Virginia Tech's marching band doesn't make a lot of road trips. Usually if the Hokies are playing any farther away than the Triangle it means no band. I don't remember them at Clemson in 2007 and I know they didn't make trips to Nebraska, Florida State or BC last year, Georgia Tech or LSU in 2007 or BC or Miami in 2006.
A lot of this is because of cost. While the band could easily bus to Clemson or Atlanta, it would take a charter to get them just about anywhere else. But other schools are able to do this by having a smaller version of the band for road trips. AD Jim Weaver has said in past Labatt Hokie Hotlines that the band needs a pep version for away games.
It seems to me that's pretty easy to accomplish. Just have a certain number or band members that goes to away games. That's what Oklahoma did when I was in school. Only the upper classmen got to go on road trips, with the exception of OU-Texas and the bowl game. And they bussed pretty much everywhere but Eugene while I was there, too. Hell, they bussed to the Holiday Bowl.
I'm somewhat concerned the band won't be at the Alabama game because they weren't in Atlanta two years ago for the Georgia Tech game. I wonder if cost-cutting measures will keep the MVs at home during Labor Day weekend. That would be a shame. There is some hope, though because they were in Charlotte for the ECU game last year.
Both Alabama's Million Dollar Band and Clemson's Tiger Band were in Atlanta last year for this same soiree. It would be embarrassing if the Bama band was there and ours was absent this year.
Linkage
Hokies
- Like myself, BCO dominated at cornhole over the weekend. (Beer Control Offense)
- It took a cheaper donation to get season tickets this year. (Roth Report)
ACC and Opponents
- Jeff takes a break from watching Real Housewives of New Jersey to discuss possible BC games at Fenway with Brian. (BC Interruption)
- He's probably the ACC's best Heisman hopeful in a while. (The Legacyx4)
- Why Nebraska should move to the Big Ten. (Corn Nation)
- Back to the drawing board for Wake. (Blogger So Dear)
Stuff Only I Care About
- Chelsea Dagger has been silenced, but not before Patrick Kane scored one last beauty and Hip, Hip, Huet make the save of the year. (From the Rink)
- Okies will do anything to get Blake Griffin on the Thunder. (The Lost Ogle)
- I swear this has never happened to me before. (The Lost Ogle)
- Coaches ballots go secret. (Bootlegger Sports)