Texas Big 12 Schools Charging Marching Bands Admission To Games
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DALLAS (1080 KRLD) - Just saying "I"m with the band" won't get you in the door anymore. Texas's Big 12 universities are now charging the bands entrance to football games.
Reports first surfaced of Texas Tech having to pay $60,000 to bring members of its Goin' band to UT for the game against the Longhorns this year. But it's a gentlemen's agreement between UT, Tech, Baylor, and TCU to now charge each others' bands admission when the teams play.
The decision was made in July by business advisers at all four schools.
"It's mostly for business reasons, just a more uniform way of doing things across the board," says Robert Giovannetti with Texas Tech athletics.
In the past, Tech has charged other schools' bands admission when they come to play, and have been charged when they play elsewhere across the country.
"Any other school comes down here and is prepared for that, is aware," Giovannetti says. "The decision for Texas schools to charge each other is only catching up with what already happens for other schools."
Tech's band members will not have to pay out of pocket to perform in Austin. The athletics office and president's office will foot the bill to get them down for the game in November.
"It's a big investment, but we're the Goin' Band," says Giovannetti. "We want our band there. We're proud of them and want them to be heard, and we're going to do that as often as we can."
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