Band Fund - Bowl Game

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TXGopher09 said:
The band is ASS. Compared to other bands and what they play, certified garbage. Sound good, shit music. Doesn't help bring in casual fans playing songs people can't name unlike the BIG 12 and SEC schools that play Ares, Neck, Mortal Kombat, etc. Till they figure out to keep fans entertained during halftime and not just looking around awkwardly with lame music I will not support the band. Also change the band name. No one brags about the "Pride of Minnesota," Marching Band. If you want to name something the Pride Of Minnesota, give it to the dance team. People are entertained and they're actually relevant. Take them to the bowl game because they're WINNERS and can actually entertain.
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Message #14 is a BANGER!!!
 

TXGopher09 said:
The band is ASS. Compared to other bands and what they play, certified garbage. Sound good, shit music. Doesn't help bring in casual fans playing songs people can't name unlike the BIG 12 and SEC schools that play Ares, Neck, Mortal Kombat, etc. Till they figure out to keep fans entertained during halftime and not just looking around awkwardly with lame music I will not support the band. Also change the band name. No one brags about the "Pride of Minnesota," Marching Band. If you want to name something the Pride Of Minnesota, give it to the dance team. People are entertained and they're actually relevant. Take them to the bowl game because they're WINNERS and can actually entertain.
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Your Mother not hug you enough? GFY, hard.
 

TXGopher09 said:
The band is ASS. Compared to other bands and what they play, certified garbage. Sound good, shit music. Doesn't help bring in casual fans playing songs people can't name unlike the BIG 12 and SEC schools that play Ares, Neck, Mortal Kombat, etc. Till they figure out to keep fans entertained during halftime and not just looking around awkwardly with lame music I will not support the band. Also change the band name. No one brags about the "Pride of Minnesota," Marching Band. If you want to name something the Pride Of Minnesota, give it to the dance team. People are entertained and they're actually relevant. Take them to the bowl game because they're WINNERS and can actually entertain.
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Honestly half time is going to the open end zone and meeting up with friends/family. I don’t know anyone who watches the band at half. Could be script Ohio and I wouldn’t care. I’ve never gone to a game to hear the band play or dance team perform. Honestly bragging about other schools bands or one being superior to another is just an odd take. It’s not even a competition.
 


minnyrules11 said:
Honestly half time is going to the open end zone and meeting up with friends/family. I don’t know anyone who watches the band at half. Could be script Ohio and I wouldn’t care. I’ve never gone to a game to hear the band play or dance team perform. Honestly bragging about other schools bands or one being superior to another is just an odd take. It’s not even a competition.
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I went to the OSU game this year. The script Oiho is cool, I guess. I have ADD and lost interest halfway through it. OH, I think that's ok.
 


minnyrules11 said:
Honestly half time is going to the open end zone and meeting up with friends/family. I don’t know anyone who watches the band at half. Could be script Ohio and I wouldn’t care. I’ve never gone to a game to hear the band play or dance team perform. Honestly bragging about other schools bands or one being superior to another is just an odd take. It’s not even a competition.
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It's a tradition thing. The mound of sound and some other traditions are cool. I actually wish that there was more attention drawn toward the band. They are hard working students that add to the whole game experience.

Trust me. If the band went away, the rants would be epic.
 

STPGopher said:
It's a tradition thing. The mound of sound and some other traditions are cool. I actually wish that there was more attention drawn toward the band. They are hard working students that add to the whole game experience.

Trust me. If the band went away, the rants would be epic.
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Yeah, I don't think many folks know how many hours go into practice, and the logistics involved in the performances. Take the armed forces halftime show moving formations...very complicated. Also the rotating and moving block M.

I suggest anyone downplaying the marching band go to its indoor concert as well. You will be blown away.

The basketball and hockey pep bands are marching band members.

Lastly, Fleck loves the marching band.
 

minnyrules11 said:
Honestly half time is going to the open end zone and meeting up with friends/family. I don’t know anyone who watches the band at half. Could be script Ohio and I wouldn’t care. I’ve never gone to a game to hear the band play or dance team perform. Honestly bragging about other schools bands or one being superior to another is just an odd take. It’s not even a competition.
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I do ... I see a lot of others doing it.
 

STPGopher said:
It's a tradition thing. The mound of sound and some other traditions are cool. I actually wish that there was more attention drawn toward the band. They are hard working students that add to the whole game experience.

Trust me. If the band went away, the rants would be epic.
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If TXGopher09 went away the raves would be epic.
 





stocker08 said:
The band is a huge part of the gameday experience.
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The students, band, Goldy & Co. add so much to the experience. Add so much life to the game.

I enjoy going to other events but there's so much just ... noise and effort into making things feel organic where college football gets it by default.
 

A_Slab_of_Bacon said:
The students, band, Goldy & Co. add so much to the experience. Add so much life to the game.

I enjoy going to other events but there's so much just ... noise and effort into making things feel organic where college football gets it by default.
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And I will say this ..even when I'm not directly paying attention to the band, it's part of the ambience. You can get pumped-in music at any game like the wolves or wild.
 






TXGopher09 said:
The band is ASS. Compared to other bands and what they play, certified garbage. Sound good, shit music. Doesn't help bring in casual fans playing songs people can't name unlike the BIG 12 and SEC schools that play Ares, Neck, Mortal Kombat, etc. Till they figure out to keep fans entertained during halftime and not just looking around awkwardly with lame music I will not support the band. Also change the band name. No one brags about the "Pride of Minnesota," Marching Band. If you want to name something the Pride Of Minnesota, give it to the dance team. People are entertained and they're actually relevant. Take them to the bowl game because they're WINNERS and can actually entertain.
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This guy would like to have a word with you.

Screenshot_20251214-224348.Chrome.jpg
 

I told this story before but here is comes again. Back in the day when only Slab and I went to the early non conference games, my son and I saw an open section on the 30 yard line and sat in it. Suddenly the band comes off the field and sits all around us, tuba's front and back. Everyone was nice and no one asked us to move. Now of course the band is in the endzone. You know, I will now float them some dough out of respect.
 


I love the band. It is a huge reason why I enjoy college football more than professional. And, I specifically chose my seats in TCF Bank Stadium in 2009 to be seated closer to them and the cheering squads.

That being said, the University of Minnesota is one of the largest universities in the country so it always feels awkward to have the band operate like they need to sell pizzas so they can travel from Milaca to attend the big trip to Chicago next spring.
 

I am a somewhat recent band alumni and have stayed close to the band since graduating. Up through 2023 there weren't significant issues with funding bowl travel. Some of the trips were a bit shorter than in the past (Tampa in 2019 was nearly 5 days) but I think that was mostly due to the tier of bowl games we in. The band would even help pay for students who lived more than 8 hours away from the twin cities and the bowl location to fly back to campus or to the bowl, whatever was cheaper.

Starting last year funding got extremely tight. Trips got even shorter and the staff that travels with the band (conductors, photographers, instructors, social media people, admin staff, equipment people, etc.) got cut down. I don't know if this is the budget dropping, expenses increasing, or a little bit of both. Pretty much every expense related to bowl travel has gone up with many outpacing inflation - charter flights, charter buses, hotels, and food away from home. This is also all at a time where the athletic department is starting to pay players and struggling to find enough money.

I hope something changes but it seems likely that more schools will struggle to send their full band without relying on fundraising.
 

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