"Big 10 Tradition"

Donate To GopherHole
A_Slab_of_Bacon

A_Slab_of_Bacon

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 21, 2015
Messages
24,110
Reaction score
14,352
Points
113
I noticed something interesting at the Rose Bowl.

When the UCLA band played the U of M rouser they introduced it as "the big 10 tradition". Now I knew it was the Big Ten's tradition to play the opposing schools song to welcome them.

It was just interesting to see them TELL the home crowd that, maybe to let them know why they would do that. I'm guessing the PAC never did that, but then they had some weird history with other bands like Standford that were less than friendly.
 

I don’t think our band plays opposing fight songs, do they? I do recall other bands playing our rouser, having attended road games in the past. I just don’t think it is part of our band’s 20 minute pregame routine.
 

I've watched some other, original B1G member bands's pregame show and some of them also call it out as a B1G pregame tradition IIRC.

But it would not shock me if the PAC didn't do this, and so the change would be jarring to their fans if they didn't explain why they were doing it.
 

Schnauzer said:
I don’t think our band plays opposing fight songs, do they? I do recall other bands playing our rouser, having attended road games in the past. I just don’t think it is part of our band’s 20 minute pregame routine.
Click to expand...
Lol, it is, every B1G conference game. The band does not play the opposing school's song during non-conference games though, instead playing Go Gopher Victory in the same place. However, if you usually sit on the home sideline, the entire band turns to face the away side when playing the other school's song.

Happens after the band plays Minnesota March, before they do the swinging gates formation.

Source: Was in the marching band for 4 years
 

Schnauzer said:
I don’t think our band plays opposing fight songs, do they? I do recall other bands playing our rouser, having attended road games in the past. I just don’t think it is part of our band’s 20 minute pregame routine.
Click to expand...
For B10 games, yes every time.
 


Taji34 said:
I've watched some other, original B1G member bands's pregame show and some of them also call it out as a B1G pregame tradition IIRC.

But it would not shock me if the PAC didn't do this, and so the change would be jarring to their fans if they didn't explain why they were doing it.
Click to expand...
Yea that certainly wasn't a thing in the PAC. The best version of that, that I've ever experienced in the PAC was against Oregon St at a basketball game. The Duck band started playing the Beavs fight song, all the beavs got up and started clapping to the beavs fight song. Then without missing a note, the Ducks band transitioned into Mighty Oregon and had all the beavs clapping to the Ducks fight song. It was great fun!!
 



Mr. Billd stands and claps with each B1G+ team's fight song each home game.

Usually catches the eye of neighboring opponent's fans in 212 and 211 but it is done in respect. Even do it for the Hawks and Badgers that can be pretty tough, but the game is to follow and who knows. As USC says, "Victory."

We say "Ski U Mah."
 



Schnauzer said:
I don’t think our band plays opposing fight songs, do they?
Click to expand...
They do, and it pisses me off beyond belief. Do you think Alabama plays Georgia's fight song?
Makes us look soft.
 
Last edited:


DrunkDons said:
They do, and it pisses me off beyond belief. Do you think Alabama plays Georgia's fight song?
Been to multiple Iowa and Wisco away games and they never do it for us. Makes us look soft.
Click to expand...
Being a good sport isn’t soft.

Being upset by this tradition is “soft”…
 




I'll admit I don't pay close attention to the marching band (not saying I don't enjoy it). At what point during the pre-game do they typically play the song of the other school?
 

A_Slab_of_Bacon said:
I noticed something interesting at the Rose Bowl.

When the UCLA band played the U of M rouser they introduced it as "the big 10 tradition". Now I knew it was the Big Ten's tradition to play the opposing schools song to welcome them.

It was just interesting to see them TELL the home crowd that, maybe to let them know why they would do that. I'm guessing the PAC never did that, but then they had some weird history with other bands like Standford that were less than friendly.
Click to expand...
Taji34 said:
I've watched some other, original B1G member bands's pregame show and some of them also call it out as a B1G pregame tradition IIRC.

But it would not shock me if the PAC didn't do this, and so the change would be jarring to their fans if they didn't explain why they were doing it.
Click to expand...

Just a guess, perhaps the PAC 8-10-12, back in the day the visiting team more often brought their own band?

I often see the home team band also playing visitors' fight song in local High School games.
 
Last edited:


Word said:
I'll admit I don't pay close attention to the marching band (not saying I don't enjoy it). At what point during the pre-game do they typically play the song of the other school?
Click to expand...
See post #4
 

Word said:
I'll admit I don't pay close attention to the marching band (not saying I don't enjoy it). At what point during the pre-game do they typically play the song of the other school?
Click to expand...
Second piece after the Band is fully assembled. I believe they open each pre-game performance with Sousa's "Minnesota March" then follow with the other Team's song.

BTW love the pause a short way in the "Minnesota March" to yell "Rah, Rah, Ski U Mah, Rah, Rah, Rah." Have to get the cadence just right.

I believe the opponent's fight song is then followed by the Swinging Gate Formation with "The Battle Hymn of the Republic." As an aside, each year the percentage of folks who stand and remove hats and caps for the passing of the Color Guard goes down. So far little or no erosion for "The Star Spangled Banner" but everyone is prompted for that. And so it goes.
 
Last edited:

It is indeed a Big Ten marching band thing to play the visiting team's fight song during their pregame if the visiting band wasn't present. I've heard the Rouser during band pregames in IC, AA, and Madison (inevitably done out of pace and a step too low, but still played). The year the full Ohio State band came here, the Gopher band did not play Across the Field in their pregame.

It wasn't much of a Pac 12/10 thing because there was always a pep band-sized delegation of the visiting band present.

Speaking of band pregame, someone needs to remove the following line in the announcer script, because the powers that be have demonstrated it to be totally false:

"Tradition is an important part of the Big Ten..."
 

Word said:
I'll admit I don't pay close attention to the marching band (not saying I don't enjoy it). At what point during the pre-game do they typically play the song of the other school?
Click to expand...
Often when the other team is entering the field (although that varies as teams kinda do that randomly sometimes).

Usually the band faces the visitor side so it's less obvious in the moment / fans are settling down and etc.
 

GopherRock said:
It is indeed a Big Ten marching band thing to play the visiting team's fight song during their pregame if the visiting band wasn't present. I've heard the Rouser during band pregames in IC, AA, and Madison (inevitably done out of pace and a step too low, but still played). The year the full Ohio State band came here, the Gopher band did not play Across the Field in their pregame.

It wasn't much of a Pac 12/10 thing because there was always a pep band-sized delegation of the visiting band present.

Speaking of band pregame, someone needs to remove the following line in the announcer script, because the powers that be have demonstrated it to be totally false:

"Tradition is an important part of the Big Ten..."
Click to expand...
Big 10 still seems more tradition heavy than other conferences though ... I'm ok with that line.
 

A_Slab_of_Bacon said:
Often when the other team is entering the field (although that varies as teams kinda do that randomly sometimes).

Usually the band faces the visitor side so it's less obvious in the moment / fans are settling down and etc.
Click to expand...
This is probably why I haven’t noticed it. I often (but not always) arrive from the tailgate too late for the band pregame and when I am there in time, the visiting school song is pointed in the other direction from me as I sit on the home side.
 


Schnauzer said:
I don’t think our band plays opposing fight songs, do they? I do recall other bands playing our rouser, having attended road games in the past. I just don’t think it is part of our band’s 20 minute pregame routine.
Click to expand...
It's been a while since I've been in the stadium that early. With that said, I have heard them do it before.
 

Word said:
Even Rutgers?
Click to expand...
They're in the BigTen?
shrug-who-knew.gif
 


I sit on the visitor side and I love hearing the visitors song played. The Big Ten has the greatest collection of school songs in the country.
 



Mr. 131 said:
How early does this happen? The last few games I was there with thirty min to spare, but I’m usually not in the stadium much sooner than 15 min to kickoff.
Click to expand...
Around 25 minutes methinks...the sequence goes something like this:

Minnesota March
Opponent Fight Song
Swinging Gates
National Anthem
Block M Formation
Rouser
Block M down the field
Set up for Goldy
Goldy Enters
Team Enters

From memory so someone correct me...
 

You must log in or register to reply here.



Top Bottom