Official "Send the band to Seattle" Thread... LET THEM PLAY!

I am concerned to hear the rumor that the Athletic Department has decided there will be no pep band in Washington and there will not be a full band trip this year to an SEC road game, as we have had in the past for as long as I can remember.

As much pride that the LSU Band brings to this University and as much support and passion that they provide for LSU athletics in general not to mention the revenue that the band "indirectly" brings into the Athletic Department, one would think that the Athletic Department would make every possible effort to include the band in every way possible in their $84 million self-sustaining budget. The LSU Band is just as much a part of LSU's history and tradition as the helmet, the jerseys and Tiger Stadium itself. Simply put, the band is a very important part of LSU football to many Tiger fans including myself. I realize the band is not a top priority for the LSU Athletic Department, and I don't expect it to be the top priority, but the band is an integral part of the overall GameDay experience that makes LSU football so special and so important to all of us.

Most of us understand that it is probably not financially feasible to send the entire band to Seattle even in the best of financial times, but there is absolutely no reason that there should not be representatives of the LSU band in the form of a pep band at Washington. As far as the SEC road game, the LSU Athletic Department should have at least one full band trip per year even if it means simply driving over to the game and back immediately following the game, which is certainly an option for Tuscaloosa, Oxford, or Starkville in the 2009 season.

I am hopeful that the LSU Athletic Department will find the dollars in their estimated $84 million budget to send a pep band to Seattle and the full band to one SEC road game. I feel confident most LSU fans, including Coach Miles, would feel exactly as I do: that the LSU Band belongs in Seattle (and at one SEC road game) with the rest of Tiger Nation.

We understand Athletic Director Joe Alleva is still learning about the traditions and pageantry of LSU football, and hopefully this campaign will educate AD Alleva on the strong ties and admiration between this school and the band.

For those that want to email the athletic department, the Chancellor, and Coach Miles, here are their emails ...

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football@lsu.edu; vausbe1@lsu.edu; vincent@lsu.edu; athletics@lsu.edu; alleva@lsu.edu; mvm@lsu.edu; lem042@lsu.edu

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It is estimated that it would cost about $50,000 to send the pep band to Seattle. Many fans have volunteered to donate $100 to this cause. If we got 500 fans donating $100, that would cover a great majority, if not all, of the costs associated with sending a pep band to Seattle (or if all 10,000 LSU fans going to Seattle put up $5 each that would cover it). All we need now is a website to begin accepting donations. If anyone knows how to create such a website, please jump into this conversation. If the LSU Athletic Department will not budget this in as they should have from the beginning, we the fans will make every effort to get a pep band to Seattle. We may or may not be successful, but at least we will give it a shot.



Additional resources:

Official 2008 LSU Athletic Department Financials: Feb 2009 ($4 million surplus, See page 15)

LSU: $84 Million in Revenues

LSU's spending habits, per Skip Bertman

LSU's revenue sources, per Skip Bertman

The Reveille: LSU Athletics recession-proof?

$7 million for new video boards campus-wide

Alleva: LSU Athletics financially strong

Alleva committed to improving facilities for minor sports

Alleva: LSU sets record for home attendance (all sports)

LSU AD and TAF Audits