Band not going to Alabama game

Submitted by genericmichiganfan on

Saw this on Twitter. Can anyone in the band confirm? Would be awful if true.

terryfoster @terryfoster

So, the @umichband won't be traveling to Dallas for the "home game" against Alabama? That's completely unacceptable @DaveBrandonAD.

EDIT: Now confirmed. What a joke.

Stephen J. Nesbitt @stephenjnesbitt

Alabama's band, though, will be on hand at Cowboy Stadium. Members of the MMB that I've heard from are none too happy with the decision.

 

The Michigan Marching Band has been informed by the Athletic Department that it will not be travelling to Dallas for Michigan/Alabama.

justingoblue

April 19th, 2012 at 3:55 PM ^

What happens to their reserved seating Jones agreed to give them? See Section 3 of the contract to play:

http://www.annarbor.com/2011/10/04/2012%20College%20Football%20Agreemen…

And why would it be negotiated into the contract only to back out and have Alabama be the only one with a band? That doesn't sound right...

Edit: Wow...four point fucking seven million dollars to play and no band, with Alabama blaring its fight song across the field? Unacceptable is really the correct word for this.

BubbaBerenson

April 19th, 2012 at 4:40 PM ^

Here's the scoop from the Daily:

The marching band was told that the Athletic Department’s decision to leave the band behind was made recently, and the determination was made that because the game is not a typical road game, it will not be treated like a bowl game.

Reports are that the band was initially told there would be room in the budget, but that was later reconsidered and overturned.

Michigan is set to receive a $4.7 million payday for playing Alabama, according to the Cowboy Classic contract. Cowboy Stadium L.P. (CSLP) is contractually obligated to have seating for the Michigan band, as well as room for cheerleaders, dance team and mascot. (Michigan has no mascot — at least not yet.)

bringthewood

April 19th, 2012 at 5:25 PM ^

The athletic department sent me a survey yesterday where I ripped on the aggressive marketing, rawk music, hashtags on the field, etc.  Wish I had has this news yesterday.  This coming from a Ross grad with a concentration in Marketing.  I feel like the marketing department is yelling at us, the idea of subtle intelligent marketing seems beyond them.

In selling to certain audiances you need to have the appropriate message using the appropriate channel.  I still think we are getting a heavy dose of Domino's/NBA Marketing hype.  I think they can get the same or better results by not treating us like idiots.

Not bringing the band is just plain stupid.  Can't afford it?  Then at least try passing the hat.

I get selling, I get marketing, I get the need for money but I feel the approach is overly aggressive.

I bet we could round up enough money here to send the band.  "Michigan Band brought to you by Mgoblog"  and have them wear one of the Tremendous t-shirts.

M Fanfare

April 19th, 2012 at 3:55 PM ^

I know at one point the AD was insisting the MMB take buses to Dallas instead of flying. That's at least 20 hours in each direction, and the MMB refused.

tdcarl

April 19th, 2012 at 4:03 PM ^

If thats the case then I can't really feel too bad for them. They were given the option to go and turned it down. The game is before classes start too so its not like they'd be losing a ton of valuable study time by driving instead of flying. In high school our band took Indian Trails buses 25+ hours to Disney in Florida and back and we survived just fine.

 

 

FrankMurphy

April 19th, 2012 at 4:37 PM ^

It wasn't the band's choice to open the season in Dallas, TX of all places. I doubt that Dave Brandon consulted the band when he struck the deal to play this game. Back when we used to do Pac-10 road trips, we flew our band out instead of forcing them to bus all the way to the West Coast. Dallas isn't all that much closer. Given the amount of money the AD stands to make from this game, asking the band to bus 20 hours instead of flying them is pretty cheap, IMHO. I don't think the band is being unreasonable in asking to be flown.

FrankMurphy

April 19th, 2012 at 3:59 PM ^

Are we just going to hire TCU's band and slap some Michigan hats and vests on them, like we did to Florida's band at the Gator Bowl a while back? Are we just not going to have a band there?

justingoblue

April 19th, 2012 at 4:11 PM ^

Spirit has flights for 225, it's 157.80 if they get a 30% discount. Multiply that by 350 and you have airfare costs of just over $55,000. If they can do four-to-a-room at $100 per night, you're looking at a little over $26,000 for hotel, plus you have to feed them, at $30 per day that's another $30,000 and change.

So yes, about a hundred grand once you include busses and taxes, as long as they do it on the (relatively) cheap.

Ernis

April 20th, 2012 at 12:16 PM ^

But you can bet Darth Brandon is looking at the opportunity cost of losing that ticket revenue.

What a cheap, shoddy thing to do. Honestly, they can't afford it? The bank will foreclose on the stadium if the band goes? How does this reflect positively on the AD?
Seems to be ongoing tension between Brandpn and the MMB.

Scott

April 19th, 2012 at 4:33 PM ^

Former band member here. Generally, the band takes huge jumbo jets to the bowl site. You have to have something big enough to take upwards of 400 people, plus the instruments.

Also, the band rents out an entire semi-truck (and the driver) for about a week, in addition to the buses and their drivers.

I don't actually know what it costs exactly, but given my experience I'd be surprised if it's not at least $500K. Maybe for this one they'd stay at a cheaper hotel than they normally do for the bowl. But even if it was $500K, that would still be $4.2 million of profit for the AD.......

justingoblue

April 19th, 2012 at 4:37 PM ^

I figured it wasn't accurate, but I have no way to price out "737 for the weekend".

Also, not to be siding with DB on this, but it isn't $4.7m in profit, it's $4.7m in revenue. If a home game makes four million, the AD only nets $700k on the deal. IMO the AD made the deal and that's their problem, but it's something to at least consider.

Scott

April 19th, 2012 at 4:56 PM ^

Yeah, I figured I was probably screwing up the numbers. Accountant, I am not.

However, I think we can agree that no matter the cost, this decision is dumb. It's not like sending the band will cause us to file for Chapter 11.