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News Release

Last modified: Wednesday, January 31, 2007

Strike the pose! IU Marching Hundred named top college band

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Jan. 31, 2007

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- The Indiana University Marching Hundred has been named the recipient of the 2007 Sudler Intercollegiate Marching Band Trophy, the nation's highest and most coveted award for college and university marching bands.

The award is often called the "Heisman Trophy" for college marching bands.

"No marching band will ever earn this award without many, many people being aware of the quality and traditions of the group," said Stephen W. Pratt, director of bands at the IU Jacobs School of Music. "The fact that the Marching Hundred has earned this trophy is a tribute to all involved and indicates recognition of the quality of the group on a national level."

The Sudler Trophy is voted on annually by all Bowl Championship Series (formerly Division I) band directors. Since its inception in 1982, it has been given to a college or university marching band that has demonstrated excellence in marching routines and musical standards, and has made important contributions to the advancement of performance standards of marching bands over a number of years. No school can be honored with the award twice.

The announcement of the award was made last month during the Midwest International Band and Orchestra Clinic in Chicago. Administered by the John Philip Sousa Foundation, the award is named for the late Louis Sudler, a Chicago businessman, performing artist and arts patron, who had an active interest in both bands and band music.

"The trophy salutes 110 years of excellence, from the first 22-member band in 1896, to the current group of 250," said Dave Woodley, director of athletic bands at IU. "We are very proud to have been awarded this wonderful trophy and equally honored our colleagues in the band world think so highly of our ensemble."

The Sudler Trophy was designed by the distinguished artist Ed Blackwell and was executed by Dieges and Clust, who also produce the Heisman Trophy. Consisting of a bronze drum major astride a football stadium and mounted on a marble base, the trophy stands 22.5 inches high, the length of a typical marching band step. The award also consists of a personalized certificate for each member of the band, a plaque for the school and additional plaques for the incumbent director and each of the former marching band directors.

The traveling trophy will be presented at an awards ceremony during halftime of IU's Homecoming football game against Penn State in October. The trophy will remain with the Marching Hundred for one year.

For more on the Marching Hundred, including video and audio of the band performing, go to https://www.indiana.edu/~bands/index.php.

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