When No. 1 Alabama travels to the heart of Texas to take on the No. 22 Longhorns on Saturday, it will be without its backing band.
The Million Dollar Band, the team’s marching band, did not travel to Austin for the game. Alabama said in a statement to the Tuscaloosa News earlier this week that the band would not attend the game.
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“Due to the seating location and configuration of the visiting institution’s ticket allotment at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium, the Million Dollar Band will not make the trip this weekend for the Alabama at Texas football game,” the university said.
This is first time since the COVID-19-altered 2020 season that the band hasn’t traveled with the football team.
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According to the Tuscaloosa News, Alabama and Texas agreed in their 2018 deal to play a home-and-home series that the visiting team’s marching band seats would come from the visiting team’s ticket allotment.
Per the contract, the visiting team receives 500 complimentary tickets and can request an additional 4,500 tickets on their fans’ behalf.
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The Million Dollar band, which has been a staple of Alabama sporting events for over a century, has 400 members, per its official website.
This isn’t the first time a road team’s marching band has had difficulties with seating at Darrell K. Royal Stadium. The Tuscaloosa News noted that in 2019, LSU’s band was seated high in the stands. That arrangement led to frustration on social media.
Look where Texas put LSU’s band. That ain’t right. pic.twitter.com/9ZTvgsNZAG
— Seth Lewis (@SethLewisInc) September 7, 2019
Alabama and Texas kick off at noon ET on Saturday.