Marching Mizzou is becoming more competitive
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Nicknamed the “Big ‘M’ of the Midwest." Photo: Courtesy of the Marching Mizzou Media Team
Blare your school's fight song — college football is back, and with it comes the pageantry, spectacle and sound of the marching band.
The big picture: Marching bands are known for snappy songs and viral formations, but outside of performances is a world of competitive auditions, international travel and growing media presence.
- I spoke with Marching Mizzou director Amy Knopps about what it takes to field an SEC-caliber ensemble.
Disclosure: I was a member of Marching Mizzou and performed under Knopps for one season.
Zoom in: Mizzou's marching band could be 600 strong — if there were room to fit that many on the field.
- Knopps, who took over a band of 245 members in 2017, says she has to cap numbers at 350 and typically has to waitlist or decline 250 auditioners.
- And it's getting more competitive. New members now have to re-audition every year.
What they're saying: "We want equity across the ensemble," Knopps tells Axios, adding that re-auditioning "keeps people sharp."
- She wants the band to lead nationally in performance quality and also creativity — including marching with robots and drones.
By the numbers: Marching Mizzou has been around for 141 years — more than four decades longer than the school's stadium.
- The band fills eight charter buses.
Zoom out: Making the band is about more than game-day shows. Marching Mizzou traveled to London over the summer, took part in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in 2022 and visited Ireland in 2024.
- And marching bands are increasingly establishing media teams — employees and students dedicated to capturing and sharing the action to increase exposure.
What's next: The band's first halftime performance is Thursday, featuring Sheryl Crow tunes and a nod to the 20th anniversary of the movie "Cars."
The bottom line: The band does a lot, but it's ultimately "the soundtrack to the university," Knopps says.
Editor's note: This story has been corrected to show Knopps took over in 2017 (not 2014).