Many people are unaware that the university
boasts one of the only marching bands to exist in
the country without a football team. Therefore, we'd like to share our story of
perseverance.
The
University of Texas at Arlington Marching Band
performs every fall in front of capacity crowds. However, they rarely perform during halftime at a
football game because the university does not have a
football team. In 1985, budget cuts in the
athletic program left the university without a
football team, making the UTA Marching Band one of
the only marching bands in the country to exist at a
university where there is not a football program. Despite this, the band continues to give more
performances than most other college bands
throughout the nation.
Since
then, the band has been consistently recognized as
one of the finest marching bands in the nation,
performing as an exhibition band at both national
and local competitions. The band continually
pushes the envelope for excellence among
contemporary marching bands with their technically
demanding, fast-paced drill moves and high intensity
music.
Without a
football program to rely on for exposure, the
success of this ensemble has rested solely on the
integrity of the almost 200 students and faculty who put
in countless hours of rehearsal time in order to put
on an exciting state-of-the-art production for
audiences to enjoy wherever they perform. It
takes a lot of extra effort on everyone's part to
keep a marching band alive without a football team,
but these students have shown that they're up to the
challenge for the last 20 years.
If you
are interested in learning more about this unique
organization, please contact the band office.
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