With the Yale band not able to make it to the

• Kyle Bonagura, ESPN

  • Personnel WriterMar 23, 2024, 09:25 PM ET Close Covers the Pac-12.
  • Signed up with ESPN in 2014.
  • Participated In Washington State University.SPOKANE, Wash.– A week ago

, the concept that 29 members of the University of Idaho pep band would end up being dedicated supporters of the Yale Bulldogs men’s basketball team would have been too unbelievable to consider.Editor’s Picks 1 Related Yet, here they are.With Yale’s band unable to take a trip to Spokane today for the NCAA guys’s basketball tournament due to previous itinerary with the university on spring break, the Vandal Marching Band emerged from the bullpen. It is calling themselves the “Vandogs.”Idaho band director Spencer Martin found out of Yale’s predicament on Sunday, quickly after the field was revealed, and was asked if either the Idaho band could step in as

a temporary Yale band or if there was a high school band approximately the job. He immediately sent a message to members of his band, asking if there was interest in completing on Friday– and, in the unlikely event Yale beat the fourth-seeded Auburn Tigers, again on Sunday. The response was swift and definitive: Of course, the band wished to experience the tournament firsthand. Martin went to work on the instrumentation– identifying what mix

of instruments would be included– and other logistics such as what Yale sheet music required to be gotten and which customs would be advantageous to comprehend.” You have a spreadsheet of all your band members, and so when they’re limited, you actually have to type of overload on brass and percussion and things like that simply for sound power and things like that,”Martin informed ESPN. “It just exercised. We had a great variety of trumpets and trombones and tubas and percussion. Got some saxophones in there. You need to be selective, sadly, since if you could bring everybody, that ‘d be cool, but you can’t. “The band held one practice– Friday early morning at the Kibbie Dome– during which it practiced the Yale fight tune and tailored a few of its own song lyrics to represent Yale. Then it packed up the bus and made the 90-minute drive to Spokane, where

Idaho was acting as the site host. When the band members got here, they met the Yale spirit squad, which provided Yale shirts and equipment, and were escorted into the arena.It captured the Yale team off guard.”In our shootaround we didn’t have a band, we simply had our cheer team that flew with us,”Yale center Danny Wolf said.”[ Before the game began], I keep in mind seeking to my coaches and being very baffled as

to how we had a band all wearing very interesting Yale-branded equipment.” But for the University of Idaho to be gracious sufficient to come here and have the ability to play our battle tune to the best of their ability, I just appreciate that, and I think it goes without saying that– it was an extremely thoughtful thing they did, and we value it.”Idaho band members took the task seriously

. They asked the spirit squad for recommendations. They reached out to members of the Yale band through social media. And after that, as Yale stuck to Auburn late in the game, they were authentically some of the most excited Bulldogs fans in the structure.” It was incredible enjoying

them play,” stated Idaho college student Cody Barrick, who plays the tenor saxophone. “We were right on our feet with everybody else at the end there cheering them on for sure.”After the game, Yale coach James Jones acknowledged it made a distinction in the game.”Yeah, I saw them out there and they had their sheets, so they understood the music in regards to what to play. It was fantastic, “Jones said.”Having that atmosphere and the people coming out and support us, there’s absolutely nothing better than that, and we can’t value them more than to be Bulldog fans. And 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 which assisted a bit, too. “The”Vandogs “will be back in the structure Sunday for Yale’s round of 32 game against San Diego State, in which Yale will attempt to end up being the 2nd straight Ivy League team to reach the Sweet 16 following Princeton’s run in 2015. “We played Gonzaga earlier this year, and I think we put forward a pretty good effort against them,” Yale guard August Mahoney said.”

So I believe the Spokane community type of has rallied behind us a bit, and ideally they’re just as loud versus San Diego State.”