Each year, as summer turns to fall and students make their way back to the dorms, members of elite teams train for endless hours on grass fields to achieve ultimate success. Today, on the date of the College Football Playoff National Championship, months of hard work culminates in a dazzling display of determination, grit and skill.
Oh, you thought we were talking about football? While gridiron warriors deserve their due respect, We Seed America aims to highlight some of the unsung heroes of college football: the marching bands. Read on to learn more about the national title-contending musical units of the University of Alabama and Clemson University.
Can’t get enough of the marching bands? Follow the Million Dollar Band or Tiger Band on Twitter, and make sure to vote in the We Seed America Twitter poll to name your favorite band of the 2016 College Football Playoff National Championship.
University of Alabama Million Dollar Band
Formed in 1912, the “Million Dollar Band” of Tuscaloosa is quite used to the big stage. The University of Alabama has won an NCAA record 10 national championships, giving the band multiple opportunities to shine when it matters most. When the band is not playing the school’s fight song Yea Alabama, they are often performing epic half time shows on the natural grass of Bryant-Denny Stadium, which seats over 100,000 spectators. Check out a recent performance in the video below, as the Million Dollar Band filled up AT&T Stadium with dynamic sounds in front of a national audience.
Clemson University Tiger Band
Formerly a military university, Clemson opened up its doors to the public in 1955, and at that time formally introduced the Tiger Band. While Clemson is behind Alabama in terms of college football championships, the Tiger Band has nonetheless proven to be as formidable a unit as the Million Dollar Band. Between the spirited renditions of the school’s fight song, Tiger Rag, and some of the most unique formations of any band out there, the Tiger Band is ready to display its prowess on the big stage of the College Football Playoff National Championship. Watch below as the 2013 Tiger Band delivered its fabled “Video Game Show.”