You and many other Badger fans have fond memories of the UW Marching Band performing Fifth Quarter favorites like “Varsity,” “On Wisconsin” and “The Chicken Dance” at football games, win or lose. They would love to be at every Badger away-game to root for the red and white. But unfortunately, a restricted budget does not allow the marching band to travel to every game.

Traditionally, the marching band attends one Big Ten away-game each season, two if nearby teams like Northwestern or Minnesota are on the schedule. If their travel requires an overnight stay, the band usually performs at a local high school the night before the game. Members of the UW Marching Band are hosted on Friday night by parents of local high school band students and spend Saturday night at a hotel.

Since the band is technically part of the School of Music, the university provides funding for essentials like uniforms and new instruments. However, the band relies heavily on its endowment fund and annual Spring Concert to provide resources for away-game performances.