Due to budget cuts, Clemson University’s band will no longer travel to away games that require air travel. At last weekend’s game against Cal Berkeley, Clemson celebrated its victory by singing the school song to along with a speaker on the sideline.
According to Essentially Sports, the band is also expected to be absent at this weekend’s game against Syracuse.
The athletics department can no longer cover the travel costs for the band, which would include airfare, hotel rooms and baggage fees to accommodate the uniforms and instruments. Trips that can be made by bus may still allow for the band to travel.
Previously, the Tiger band’s annual travel budget was $150,000 for the whole season, enough for regional trips, but with the ACC's expansion to Cal, Stanford and SMU, including the band for away games would have doubled the budget to an approximate total of $300,000.
Those close to the situation reported that the university initially offered a compromise with the band, attempting to cover part of the season’s travel costs if the band could self-fund the remaining cost through fundraisers and individual payments. That is the financial setup currently used for Clemson’s dance and cheer teams, which did travel to California.
At this time, the band is expected to make the regional trip to Florida State and Duke later in the season, and band director Dr. Mark Spede assured fans and students that relations remain positive between the band and the athletics department. It is likely that postseason travel would be funded for the band, including the ACC Championship game and any bowl appearances the team may qualify to play in.
