It’s another sold-out competition at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City. The women’s basketball team calls a timeout, giving the Hawkeyes a precious 30 seconds to regroup, rehydrate, and restrategize. While the women’s team has a few seconds off the court, Iowa’s pep band heightens the intensity inside an already electric venue by launching into a rendition of Chappell Roan’s “HOT TO GO!”
Now, equipment ranging from brass instruments to a drum set is on full display as the musicians continue to perform, keeping the energy up until play resumes. For years, the band’s presence has made itself known in the stands behind the basket, but now such numbers are diminished.
The pep band historically sat in sections G, H, and I of Carver but are now confined to only section H. Eric Bush, director of the Hawkeye Marching Band, wrote in an email to The Daily Iowan that while the band didn’t have to cut down on members, the number of people who attend each game is now limited.
Bush said the Iowa Athletics Department informed the band of the change just prior to the start of Iowa basketball’s seasons, which began with the women’s team’s season-opener on Nov. 3.
The band’s seating is part of an overall shift to Carver. A new student section was installed behind one of the baskets to provide baseline access and a more intimate experience for fans. The department said in a statement to The Daily Iowan that the band’s seating changed to accommodate those alterations.
“The pep band remains an important part of the gameday experience, and its presence continues to be a priority for us,” the statement read. “While the size of the band isn’t necessarily limited, we wanted to ensure that we maintained strong fan engagement by allowing sections of students on each side of the band to keep the energy high throughout the arena.”
Students and faculty associated with the program have expressed a range of emotions related to the changes. In Bush’s eyes, band members are disheartened by the change.
“This change, of course, translates into students attending fewer total games this season,” Bush said. “My perception is that they are somewhat disappointed by the change, especially given that they have seen many empty seats in the other sections where they have been seated in the past.
Students involved in the Iowa pep band include second-year mellophone player Ethyn Tallman. He explained how prior to the changes, band members could pick and choose which games to perform at. Now, members don’t have the same flexibility.
“Not being able to just show up and play, I’m kind of inconvenienced,” he said. “If there’s a game I really want to go to, but I’m not scheduled for it, I have to go out of my way to buy a ticket.”
Tallman believes the changes were made to encourage more student attendance for events such as men’s basketball games, but it would be too premature to evaluate effectiveness.
“The nonconference games, you’re never getting full crowds for that, especially when you’re playing Robert Morris, Western Illinois,” Tallman said. “I would hope that the energy is higher than it has been, attendance is better than it has been, but at this point, it’s just too early for me to really say anything for sure.”
Third-year Xavier Vongphakdy, who is in his second year as an electric bass player for the band, said despite opposition from those involved with the band, the athletic department holds final sway.
“They’re the ones that kind of own Carver, where basketball games [are] played,” Vongphakdy said. “As much as the band tried to advocate and tried to stop this, we can’t. In my opinion, I don’t really like it.”
For band members like Vongphakdy and others, the path forward is hoping that more cuts aren’t made in the future.
“The pep band is important,” Vongphakdy said. “We’re the ones that play the fight song when the players come in, and we play a lot of stuff as tradition. Hopefully this just stays where it is, and hopefully athletics doesn’t change anything more.”