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Colgate rented Ohio State’s pep band for its NCAA Tournament game, making its own band pretty angry
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Making the NCAA Tournament is a thrill for any college basketball team, but it’s especially exciting for some of those smaller schools around the country. It provides an experience not only for the players, but for the students, fans, band members, cheerleaders and mascots.
Sometimes, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime type of experience. But for Colgate, the school’s pep band actually didn’t get the opportunity to be a part of the journey. As Colgate made the trek to Columbus to play Tennessee in the first round, the university decided not to take its own band, but rent Ohio State’s instead.
Seriously.
According to a report from Syracuse.com, Colgate borrowed Ohio State’s band for its first-round matchup against Tennessee. The 29-member band were provided with “Go Gate” t-shirts and sheet music for the school’s fight song and alma mater.
Ohio State was told that Colgate did not have a pep band. Understandably, a lot of Colgate’s pep band members — and yes, they do exist — were pretty angry about the situation.
“It’s insulting,” Colgate pep band member Kyle Rhodehouse told Syracuse. com. “And it’s embarrassing. There’s a big difference between not wanting a band there at the tournament – and not wanting Colgate’s band there. We got slapped in the face.”
Other band members expressed their frustration and disappointment.
The reason for the swap, according to senior associate athletics director Juliana Smith, is that the Colgate band wasn’t large enough for a nationally televised event.
“We are eager to work toward having a Colgate pep band that is large, ever-present, enthusiastic and a weekly proud force that helps us create an incredible game day atmosphere throughout the year at Colgate,” Smith said in a statement. “While we have very much appreciated the pep band’s presence at various events this year, unlike many of the larger schools at the tournament, our group is currently too small to support a performance on a scale that is required for a nationally televised event.”
Photos of Colgate’s band being in attendance in Columbus, as well as an image of a drum with the word “Ohio” in the center alerted Colgate band members that there had been a swap.
According to the NCAA, renting a band isn’t a new practice, though it didn’t specify how frequently it happens. Still, it’s understandable why the Colgate band members were so upset about the situation.
Dustin grew up in the heart of Big Ten country and has been in sports media since 2010. He has been covering Big Ten football since 2014. You can follow him on Twitter: @SchutteCFB