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The Florida International University football team played in the First Responder Bowl against University of Texas at San Antonio on Friday, December 26, and one of the team’s cheerleaders went viral for her goth appearance.
The “FIU goth cheerleader,” as she was aptly named on social media, went viral after she was shown on camera during the first quarter of the Responder Bowl in Dallas on Friday evening, which the Panthers lost by a score of 56-20
It’s unclear if the woman shown in the viral clip is actually a cheerleader, or whether she’s part of a different school organization like the band.
“Goth cheerleader” on FIU’s cheer team went viral during the team’s loss in the First Responder Bowl against UTSA
FIU goth cheerleader is love. FIU goth cheerleader is life pic.twitter.com/MdNZzmVxpl
— SMU Enjoyer (Certified) (@SMUHypeMachine) December 27, 2025
FIU HAS A GOTH CHEERLEADER
pic.twitter.com/8bXAGvPF5K— Old Row Sports (@OldRowSports) December 27, 2025
this makes me miss when there was always some form of goth representation in every office, store, class, and group of friends. it’s slowly starting to make a comeback and it makes me happy because people are unapologetically being themselves again. it’s a good sign. https://t.co/lCw2ZmP4p8
— Sassington, M.C. (@MissSassbox) December 27, 2025
The goth cheerleader at FIU is reminiscent of the goth volleyball player at Boise State University who went viral in the fall of 2024.
Despite the disappointing loss in the First Responder bowl, first year head coach Willie Simmons struck a positive tone in his postgame press conference after leading the program to its fifth ever winning season and its most wins since 2018.
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The First Responder Bowl was one of a handful of bowl games this weekend, including the Wasabi Fenway Bowl, Pop-Tarts Bowl, Snoop Dogg Arizona Bowl, Isleta New Mexico Bowl, TaxSlayer Gator Bowl, Kinder’s Texas Bowl, Go Bowling Military Bowl and Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl.