For SU Band Fans

[elimunelson]

From "the University of Syracuse"...

I think this was Syracuse's only game at Sullivan Stadium. Probably SU marching band's only rendition of Neil Diamond.

 

[sutomcat]

That was when Flutie was the BC QB. BC realized they had something people might want to watch and moved the game to a real stadium.

I was there. If memory serves, Flutie led BC to a comeback win. The SUMB sounded good.

It was nice back then to see our band at an away game every season. Would love to see the BC band travel with BC to the dome and SUMB travel to Chestnut Hill starting next year. Give the students in bands more incentive to play and it is nice for SU fans to hear the band on the road every once in a while.

If Boston gets old, switch the roadie to Pitt. But I think it would be great to have SUMB travel to one away game every season. We can't count on the team going to a bowl game every year. We should be able to count on this.

 

[elimunelson]

That was when Flutie was the BC QB. BC realized they had something people might want to watch and moved the game to a real stadium.

I was there. If memory serves, Flutie led BC to a comeback win. The SUMB sounded good.

It was nice back then to see our band at an away game every season. Would love to see the BC band travel with BC to the dome and SUMB travel to Chestnut Hill starting next year. Give the students in bands more incentive to play and it is nice for SU fans to hear the band on the road every once in a while.

If Boston gets old, switch the roadie to Pitt. But I think it would be great to have SUMB travel to one away game every season. We can't count on the team going to a bowl game every year. We should be able to count on this.

Full house at Sullivan Stadium too. I think this was their last "Flutie home game" so everyone came out for it. Weird they moved it out of Alumni but I guess the demand was too much. The following week...the miracle in Miami

Is there a precedent for the bands to travel on the road for football games? Is that a fundraising thing or does the AD pay for that? I'm genuinely curious.

I remember the hoops pep band, when i was at SU, only went on the road for Big East Tourney and the NCAAs. I think there was a restriction otherwise.

 

[LeMoyneCuse]

Is there a precedent for the bands to travel on the road for football games? Is that a fundraising thing or does the AD pay for that? I'm genuinely curious.

Not sure who covers the tab, but the SUMB has travelled. They've done CFL games in the last 20 years and have taken occasional trips to roadies. Can't remember the last time they did it though.

 

[sutomcat]

Not sure who covers the tab, but the SUMB has travelled. They've done CFL games in the last 20 years and have taken occasional trips to roadies. Can't remember the last time they did it though.

I believe they used to travel to one road game a year.

No question there are a lot less 'busable' road games than there used to be and the cost to do a roadie has to be pretty high. But if you want a big band of highly motivated kids, you need to do certain things to make it happen.

I think this is one of them. We should be planning on bringing SUMB at least when we play at Army, UConn, BC, UB, and maybe Pitt too.

Then again, I might be full of it. Never played in SUMB, not sure how these road trips would be received. Maybe kids today wouldn't look at it as a big perk. There have to be some band members on the board, or friends of band members, or parents of kids in the band.

I know Otto's Army is very interested in setting up bus trips to drivable venues for SU away games for motivated students. Might make sense to combine these activities and focus on doing one away game for SUMB and interested students. I bet if there was a place on the SUMB web site for donations, friends of the band would kick in some money to help subsidize this.

I would be interested in what SUMB members think.

 

[elimunelson]

I believe they used to travel to one road game a year.

No question there are a lot less 'busable' road games than there used to be and the cost to do a roadie has to be pretty high. But if you want a big band of highly motivated kids, you need to do certain things to make it happen.

I think this is one of them. We should be planning on bringing SUMB at least when we play at Army, UConn, BC, UB, and maybe Pitt too.

Then again, I might be full of it. Never played in SUMB, not sure how these road trips would be received. Maybe kids today wouldn't look at it as a big perk. There have to be some band members on the board, or friends of band members, or parents of kids in the band.

I know Otto's Army is very interested in setting up bus trips to drivable venues for SU away games for motivated students. Might make sense to combine these activities and focus on doing one away game for SUMB and interested students. I bet if there was a place on the SUMB web site for donations, friends of the band would kick in some money to help subsidize this.

I would be interested in what SUMB members think.

this is why you schedule local opponents if it allows students/band to go to the games. I know the cheer squad goes to every away football game. Not sure if the ACC allows cheer squads from opponents at regular season games.

I would hope the university post covid does these things for the supporters of the school. The band, last I checked, isn't on scholarship so this incredible time commitment probably amounts to "free tickets" to the game after performing for 3 hours straight.

 

[DoubleDee]

Whoa I don't ever remember the band being that big. That's easily twice the size of the band today.

 

[LeMoyneCuse]

Whoa I don't ever remember the band being that big. That's easily twice the size of the band today.

High school bands in NY State are also half the size they were in 1984. Just an assumption on my part, but I think there's a correlation there.

 

[sutomcat]

Whoa I don't ever remember the band being that big. That's easily twice the size of the band today.

I bet the annual road trips were one of the reasons. We hadn't been to a bowl game in 5 years so that wasn't a factor.

 

[elimunelson]

I bet the annual road trips were one of the reasons. We hadn't been to a bowl game in 5 years so that wasn't a factor.

Dick Mac was seduced by the awfulness of Sullivan Stadium that he made a mental note "someday i'll be coaching this awful franchise in this awful stadium".

That band was gigantic. I saw the marching band in my town recently and it was like 25 people. It was sad to see actually. My town has seen a massive reduction in funds for the fine arts which flows down to the marching band funds, etc.

 

[LeMoyneCuse]

I saw the marching band in my town recently and it was like 25 people.

Being remote for the 2020-2021 school year played heck with everyone's recruitment on the NY circuit, and everyone had a small band as a result. I'm assuming it was the same in most places.

 

[orange79]

I was there. If memory serves, Flutie led BC to a comeback win. The SUMB sounded good.

It was nice back then to see our band at an away game every season. Would love to see the BC band travel with BC to the dome and SUMB travel to Chestnut Hill starting next year. Give the students in bands more incentive to play and it is nice for SU fans to hear the band on the road every once in a while.

If Boston gets old, switch the roadie to Pitt. But I think it would be great to have SUMB travel to one away game every season. We can't count on the team going to a bowl game every year. We should be able to count on this.

Apropos of nothing, IIRC, when SU was not at it's best (81-84), Flutie was only 2-2 against SU.

 

[SU94]

Apropos of nothing, IIRC, when SU was not at it's best (81-84), Flutie was only 2-2 against SU.

Correct.
BC came back to win the game in the video above, 24-16, but Flutie went winless (0-2) in the Dome.
I very much enjoy beating BC.

 

[Timonen]

Back in my time there, it was ~one road game/year plus a Bills game. Remember Boston and Pitt being the usual destinations.

 

[JoeSU]

I found it nostalgic to hear Curt Gowdy's voice.

It also struck me how the Top 20 contained essentially the same teams as it does today.

 

[SU68]

I believe they used to travel to one road game a year.

No question there are a lot less 'busable' road games than there used to be and the cost to do a roadie has to be pretty high. But if you want a big band of highly motivated kids, you need to do certain things to make it happen.

I think this is one of them. We should be planning on bringing SUMB at least when we play at Army, UConn, BC, UB, and maybe Pitt too.

Then again, I might be full of it. Never played in SUMB, not sure how these road trips would be received. Maybe kids today wouldn't look at it as a big perk. There have to be some band members on the board, or friends of band members, or parents of kids in the band.

I know Otto's Army is very interested in setting up bus trips to drivable venues for SU away games for motivated students. Might make sense to combine these activities and focus on doing one away game for SUMB and interested students. I bet if there was a place on the SUMB web site for donations, friends of the band would kick in some money to help subsidize this.

I would be interested in what SUMB members think.

I was in the "100 Men and a Girl" band in 64 and 65 and when it went coed in 66 and 67. I remember the band traveling to Penn State (and getting knocked down by JoePa when he was an assistant to Rip Engel). I think that was round trip in one day. We also went to BC and to Maryland which were both hotel stays. We had a lot of fun. I don't remember anyone not wanting to go. We went to the Sugar Bowl and to the Gator Bowl. Great times.

 

[Scooch]

Full house at Sullivan Stadium too. I think this was their last "Flutie home game" so everyone came out for it. Weird they moved it out of Alumni but I guess the demand was too much. The following week...the miracle in Miami

Is there a precedent for the bands to travel on the road for football games? Is that a fundraising thing or does the AD pay for that? I'm genuinely curious.

I remember the hoops pep band, when i was at SU, only went on the road for Big East Tourney and the NCAAs. I think there was a restriction otherwise.

I believe they used to travel to one road game a year.

No question there are a lot less 'busable' road games than there used to be and the cost to do a roadie has to be pretty high. But if you want a big band of highly motivated kids, you need to do certain things to make it happen.

I think this is one of them. We should be planning on bringing SUMB at least when we play at Army, UConn, BC, UB, and maybe Pitt too.

Then again, I might be full of it. Never played in SUMB, not sure how these road trips would be received. Maybe kids today wouldn't look at it as a big perk. There have to be some band members on the board, or friends of band members, or parents of kids in the band.

I know Otto's Army is very interested in setting up bus trips to drivable venues for SU away games for motivated students. Might make sense to combine these activities and focus on doing one away game for SUMB and interested students. I bet if there was a place on the SUMB web site for donations, friends of the band would kick in some money to help subsidize this.

I would be interested in what SUMB members think.

Wayyyyyy back when I was in the SUMB we did a regular season road trip every year. We went to Rutgers in 1991 (who played at the Meadowlands back then), Pitt in '92, Temple in '93 and BC in '94 (the 33-0 shellacking). Those were all overnight trips. We also went to 2 Bills games, which were also overnight trips. And we travelled to the Hall of Fame and Fiesta Bowls in '91-'92. It was a pretty great time to be in the marching band, lots of fun travel. And several bands travelled to the Dome back then, including scaled-down travel bands from Ohio State and Texas.

Not sure when the band stopped doing regular season road games, although I think most schools have cut way back on that.

 

[Timonen]

Wayyyyyy back when I was in the SUMB we did a regular season road trip every year. We went to Rutgers in 1991 (who played at the Meadowlands back then), Pitt in '92, Temple in '93 and BC in '94 (the 33-0 shellacking). Those were all overnight trips. We also went to 2 Bills games, which were also overnight trips. And we travelled to the Hall of Fame and Fiesta Bowls in '91-'92. It was a pretty great time to be in the marching band, lots of fun travel. And several bands travelled to the Dome back then, including scaled-down travel bands from Ohio State and Texas.

Not sure when the band stopped doing regular season road games, although I think most schools have cut way back on that.

We overlapped in there but I remember Oklahoma brought a small band in 93. West Virginia (amazing!) came through a couple times and bc/Pitt would be there every year it seemed. Totally took it for granted compared to today. We went to kickoff classic versus Wisconsin too.

 

[All4SU]

That was when Flutie was the BC QB. BC realized they had something people might want to watch and moved the game to a real stadium.

I was there. If memory serves, Flutie led BC to a comeback win. The SUMB sounded good.

It was nice back then to see our band at an away game every season. Would love to see the BC band travel with BC to the dome and SUMB travel to Chestnut Hill starting next year. Give the students in bands more incentive to play and it is nice for SU fans to hear the band on the road every once in a while.

If Boston gets old, switch the roadie to Pitt. But I think it would be great to have SUMB travel to one away game every season. We can't count on the team going to a bowl game every year. We should be able to count on this.

If I’m not mistaken, SU went 3-1 against Flutie. And those weren’t exactly powerhouse years for SU.

 

[OrangeXtreme]

If I’m not mistaken, SU went 3-1 against Flutie. And those weren’t exactly powerhouse years for SU.

Individual Game Results of Syracuse (vs Boston College), 1981-1984​

Date		Opponent (record)	Result	Score	Site
11/17/1984​	@	Boston College (10-2)	L	16​	24​	@ Foxboro, MA
11/12/1983​	vs.	Boston College (9-3)	W	21​	10​
11/13/1982​	@	Boston College (8-3-1)	L	13​	20​
11/14/1981​	vs.	Boston College (5-6)	W	27​	17​

Flutie was drafted in Round 11 of the 1985 draft by the Rams.

 

[Chip]

I wish we'd get more visiting bands into the Dome. At a minimum, seeing the ND band there next year should happen. I realize that's a battle for ticket priority on their side, but the way we've been drawing, there should be plenty of room for everyone.

Our band should definitely travel for at least one road game, and should always go to BC, where we get a big road crowd.

 

[All4SU]

Individual Game Results of Syracuse (vs Boston College), 1981-1984​

Date		Opponent (record)	Result	Score	Site
11/17/1984​	@	Boston College (10-2)	L	16​	24​	@ Foxboro, MA
11/12/1983​	vs.	Boston College (9-3)	W	21​	10​
11/13/1982​	@	Boston College (8-3-1)	L	13​	20​
11/14/1981​	vs.	Boston College (5-6)	W	27​	17​

Flutie was drafted in Round 11 of the 1985 draft by the Rams.

Once again, reality rises up and smacks my memory upside the head. We won the Sugar Bowl in 1987 though, right?

 

[OrangeXtreme]

Once again, reality rises up and smacks my memory upside the head. We won the Sugar Bowl in 1987 though, right?

Technically, it was Jan 1, 1988.