Arizona Football Welcomes Grambling State and The GSU Tiger Marching Band

This Saturday at the Arizona Football Stadium the opponent’s marching band will play at halftime, an occasion which normally only occurs when Arizona State or Northern Arizona compete against the Wildcat football team.

This won’t be the first time the Grambling State Band has taken the field with The Pride of Arizona. On January 15, 1967, during the very first Super Bowl’s halftime show, GSU’s 129-member all male band played along with the University of Arizona’s band. The next 23 Super Bowls featured college marching bands, before the era of big-name artists graced the Super Bowl stage.

You have the watch this video to the end to catch their moves (and the Nae Nae):

GSU went on to march in four more Super Bowl halftimes, have played in commercials and inspired the 2002 film ‘Drumline.’ The Tiger Band got its start in 1926 when a new faculty member, Ralph Waldo Emerson Jones, struck an instrument deal with Sears and Roebuck.

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Seventeen instruments were secured, and the band was born. Later, Mr. Jones became Grambling’s President and held that position for 50 years. The band’s connections to Presidents didn’t stop there; they played in the inaugural parade of President George W. Bush and both of President Obama’s inaugurations.

Coincidentally, the University of Arizona marching band, The Pride of Arizona, was invited to play at President Carter’s inauguration. The Pride started way back in 1902 as the UA ROTC band with only twelve members. Currently, there are 250 Pride members, including the musicians, twirlers, pom and flag lines.

As recently as 2013, the Pride had a brush with a commercial endeavor. They used Arizona Stadium to record the Bay City Rollers hit “Saturday Night” for a nationwide Hyundai commercial.

Grambling State is known nationwide for its well-traveled, innovative and energetic band. Just a year ago, they traveled to Berkeley to perform at the Golden Bear’s game.

This year The Pride of Arizona welcomes University of Arizona  and band alum, Professor Chad Shoopman as the marching band’s new permanent director.

Both Grambling State’s and Arizona’s band members feature hard-working college kids. Like the football teams, they arrive on campus in late summer, well before classes begin to start practicing, so they are ready for opening day. The band members won’t get drafted in the NFL and marching at halftime won’t bring them fame and fortune. However, It has been proven that those who played music in school are more successful in their careers. These students stay until the end of each game, no matter the score or the weather, and during the week they balance their classes with additional practices.

However, It has been proven that those who played music in school are more successful in their careers. These students stay until the end of each game, no matter the score or the weather, and during the week they balance their classes with additional practices.

The band members won’t get drafted in the NFL and marching at halftime won’t bring them fame and fortune. However, It has been proven that those who played music in school are more successful in their careers. These students stay until the end of each game, no matter the score or the weather, and during the week they balance their classes with additional practices.

This Saturday let’s give both the Tiger Marching Band and the Pride of Arizona our full support and attention. Thanks for coming to the desert Grambling State. As for Arizona, BearDown and beat the Tigers! Stay all 60 minutes, or you might miss a great play, or a great song.

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