Travel
Tennessee State Aristocrat of Bands football road game travel cut back over financial constraints
The Tennessee State University Aristocrat of Bands will not travel to the Tigers football game Saturday at Lindenwood or on Oct. 19 to Howard due to financial issues, according to a letter from the university posted on the band’s official Facebook page.
The band does not travel to all away football games but was scheduled to perform at these two.
The band performed at the Southern Heritage Classic in Memphis when TSU played Arkansas-Pine Bluff in September. The band was not scheduled to perform at the last two road games after Howard, according to a university source.
University leaders are dealing with job and budget cuts as a result of its dire economic situation. TSU Interim President Ronald A. Johnson said in a video statement earlier this week, “We find ourselves at a critical juncture where immediate action is required. We’re taking decisive action to address this urgent issue.”
The cost for the band to travel to Lindenwood near St. Louis and Howard in Washington D.C. would have been more than $150,000, according to the letter. TSU will serve as Howard’s homecoming opponent.
“We understand how much these performances mean to our community, and we sincerely apologize for any inconveniences this decision may have caused to those planning to attend those games, with hopes of seeing our beloved band in action during halftime. Unfortunately, due to circumstances beyond our control, it has been determined it is not financially prudent for the band to travel to Washington D.C. (Howard) or St. Charles MO. (Lindenwood),” according to the letter.
TSU has remaining road games at Western Illinois Nov. 9 in Macomb, Illinois, and Gardner-Webb Nov. 16 in Boiling Springs, North Carolina.
The 100-plus member band has been a big draw since its inception in 1946. Along with TSU football games the Aristocrats have performed at NFL games, presidential inaugurations and national parades. The Aristocrats became the first marching band to win a Grammy in 2023 for their album “The Urban Hymnal.”
Reach Mike Organ at 615-259-8021 or on X @MikeOrganWriter.
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