Trojan Marching Band to celebrate 300th consecutive USC Football game this Saturday versus Syracuse.
Photo by Ben Chua
LOS ANGELES – September 15, 2011 – After 24 years, 208 wins, and over 280,000 miles, The Spirit of Troy has reached an unprecedented milestone for college marching bands. This Saturday at the Coliseum, the band will perform at its 300th consecutive USC Football game, home or away.
The streak began in 1987 at the request of rookie Trojan head coach Larry Smith who had dropped his first game of the season at Michigan State. He told director Dr. Arthur C. Bartner that he never wanted to play on the road again without the Trojan Marching Band in the stands. Since then, the band has traveled to 155 games in 23 states.
To celebrate the milestone, The Spirit of Troy is launching the Trojan Marching Band Travel Fund, a new fundraising campaign to finance the $325,000 it takes to send the band on the road each year. Even though the band does receive some financial support from USC Athletics and USC Student Affairs, the travel budget has not changed since 1980, seven years before the streak began. The Travel Fund will protect the program from the rising costs of travel and ensure that the band will be able to continue the streak for years to come.
On Saturday, the band will be celebrating with a special pregame tailgate. Attendees will receive commemorative pins with the “300 Games” logo. During the game, Dr. Bartner – in his 42nd season as director – will be honored for his induction into the USC Athletics Hall of Fame next year.
For more information, visit http://www.uscband.com
