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College football marching bands are a critical part of all NCAA gridiron traditions. How else will a home team intimidate their opponents and gain a home-field advantage? How else will the fans get even more rowdy cheering for their team?
Listing the 10 best college marching bands in the NCAA, in no particular order
Texas A&M: Aggie Band
Texas A&M’s Aggie Band proves the adage, “Everything is Bigger in Texas.” This military-style marching band is the largest of its kind with over 400 members and ensures that all the member musicians are in sync.
The band is said to rehearse as much as 40 hours a week, and it walks onto Kyle Field while fighter planes fly overhead before every home game. The Aggie band is truly one of the best college marching bands out there, and there's more than enough proof of it.
The Ohio State University Marching Band
Buckeye Nation is treated to this band’s iconic Script Ohio formation for every game at the Ohio Stadium. Aside from that, OSU’s marching band also regularly puts up intricate halftime shows that tend to go viral.
The University of Tennessee Pride of the Southland Band
Tennessee’s Pride of the Southland Band has been steadily doing its drills ever since starting small over 100 years ago. Now, it's known as one of the best college marching bands in the nation with its perfectly-coordinated circle drill and trippy geometric formations.
These shapes just get everyone in Neyland Stadium hyped before every game, adding to the fact that the formations are almost always in motion with the band rarely standing in place.
The University of Texas Longhorn Band
Consistently ranked among the best college marching bands, Texas’ Longhorn Band is well known for its giant bass drum called Big Bertha – considered the largest bass drum in the world with a diameter of roughly 8 feet across. The drum is roughly 100 years old and is often the star of the show.
The band often refers to itself as the “Showband of the Southwest,” and it is evident in its electrifying, high-energy performances. It’s sad, however, that the original 100-year-old Big Bertha has since been retired and replaced by a newer, equally sizable bass drum.
The Ohio University Marching 110 Band
Not to be confused with Ohio State, Ohio University’s Marching 110 is named so to honor the band’s original 110 members back in 1968. The band has since basically doubled in membership and is well known for having performed in the big leagues – including over 40 NFL halftime shows – as well as the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City.
Capping this off, the 110 is also a reference to the band’s “110% effort” in rehearsing numbers and performing – which makes it one of the best college marching bands out there.
The Purdue University All-American Marching Band
Purdue’s All-American Marching Band is not to be outdone in the realm of giant drums with its own Big Bass Drum, which the school claims is “The World’s Largest Drum” at a height of over 10 feet with its carriage included.
But what everyone cares about aside from the drum is the band’s performances on the field and the roughly 100-year-old Block P formation that is a staple of all the band’s routines. The giant drum is always placed inside the big P, a symbol of the school’s students, alumni and community members who are “never finished growing and learning.”
The Penn State Blue Band
Beaver Stadium’s Whiteout Games are always capped off with the electric displays of the Blue Band, featuring high-octane flips from the band’s drum major. This tradition is one of the best atmospheres in college football.
The drum major sprints down the middle of the band’s formation, performs a running front flip, then a split and a salute to the Nittany Lions crowd – something the band has been doing since 1971.
The Michigan Marching Band
Consitently considered among the best college marching bands, Michigan’s band erupts from a tunnel right at the 50-yard line onto the field, then forms the school’s iconic M and plays “Hail to the Victors” to the tune of over 100,000 spectators in the stands.
There’s just something about the largest stadium in the United States being packed to the brim and erupting all at the same time that could send chills down anybody’s spine.
The University of South Carolina Trojan Marching Band
Many marching band conductors lead their musicians with a baton, but not USC. This school’s drum major leads its musicians with a sword, which the drum major buries at midfield before the game. And, after every victory for the Trojans, players take the sword and lead the band themselves.
But that’s not all. The USC Trojan Marching Band has also performed for far bigger audiences. They’ve played in front of five U.S. Presidents, the Oscars and Grammys and even the 1932 Summer Olympics in LA.
The Florida State University Marching Chiefs
One could say that the way Florida State treats its marching band’s performances is akin to a war cry.
Taking heavy inspiration from the state’s Native American past, FSU’s Marching Chiefs have a relatively simple way to get Seminoles fans hyped: Chief Osceola rides in front of the band waving a flaming spear, with the fans and the band themselves performing the “Tomahawk Chop” gesture directly at the opposing team. Then, the Chief buries his flaming spear in the middle of Doak, signifying that the battle is on – and the opposing team is in for a warm welcome.
