NUMB Rumor

[TXnumbCAT]

A guy on another website claims the new stadium won't have a NUMB pre-game show:

Ryan Field Presale Tickets | Inside NU

Looks like tickets are starting to get more reasonable - below were in the $125 range. "It’s finally here. To celebrate the opening of Ryan Field, we're excited to share an exclusive pre-sale window for Northwestern Athletics supporters like you to purchase tickets for the first game at the...

www.insidenu.com

Part of the theory is that game day operations are being run by a company that's private-equity-owned, and they want to maximize Jumbotron ads instead of letting the band do the pregame show.

Does anyone know what's going on, or what the plan is?

 

[its_the_sauce]

Can't answer your question but I did make the mistake of reading the comments thread. That's 5 minutes of my life I'll never get back.

 

[TXnumbCAT]

Can't answer your question but I did make the mistake of reading the comments thread. That's 5 minutes of my life I'll never get back.

Internet message boards, right?

 

[hdhntr1]

A guy on another website claims the new stadium won't have a NUMB pre-game show:

Ryan Field Presale Tickets | Inside NU

Looks like tickets are starting to get more reasonable - below were in the $125 range. "It’s finally here. To celebrate the opening of Ryan Field, we're excited to share an exclusive pre-sale window for Northwestern Athletics supporters like you to purchase tickets for the first game at the...

www.insidenu.com

Part of the theory is that game day operations are being run by a company that's private-equity-owned, and they want to maximize Jumbotron ads instead of letting the band do the pregame show.

Does anyone know what's going on, or what the plan is?

An ex NUMB guy told me that as well, Supposedly noise restrictions??? but it seemed to be more like it is about trying to sell ads on the video boards

 

[Eurocat]

I think it would be cool to have a DJ at the games. Not as a NUMB replacement but "add on".

Like at Army for example.

 

[TXnumbCAT]

An ex NUMB guy told me that as well, Supposedly noise restrictions??? but it seemed to be more like it is about trying to sell ads on the video boards

Noise restrictions don't sound like a plausible reason.

1) The noise will be less than at the old stadium

2) NUMB is smaller and not that loud any more

3) Why would they be allowed to play at halftime then?

 

[TXnumbCAT]

I think it would be cool to have a DJ at the games. Not as a NUMB replacement but "add on".

Like at Army for example.

They've had a DJ in the stands for maybe a decade now.

 

[CoralSpringsCat]

I think it would be cool to have a DJ at the games. Not as a NUMB replacement but "add on".

Like at Army for example.

C’mon Euro.

Sadly Longtime NU DJ, DJ Commando, pased away in December. Not sure of his replacement. I do know there was onefor the first game vs. SDSU.

 

[hdhntr1]

Noise restrictions don't sound like a plausible reason.

1) The noise will be less than at the old stadium

2) NUMB is smaller and not that loud any more

3) Why would they be allowed to play at halftime then?

Again sounds more likely that they are trying to sell the adds. The NUMB guys are some of the more loyal FB fans. When you take them and limit their opportunities like this gotta imagine that it becomes less and less of a reason to volunteer and gotta imagine that fewer and fewer are willing to do it going forward,

 

[Fanaticat98]

The NUMB pregame is the biggest part of their tradition. This would be a big loss. I wonder are they still going to have a dedicated place outside to play the pregame warmup?

I agree this might affect their participation. It’s a big time commitment and if you’re only marching halftime it may seem less worthwhile.

 

[TXnumbCAT]

I’m a NUMBALUMS and I will absolutely tell the ticket office and anybody who will listen that I am canceling my season tickets after this year if they kill the NUMB pregame show.

they might not care in this new era, but it would be a slap in the face to everybody who supported the team during some of the dark era years.

 

[prez77]

I’m a NUMBALUMS and I will absolutely tell the ticket office and anybody who will listen that I am canceling my season tickets after this year if they kill the NUMB pregame show.

they might not care in this new era, but it would be a slap in the face to everybody who supported the team during some of the dark era years.

Totally agree

 

[JustGary]

Just to give a different perspective, maybe for the first game in a new stadium they have something in mind at the start. Does not having the pre show canceled for Penn State is just a one off. I would think they would have a ceremony specifically for the grand opening. I’m going to give them the benefit of the doubt, but if they just stop having them at all games, I’ll b1tch about it too.

 

[TXnumbCAT]

There was a comment from the owner of the NUMBALUM Facebook page that said hopefully this will get worked out in future years, so it doesn’t sound like a first game issue.

 

[CoralSpringsCat]

There was a comment from the owner of the NUMBALUM Facebook page that said hopefully this will get worked out in future years, so it doesn’t sound like a first game issue.

What percentage of B1G Ten schools have on-field pre-game band performances? I’m assuming this is fairly common and not unique to NU.

 

[jne381]

If this is the case, it will be another casualty of modern college football, and I don't like it at all.

 

[NJCat]

What percentage of B1G Ten schools have on-field pre-game band performances? I’m assuming this is fairly common and not unique to NU.

Probably the most famous is in Columbus where they perform script Ohio. Greatest marching band routine of all time.

 

[hdhntr1]

Noise restrictions don't sound like a plausible reason.

1) The noise will be less than at the old stadium

2) NUMB is smaller and not that loud any more

3) Why would they be allowed to play at halftime then?

The noise restrictions sounded like BS as what is the difference at half time, It was what the were supposedly saying but the guess is that it was really about selling additional ads without the competition

 

[TXnumbCAT]

Gemini AI claims every FBS school has a pre-game marching band show.

 

[CoralSpringsCat]

Gemini AI claims every FBS school has a pre-game marching band show.

I really have a hard time believing the band won’t be on the field for pre-game. Literally ever school (high school and college) has the home team run out through the band when they take field. NU can’t be that dumb, can they?

 

[Sheffielder]

I'm filing this under: "I'll be mad when it does/does not happen, but spending no emotional points on it until then."

 

[Fanaticat98]

Noise explanation is laughable. NUMB at noon is going to be nothing compared to Nine Inch Nails at nine PM (band only chosen for alliteration purposes).

 

[Medill '03]

What percentage of B1G Ten schools have on-field pre-game band performances? I’m assuming this is fairly common and not unique to NU.

I've never seen a regular-season college football game without a pregame show by the band.

 

[Medill '03]

A guy on another website claims the new stadium won't have a NUMB pre-game show:

Ryan Field Presale Tickets | Inside NU

Looks like tickets are starting to get more reasonable - below were in the $125 range. "It’s finally here. To celebrate the opening of Ryan Field, we're excited to share an exclusive pre-sale window for Northwestern Athletics supporters like you to purchase tickets for the first game at the...

www.insidenu.com

Part of the theory is that game day operations are being run by a company that's private-equity-owned, and they want to maximize Jumbotron ads instead of letting the band do the pregame show.

Does anyone know what's going on, or what the plan is?

I'm having a hard time understanding how this could be true. But several factors do contribute to major possible changes:

1. This is only the second year for the new director of bands after the retirement of Mallory Thompson.
2. The director of athletic bands is brand new after the retirement of Dan Farris.
3. NU is opening the most epic new stadium in decades of college football.
4. NUMB continues to shrink, and I don't know of any viable plan to restore its numbers to a respectable level.
5. NUMB has long since moved from the music department to the athletic department.

So while my experience of marching bands and college football tells me it's impossible NU would make this move, I'm afraid some evidence may point to a bigger problem. If NU is killing the pregame show, I actually wonder if NUMB will even be viable on the field at all after this year. I know I wouldn't sign up for all that time to do so little, compared to other collegiate bands.

 

[Secho99]

There was a comment from the owner of the NUMBALUM Facebook page that said hopefully this will get worked out in future years, so it doesn’t sound like a first game issue.

That comment specifically said the NUMBALUMS won’t be participating in pregame at Homecoming, that didn’t seem to be a comment about the band itself. Not that this all couldn’t be true, just that comment didn’t seem to be addressing anything connected to the current band.