Since it's the offseason, and i have to give props to the Band Geeks of the Sunbelt Conference. Where would you rank each Sunbelt Conference members Marching Bands? How many members do y'all currently have, and what would make y'all Marching Band better?
I'll take a shot even though I haven't seen all Sunbelt members Marching band, so I might be a little off

1.Troy
2.TxSt.
3.Louisiana
4. Ark St.
5. App St.
6. GaSo
7. GSU
8. S.Alabama
9. Coastal
10. ULM

250 members for Louisiana, and to me play more modern music. Need more brass but think we need to have more game day traditions. We have a new band director that came from Univ. of Texas so hopefully improves things.

UTA actually has a great marching band that wins a lot of awards and competitions. Of course, I wouldn't expect anyone here to know that, but we are pretty good.

USA is not #8. It's hard for anyone to beat Troy. They have great players and the right instrumentation for the types of bands I love with big sound. I think USA needs a little more brass, particularly more tubas and low brass. That's what gives you a big sound -- when you have a big, quality low brass section to build the pyramid of sound. It's all built on the low brass, which should be the biggest part of the pyramid. I think USA might actually be limiting mellaphones this year, wanting those players to go back to trumpet. I'm not sure for certain though.

I've heard USA, Troy, GSU, TXST, and Louisiana and from what I have seen Louisiana isn't even third in this group, much less the entire conference. I was actually a bit disappointed by the Cajun Band to be honest, but I won't fully judge by one observation. I always kinda chuckle to myself at the Cajun cheer that sounds like "Mama's little baby loves shortenin', shortenin'. Mama's little baby loves shoternin' bread." What are the words that go with that music? Haha

Hello fellow band geeks, I haven't seen everyone's band perform so I can't give a fair ranking but knowing what I know about Troy and the rest of the Alabama schools music programs, I'm going to have to put Troy at #1 followed by USA and then everyone else.

Quick info on The Southern Pride Marching Band:



Georgia Normal School and South Georgia Teachers College sponsored a military band up until WWII. Afterward, Georgia Southern didn't have a campus marching band until football was restarted in the early 80's. The current rendition named "The Southern Pride Marching Band" celebrates its 35th anniversary this year. 275 members strong and the one thing that would make them better is money. SPMB is underfunded and can only afford to travel to one game this year and that's to App state.

GS's band isn't as good as Troys, is better than Georgia State's, and about the same as App State's. That's about all I know.

Our band needs to be bigger and I've heard they are working on that. They hired a new band director last year and he did a great job.

Here is a video of our pregame

Troy not only has the best band but certainly the rowdiest-when the Trojans were kicking our @$$ in 2008 down in Troy, I can't begin to tell you how absolutely agitated I was by-of all people-the band members (especially when they threw stuff at myself and the team after the game ended)

Never held it against them and if anything that's why I rank them uber high on the list

Now if we're talking "pep bands" call me a homer but I would definitely put astate's up against anyone's any day of the week-I wish our marching band had the energy and charisma of our pep band

(07-22-2017 02:39 PM)RamblinRedWolf Wrote:  Troy not only has the best band but certainly the rowdiest-when the Trojans were kicking our @$$ in 2008 down in Troy, I can't begin to tell you how absolutely agitated I was by-of all people-the band members (especially when they threw stuff at myself and the team after the game ended)

Never held it against them and if anything that's why I rank them uber high on the list

In most cases the band members are some of the best, most diehard fans because they attend every game rain or shine.

Troy is definitely #1. I would actually put South Alabama #2. Then Georgia Southern #3.

5 is too high for App. In year's past maybe, but since Scott Tobias moved on (WVA) things have been going downhill. From what I've seen Troy is easily #1 in the SB, but I'm not sure they're the best band in Alabama. It's also not those in Tuscaloosa or Auburn, but up the road in Jacksonville.

Georgia State has one of the better marching bands in the Sun Belt. For a program that is going into it's 8th year, they have already played at a Presidential Inauguration and the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. We joke over at Panther talk about how we wish the band's success would rub off on the football team. The band features a non-traditional rock band instead of a pit and marches corps style.

(07-22-2017 02:46 PM)AppManDG Wrote:  5 is too high for App. In year's past maybe, but since Scott Tobias moved on (WVA) things have been going downhill. From what I've seen Troy is easily #1 in the SB, but I'm not sure they're the best band in Alabama. It's also not those in Tuscaloosa or Auburn, but up the road in Jacksonville.

Alabama probably has the best band in the state. But I'd have to say that Troy is better than Auburn.

(07-22-2017 03:11 PM)CardinalBlackTrojan Wrote:  

(07-22-2017 02:46 PM)AppManDG Wrote:  5 is too high for App. In year's past maybe, but since Scott Tobias moved on (WVA) things have been going downhill. From what I've seen Troy is easily #1 in the SB, but I'm not sure they're the best band in Alabama. It's also not those in Tuscaloosa or Auburn, but up the road in Jacksonville.

Alabama probably has the best band in the state. But I'd have to say that Troy is better than Auburn.

Jacksonville State is overrated in my opinion. I've grown up watching them and my high school band director went there. JSU is less impressive when you find out they only perform one show a year (like a high school band). Any band could look polished and sound great if they had 6 months to perfect a show. College bands usually perform a new show at every home game or at least GS and the other bands I've seen do.

(07-22-2017 02:43 PM)CardinalBlackTrojan Wrote:  Troy is definitely #1. I would actually put South Alabama #2. Then Georgia Southern #3.

IDK Texas State is pretty good.

Haven't seen S. Alabama, GaSo but TxSt is up there





I know it would never happen, but actually do a band competition with all the Sunbelt schools, think it would be interesting, in fact whoever is hosting the Conference Championship Game could host the event the night before.

(07-22-2017 02:43 PM)CardinalBlackTrojan Wrote:  Troy is definitely #1. I would actually put South Alabama #2. Then Georgia Southern #3.

We have some current and former members of Southern Pride on our board who would appreciate this post (assuming that's your top 3 for the whole conference and not just those 3 bands, lol). Our band takes some flak from our fans, but honestly some of it is well deserved and isn't unique to our band.

IMO marching bands should be doing less classical and stuff from movies or musicals and do more popular and contemporary music even if directors don't think they have as much artistic merit. Let's face it, people would rather watch a mediocre high school band do YMCA and Who Let the Dogs Out than watch your average college band do Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat show.

You can say the same thing about HBCU marching bands. You can say they're out of tune and out of step or out of synch but people still like watching them more than traditional bands.

(07-22-2017 08:10 PM)EigenEagle Wrote:  

(07-22-2017 02:43 PM)CardinalBlackTrojan Wrote:  Troy is definitely #1. I would actually put South Alabama #2. Then Georgia Southern #3.

We have some current and former members of Southern Pride on our board who would appreciate this post (assuming that's your top 3 for the whole conference and not just those 3 bands, lol). Our band takes some flak from our fans, but honestly some of it is well deserved and isn't unique to our band.

IMO marching bands should be doing less classical and stuff from movies or musicals and do more popular and contemporary music even if directors don't think they have as much artistic merit. Let's face it, people would rather watch a mediocre high school band do YMCA and Who Let the Dogs Out than watch your average college band do Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat show.

You can say the same thing about HBCU marching bands. You can say they're out of tune and out of step or out of synch but people still like watching them more than traditional bands.

That's a reach. Hosting an HBCU is an exciting change of pace for college football fans but I can guarantee that football fans of big schools with big bands like Alabama, Ohio State, Michigan, Georgia, and even LSU would prefer their marching band over a high-stepping band.

Don't know anything about marching bands, meaning who is good or not, I just like them all. CFB isn't the same without them.

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1. Troy
2. Ga State
3. USA

And the rest however you wanna