No sooner had the Aggie football team defeated Northern Iowa in a home game Dec. 1 — which was UC Davis' first time hosting a Football Championship Subdivision playoff game — than the Cal Aggie Marching Band-uh! declared: "Road trip!" As in, going to Eastern Washington University for the Aggies' next playoff game, Dec. 8.
The band raised $18,000 in three days (special thanks to members of the Cal Aggie Marching Band Alumni Association as major contributors) and the road trip was on — 54 Band-uh! members and the director, 800 miles by bus to Cheney, Washington, where the Aggies and the Eagles and the band played in temperatures in the upper 20s. The Band-uh! took to the frozen field for a halftime show, performing songs from The Incredibles, arranged by Sydney Bonnell, graduating student director.
Josh Garcia, band director, described the road trip as "incredible" — and that was before he told Dateline the theme of the halftime show.
Twitter: ‘The best band in the country ... no doubt’
Athletics Director @kevinablue: .@CalAggieBanduh removing any doubt that they are the best band in the country. Thank you for making the 1600-mile round trip trek to support @UCDfootball today! So grateful for your support! [Click for link.]
Push-Up Squad
The Band-uh! brought so much Aggie spirit to the game that the band members even got Chancellor Gary May and LeShelle May to join the Push-Up Squad, as seen in this video on Facebook, doing push-ups for every point scored. Read Dateline's report on the game.
After the game
Twitter: ‘It’s been a great ride. … Thank you to our fans’
@UCDfootball: It’s been a great ride. Thank you @UCDfootball fans for being here to see our incredible journey through our 100th season and to our first-ever FCS playoff run. Forever, #GoAgs [Click for link.]
Twitter: ‘You can’t ask for a better group of brothers’
@keelandoss: Regardless of the result tonight, this year has been one to remember and I honestly can’t put into words what this team means to me! You can’t ask for a better group of brothers! Preciate everyone’s support along the way as well and this is just the beginning for Aggie football. [Click for link.]
Twitter: Big Sky congratulates the conference champs
@BigSkyFB: Thank you @UCDfootball for such an incredible season. We are proud of you! #BigSkyFB [Click for link]