There already is a famous band known as Madness, but these musicians from the University of Idaho have gone one step beyond.
With Yale’s pep band unable to make the trip from Connecticut to Spokane, Washington, the Idaho marching band showed up as a replacement to support the Bulldogs in their upset win over No. 13 Auburn.
“I saw them out there and they had their sheets, so they knew the music in terms of what to play,” Yale coach James Jones said after the game. “It was great. Having that atmosphere and the people coming out and supporting us, there’s nothing better than that, and we can’t appreciate them more than to be Bulldog fans.
“A lot of times when you’re on the road and you’re the underdog, a lot of times the crowd goes in your favor and that helped a little bit tonight, too.”
UI band director Spencer Martin and the 29-member ensemble dressed in Yale gear and colors after accepting the request earlier in the week.
“It’s fun for the university, certainly for our students,” Martin told the Lewiston (Idaho) Tribune before the tournament started. “The Vandals are going Ivy League.”
Idaho, which plays in the Big Sky Conference and finished this season 11-21 overall, last made the NCAA Tournament in 1990.