September 12th, 2021 at 10:31 AM ^
Seconded
September 12th, 2021 at 10:37 AM ^
Given that we won't pay for them to travel anywhere besides Columbus, East Lansing, South Bend, or the bowl game, this seems unlikely.
September 12th, 2021 at 10:41 AM ^
How much could that possibly cost? $150 per uniform, maybe 100 uniforms? $15,000 total?
September 12th, 2021 at 11:11 AM ^
I would guess it’s more like 300 uniforms. Wanting to spend $50k on a one-off so that the stands look pretty… I’d rather give a band kid a scholarship.
September 12th, 2021 at 11:26 AM ^
It’s not one or the other. We can do both. Put out a request for a donor to sponsor it, and the uniforms would be covered in about 15 minutes. By donor standards, $30,000 is not a big number.
September 12th, 2021 at 12:07 PM ^
I'd prefer that money went to Domani Jackson or some other 5* recruit. But again, it doesn't have to be one or the other.
September 14th, 2021 at 1:02 AM ^
Marching band uniforms cost wayyy more than 150 bucks a pop, and MMB membership tends to hover around 350 on a normal year.
September 12th, 2021 at 10:42 AM ^
Double post. Sorry.
September 12th, 2021 at 10:45 AM ^
Don’t even need new unis, just a maize tunic they could put over their jackets while they were sitting in the stands. when they went on the field they could atill wear the traditional uniforms.
September 12th, 2021 at 10:50 AM ^
I like this take. I’m clicking the “thumbs up” icon by it.
September 12th, 2021 at 11:14 AM ^
I’m confused. The tops of their uniforms ARE maize. (Back in the 70’s, the tops were blue) and they don’t wear their helmets while in the stands during the game.
September 12th, 2021 at 11:24 AM ^
I guess there is more maize in them than I thought, but the overall effect still feels pretty blue. They certainly didn’t have the same look as the rest of the stands.
September 12th, 2021 at 11:57 AM ^
In recent years they have had maize baseball caps when sitting in the stands and it was enough to blend In with the maize-out. This year they wear navy. It would be cost-effective and serve the purpose just to have maize ball caps again.
September 12th, 2021 at 4:46 PM ^
Yep, this is all on Athletics. They provide the ball caps for the band. Ever since we switched from Adidas to Nike, the hats have been blue. If we want the band to blend in with the rest of the student section, then Athletics needs to buy maize caps again.
September 12th, 2021 at 6:19 PM ^
Yep, they should have been given maize caps. Also, it wouldn't hurt for ABC to show the band from time to time. The band is a huge part of the college football experience and we practically never saw them last night.
September 12th, 2021 at 4:33 PM ^
maize unitards. make it so.
September 12th, 2021 at 6:39 PM ^
I find this hilarious. My wife literally said this today at breakfast. She was in the marching band.
September 12th, 2021 at 10:44 PM ^
My freshman year in the MMB our uniforms were a total embarrassment. Opposing fans who saw us up close laughed at how threadbare they were. The sousaphones didn't match. And our raincoats were literally mold-covered ponchos. I'm just glad things have improved as much as they have.
September 13th, 2021 at 12:56 AM ^
Already discussed here is the fact that with Adidas, the hats were Maize, now they are Blue. Again, this is an athletic department issue...
As for the numbers, if I remember correctly, typically there are about 390 in the band and this year there are 405. So at $25/hat that's just over $10 grand. Not insurmountable but also a non-trivial amount.
For what it is worth, the band is open for donations and very friendly and responsive with donors. Try clicking here to donate or learn more about donation opportunities. Given many constraints, costs, and other opportunities, for the band to spend the money on a non-directed donation seems unlikely.
Digging further into donations, you'll find that many fans, alums, and other benefactors have given generously over the years. When I was in the MMB ('89 - '92 football seasons) none of the following existed but now do: uniform endowment, instrument endowment, endowed directorships, endowed scholarships for a limited number of students, and a general scholarship fund.
With all that said: I pretty much agree with the OP: would have been an easy fix to find some way to get the band more Maize, at least in the stands.