been the introduction of men to the cheerleading squads. This cultural shift began in 2018 when the Los Angeles Rams and New Orleans Saints introduced male dancers to their teams. Today, approximately one-third of NFL teams—including the Minnesota Vikings—feature male cheerleaders, with about 71 men across 11 teams, many specializing in stunting. This inclusion highlights the increasing professionalism and athletic demands of the role, further cementing the cheerleaders as professional performers and ambassadors, regardless of their travel schedule.

In summary, while you won't see the visiting team's cheerleaders on the sidelines during a typical Sunday afternoon away game, their absence is not a sign of inactivity. Instead, it reflects a strategic focus on community engagement and an intense schedule of charitable work and preparation for the next home game. The only times they truly become traveling companions are for the biggest, most high-stakes events: the Super Bowl, the International Series, and their invaluable tours supporting U.S. troops around the world.