San Jose State paid about a quarter of a million dollars to sign Grambling for August 23. Not so much because the Spartans thought it would be a good game, but the fact that Grambling’s band was coming would mean a sellout. The internationally known band has so much style, that to see them once is an experience. The band is also a big part of Grambling’s social traditions. One out of every 25 students at Grambling is in the band. After a listless first half of the game, the Tiger band took the field and gave a great musical and marching performance. They got the crowd to stand up and sing along to some R&B, so all at Spartan Stadium could go home and say they were in a Grambling halftime show. So despite the 29-0 shutout, Grambling people were beaming with pride afterwards from the compliments their band got.

On the other side of the country, Virginia is not for band lovers.

Virginia’s Pep band was in the stands against Duke Saturday, but was not allowed to play at all during the game. Some say the writing was on the wall last year when the band had to sit and watch in the stands as the Marching Band from Ohio University performed at Scott Stadium. This year, the Band is banned from not only football performances, but from all Cavalier athletic events.

Virginia received a million dollars from a benefactor to establish a traditional marching band under the auspices of the school of music. Therefore, the University has concluded that the “scramble” style of the current band is now obsolete and should be phased out. The band was even locked out of their facility this past spring.

The Virginia band, like Stanford’s, takes pride in its ability to revile visiting fans while entertaining their folks with humor. Scrambling is more like dinner theatre and stand-up comedy than straight lines and Sousa.

Virginia’s shows, and their subsequent reprisals, are part of eastern college football lore. Virginia has apparently been embarrassed enough. The latest heat came from the Cavaliers’ 2002 bowl victory over West Virginia. During halftime, the band parodied the Bachelor and had a guy choose a lady in Virginia colors over a lady in overalls and West Virginia colors, sealing their love with a tire. No sooner had the clock reached 0:00 in Virginia’s 48-22 thrashing of their border rivals did the angry letters started coming in. West Virginia’s governor led the demand that the school Jefferson built should apologize. Virginia’s band has maintained that it was all a misunderstanding, and both University and Bowl officials had approved the script.

Two schools, two bands, two different worlds

Embele Awipi is a host on KSRK,ESPN 540 from 5-7PM weekdays. He can be reached at embo1240@yahoo.com

Originally published Monday, September 1, 2003