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Alumni Football is the practice of playing American Football on behalf of your old alma mater.
AlumniFootballUSA.com
Alumni football has been around for decades. While there have been a few high schools that have done an alumni football game, there have been several companies that have come and gone attempting to do alumni football games as a business. The first and only one that is still in business, Alumni Football USA, did their first game in 1984 and has done over 1300 games as of November 2024. Dr. R. L. "Bob" Cazet, President and Founder of Alumni Football USA, was the first person to see the potential of full-contact alumni football as a business. In 1984, encouraged by his high school coach, 3-time All-Pro Charlie Toogood, who was a two-way starter for the 1950 NFL World Champion Los Angeles Rams, Bob promoted, developed, and put on a game at his alma mater, St. Helena High School. It was estimated that over 3,000 people showed up at the game, where over 80 former Saints played against each other. Several of Bob's St. Mary's College buddies he played football with at SMC were at the game and pushed Bob to do their games. Slowly, Alumni Football began to spread. Once 400-500 games had been done, Hollywood began to call. Producers from LA to NY began to call and set up meetings for a "reality show." After several meetings with everyone from Disney execs, to the top two guys at Universal Fox, and others, it was decided no one thought it was serious. Many wanted to simply make fun of "older" guys who wanted to get on the field and play American football. Alumni Football USA walked away. It was the best decision. Alumni Football USA is a grassroots organization and will remain so. Over 1,000,000 young men will graduate from high school each year and never play football again. Alumni Football USA..."You Better Get Ready!", "Crunchtime is Back!"
Starting in 2008, Alumni Football USA began spreading Alumni football games across the United States. Since 1984 Alumni Football USA has done over 1300 Alumni football games in 32 states, from Hawaii to New York, raising over $3,000,000 for schools and charities nationwide.
There are usually two different types of alumni football. There is flag football and full contact football.
Alumni football is a modern-day revival of sorts. It has a value far beyond the game itself. It allows players to reconnect with their football roots and brings teammates across the decades together on one team. Communities are brought together through this fun and exciting venue. Much-needed funds are raised for the specific and needs of each unique community.
There is some legal discussion on whether schools are able to issue school gear to non-students. There are two main issues at debate.
Alumni Football USA owns 1200+ sets of football equipment. They are stationed in several areas of the country from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to Nashville, Tennessee, to Chicago, Illinois, to Dallas, Texas, and Santa Rosa, California. There are 8 trailers with between 120 and 300 sets of gear in each depending on necessity. All equipment is new to as old as 7 years. All gear is purchased new, and they are the largest owner and purchaser of football related equipment in the world.
Punahou School is a private, co-educational, college preparatory school for both boys and girls in Honolulu, Hawaii. More than 3,700 students attend the school from kindergarten through 12th grade. The school was established by Protestant missionaries in 1841.
Homecoming is the tradition of welcoming back alumni or other former members of an organization to celebrate the organization's existence. It is a tradition in many high schools, colleges, and churches in the United States and Canada.
The Dartmouth College Marching Band is an organization of Dartmouth College. There are a little under 60 members.
Washington High School, commonly referred to as Massillon High School or Massillon Washington High School, is a 9th to 12th grade secondary school within the Massillon City School District in the city of Massillon, Ohio.
"Illinois Loyalty", also known as "We're Loyal to You, Illinois" or just "Loyalty", is a song associated with the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. It is the school's alma mater. It is also used as the school's fight song.
Formed in 1845, the Holy Cross Goodtime Marching Band is one of the oldest organizations at The College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts, USA, and one of the oldest college bands in the United States. The Crusaders Marching Band first began performing at football games in 1910 and the band's role has expanded significantly since to include other athletic appearances, performing at all home football games, selected away games, in exhibition at high school band competitions, and at various events throughout the country. In the spring, the marching band converts into the Holy Cross Crusader Pep Band and plays at all home basketball games, and travels with the teams to the NCAA tournament. The Marching Band performs at Fitton Field while the Pep Band plays in the Hart Center.
The Cornell Big Red Marching Band is the only corps style marching band in the Ivy League. It performs at all home, and most away, Cornell Big Red football games. In addition, the band has performed at halftime for numerous National Football League and Canadian Football League games, and began a tradition of an annual Spring Concert in 2006. Since 1972, the band has held a bi-annual march in New York City which takes place on dates when the Cornell football team travels to Columbia, known as the Sy Katz '31 Parade.
The Northwestern University Wildcat Marching Band (NUMB) is the marching band at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. The ensemble performs at all home football games and periodically makes appearances at events in the Chicago area. The band also performs at any postseason football games and one "away trip" per season, typically a Big Ten Conference game in the later half of the season.
The Hawkeye Marching Band is the marching band for the University of Iowa. The band performs at all home Hawkeye football games at Kinnick Stadium in addition to other events. It is the largest and most visible musical ensemble at the university. The band was founded in 1881 as a military band, giving membership to both music students and members of the military. In 1990, the band was awarded the Louis Sudler Intercollegiate Marching Band Trophy, generally considered to be the most prestigious honor a collegiate marching band can receive.
The Southern Miss Golden Eagles football program represents the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. They play college football in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision. The Eagles are currently members of the Sun Belt Conference and play their home games at M. M. Roberts Stadium in Hattiesburg, Mississippi.
The Kansas State University Marching Band, also known as "The Pride of Wildcat Land" or just The Pride, is a 375 piece marching band consisting of woodwinds, brass, percussion, color guard, dancers, and twirlers. It is the official band of Kansas State University.
The University of Florida Fightin' Gator Marching Band, also known as The Pride of the Sunshine, is the official marching band for the University of Florida. The current era of the band is also referred to as The Sound of the Gator Nation. They perform at every Florida Gators home football game at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium and also at various other events such as pep rallies, parades, and the annual Orange and Blue spring scrimmage game. A full band usually travels to two away games a year while at other games a small/medium-sized pep band will attend. Members of the Gator Band, as well as other University of Florida students, are encouraged to join other ensembles such as concert band, jazz band, basketball band, and volleyball band. The twirlers for the Gator Band are referred to as the Gatorettes and the color guard is called the Florida Visual Ensemble.
Justin F. Kimball High School is a public secondary school in the Oak Cliff area of Dallas, Texas, United States. It enrolls students in grades 9–12, and is a part of the Dallas Independent School District. The school is named in honor of Justin Ford Kimball, a prominent citizen of Dallas, Texas, former school superintendent, and founder of a predecessor of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. In 2015, the school was rated "Met Standard" by the Texas Education Agency.
The Herd of Thunder is the name for the athletic bands of the University of South Florida, which includes the show band, "Rumble" pep band, and marching band ensembles, although it is often used to refer simply to the Marching Band. The Herd of Thunder was founded in 1999, two years after USF fielded its first football team.
The Georgia Tech Yellow Jacket Marching Band is the official marching band of the Georgia Institute of Technology. Founded in 1908 by a group of 14 students, the Georgia Tech Band is one of the school's oldest student organizations.
The Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders are the men's and women's athletic teams at Middle Tennessee State University, in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. MT athletic teams participate in NCAA Division I in Conference USA. MT competed in the Ohio Valley Conference until 2000, and the Sun Belt Conference until 2013.
Blane Keith Gaison is a former professional American football player. He played in the National Football League (NFL), with the Atlanta Falcons from 1981 to 1985. As a defensive back, he played at both the safety and cornerback positions.
The traditions of Washington & Jefferson College are a key aspect of the culture of Washington & Jefferson College. One of the oldest traditions at Washington & Jefferson College were the "Freshman Rules", a system of rules and restrictions on freshmen. Failure by freshmen to follow these rules would subject them to beatings by upperclassmen or other punishments doled out by the "Freshman Court". During the 1870s and 1880s, the students engaged in organized athletic competitions, pitting the freshman versus sophomore classes in the "Olympic Games" that involved elaborate opening ceremonies and the smoking of a Pipe of Peace." Another form of physical contest between the freshman and sophomore classes were the annual "color rush," where the teams fought over control over strips of fabric, the "pole rush," where the teams battled to raise a flag up a flagpole, and the "cane rush" where the teams fought over control over a ceremonial cane. These contests generally devolved into outright gang violence.
The National Operating Committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment is a nonprofit standards organization which develops standards for the manufacture of certain protective athletic equipment in the sports of baseball, football, hockey, lacrosse, and polo. NOCSAE conducts and funds scientific research and collects and analyzes data relating to standards development.
The Bearkat Marching Band, also known as The Famous Bearkat Band or the BMB, is the marching band at Sam Houston State University. The band was founded in 1910 under the direction of C.W. Feuge, and is currently directed by Brian Gibbs. The band appears at Sam Houston football and basketball home games, as well as at pep rallies, the annual Battle of the Piney Woods in Houston, and occasionally at in-state away games.
