When breaking down intercollegiate athletics, one of the most unique aspects of game day experiences is the Marching / Pep Bands. I can remember the first collegiate football game I watched as a child, seeing the marching band come through the tailgate area, and then also their involvement in creating the in-game atmosphere left a lasting impact on me.
I think it’s safe to say that game day has changed significantly, and more and more we are looking for ways to entertain our fans. I think as an industry, this has created a bit of a hostile relationship with the band directors -- all in the name of game day experience.
To help alleviate this at BGSU, we have implemented several techniques to allow us to work together. Before I get too far into this blog post, I do want to mention that our Director of Athletic Bands has been outstanding work with the past couple of years. He is a true advocate for what our department is trying to accomplish, and without his assistance we wouldn’t be making the improvements we have made.
In my opinion, one of our biggest challenges was the students in the bands didn’t know who was making the decisions in-game, as it relates to band versus house music, or why we scripted games in a certain way. With that feedback for the past couple of years, I always speak to the band during their summer training. I explain my job, role, and strategy when it comes to the games, and always ask for feedback. Although the first year was a tough conversation, this past year has led to a lot of great feedback and idea generation in promoting our events, the band, and improving the relationship.
Another element at BGSU that has helped is providing feedback from surveys to the students in the band and their administrators. This has been a positive step, because we can share the results, and work together to make the changes. For us, most of our fans and students did comment about the lack of involvement from the band in our game day, so we have involved them more in our games outside of playing. Examples include Tuba Relay Races, Spirit Timeouts, Promotions on the court / field, and etc.
Also, in recent years we have had members of the band in our office as marketing interns, which has provided them a more in-depth look into the operation of the marketing department, in addition to the relationships with the bands.
By working to be an advocate for our students in the band, it has created a better in-game experience for our fans and students, a positive working relationship, and increased campus spirit.
I would enjoy hearing how other departments interactions with the band, such as partnerships, turning a negative relationship, into a positive one and etc.