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Marching Knights | |
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School | University of Central Florida |
Location | Orlando, Florida, United States |
Conference | Big 12 |
Founded | 1980 |
Director | Dr. Tremon Kizer |
Assistant Director | Mr. Dave Schreier |
Members | 416 |
Fight song | " Charge On " |
Website | ucfbands |
The Marching Knights (also known as The Pride of Central Florida) are the official marching band of The University of Central Florida in Orlando, Florida, USA. The Marching Knights are the largest and the most visible student organization at the University of Central Florida. They are known for their high-energy performances and unique drill designs. Their musical selections are also notable for including a variety of genres.
In 1979, the University of Central Florida fielded their first football team, [2] and subsequently created a marching band to support it. On July 1, 1980, Jerry Gardner was hired as the first director of what would become the UCF Marching Knights. With the help of the young Troy Driggers, who would become one of the first drum majors (along with Ken DeBord), Gardner poured through the file of every UCF student looking for those who had marching/band experience and invited them to join. All of their work paid off, as in the first year, the Marching Knights fielded 125 members.
On November 8, 1980, UCF's Homecoming, the Marching Knights performed their first halftime show. The show featured the selections: Triumph of the Titans, Sweet Georgia Brown, Crown Imperial, You are the Sunshine of My Life, and Love will Keep us Together.
In August 1982, the Marching Knights were jolted by the sudden death of Troy Diggers in a car accident. The 1983 season was dedicated to him, with the entire band wearing a pin on their uniform. To this day, the “Driggers’ Pin” is a part of the Marching Knights uniform. In 2014, the pin was changed from a black and gold ribbon to an actual pin, featuring the letters “MK” inside a Pegasus star for “Marching Knights” and is stamped with the letters “TD” for “Troy Driggers” on the back.
From 1991 to 1996, Richard Greenwood and Ron Ellis formed the Summer Knights. This was an “Ultra-hip, high-energy show band” consisting of 23 members of the Marching Knights that would tour high schools in Florida. This group of students were ambassadors of UCF and the music department.
Also in 1991, the Marching Knights Alumni Band Association was formed. Today, over 150 alumni return every year to perform with the Marching Knights during homecoming.
In 1996, the band was invited to perform for the 25th anniversary of Walt Disney World. After spending all night at the Magic Kingdom, the band performed in the “Remember the Magic” Parade.
The Marching Knights would travel internationally for the first time in 2003. The band, under the direction of Richard Greenwood and Ron Ellis, travelled to Sweden for the Eksjö International Tattoo Marching Band Festival, performing several times throughout their trip, as well as visiting many sites along the way.
In 2005, the 25th anniversary of the Marching Knights, the directors gathered around 40 members from 1986–2005 to record the first ever CD of the band: “UCF Marching Knights: Celebrating Twenty-Five Years of Music”. The album featured music from pre-game and UCF traditional cheers, like Go Knights Funk, the Chant, and the Fight Song. Three more albums have followed: Charge On (2013: Tobias/Schreier), Sounds of Gold (2015: Cumberledge/Schreier), and Live From Driggers Field (2018: Kizer/Schreier).
In 2007, the Marching Knights made their “Hollywood Debut” by performing in the movie “Sydney White”. They were in two scenes and performed their fight song. [3]
In 2009, at a Marching Knights rehearsal, Ron Ellis and then graduate assistants Dave Schreier and Jason Millhouse had a conversation on the field about naming the fight song. It only took two minutes before “Charge On” was chosen. The title was announced for the first time during pregame performances that year and has since become a staple in UCF vernacular. [4]
The Marching Knights have performed in several bowl games over the years but gained much notoriety after performances at New Years Six Bowl Games: 2014 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl, 2017 Chick-fil-a Peach Bowl, [5] and 2018 PlayStation Fiesta Bowl.
In 2013 and 2014, the Marching Knights were invited to perform as the house band for the ESPN College Football Awards Show, filmed live at Disney's Boardwalk. In 2014, The band returned at the Magic Kingdom for the first time since 1996 to perform for a special parade for the Fiesta Bowl Champions. This performance to the Magic Kingdom allowed the creation of a new partnership between Disney and the Marching Knights. This partnership began with an invitation to perform at an awards presentation for the 10th anniversary of Festival Disney, at the Lights, Motors, Action theatre at Disney's Hollywood Studios in April, 2014. UCF would again be honoured with a special parade following an undefeated football season, capped off with a Peach Bowl win in 2017. [6]
In 2017, in addition to an impressive undefeated season, a major bowl game, and a parade at Disney World, the Marching Knights inaugurated their own permanent building, cementing their place on campus.
In 2018, for the first time ever, ESPN College Game Day broadcast live from UCF on Memory Mall, and the Marching Knights were featured prominently throughout the broadcast. Following the Game Day broadcast was UCF's first National ABC Prime-time game, where the #11 Knights beat #24 Cincinnati, with plenty of opportunity for the Marching Knights to receive recognition on TV and Social Media as well.
The Marching Knights have persevered through the 2020 pandemic. With many precautions and mitigations, they were still able to have a season and perform in person. While the band was not allowed to move on the field, [7] the spirit of the Marching Knights was still upheld during the celebration of their 40th Anniversary [8] – including an online round-table featuring former drum majors, directors, Driggers’ award winners and other prominent alumni members.
In 1985, Mr. Gardner retired from directing the Marching Knights to focus on his health, and in 1986, Roger New-burn became the second Director. Since then, eight additional directors have led the Marching Knights:
Year | Name |
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1980-1986 | Mr. Jerry Gardner |
1986-1988 | Mr. Roger Newburn |
1988-2004 | Dr. Richard Greenwood |
1996-2010 | Mr. Ron Ellis |
2010-2013 | Dr. Donny Allen |
2013-2014 | Dr. Scott Tobias |
2014-2015 | Dr. Ryan Kelly |
2015-2016 | Dr. Jason Cumberledge |
2010–Present | Mr. Dave "Steve" Schreier |
2016–Present | Dr. Tremon Kizer |
"Memory Mall Flagpole Warm-up" - Every home game the UCF Drumline warms up and performs at one of the most popular spots to tailgate on campus, Memory Mall. They often perform is their signature cadence, " Mojo Knights " written by Jeff Moore.
"Circles" - Before the full band warm-up, each section circles up on their own in different spots in front of the Student Union to warm-up as a section. Every section has their own traditions during their warm-ups. For example, the trumpet section will do one of their warm-ups inside the Student Union.
"Union Warm-up" - The Marching Knights perform outside the Student Union right before they go and march to the Stadium. They will play a selection of warm-ups, halftime show music, and stands tunes. It ends with the UCF Fight Song "Charge On".
"March to Victory" - After the Marching Knights march their way through the tailgating at Memory Mall, they stop at Addition Financial Arena where they perform some school tunes for the tailgaters at Memory Mall. Following that performance, along with the UCF Spirit Squad and UCF mascot Knightro, they march to the stadium playing The Chant to hype up fans. [9]
"Pregame" - Twenty minutes before kick-off, the UCF Drum line and a Drum Major will take the field. Following the sword plant, the UCF Drum line will play the "Tunnel Cadence" as the rest of the band, led by the other two drum majors, run onto the field from the tunnels on opposite corners of the field. Once the band is on the field in a massive block formation, they will play the " Pregame Fanfare " to the west and east stands. Following this, the band plays the piece " Carmina Burana " which ends with the band forming the knight head shape and going in the UCF Fight Song "Charge On". The Marching Knights then play the UCF Alma Mater and the National Anthem. After that, the Marching Knights perform a series of different songs and forms including, UCF Spell out, The Chant, and the Knights Spell out. As the team runs out, the band will play the UCF Fight Song "Charge On" and then march off the field.
The Solid Gold Sound of the UCLA Bruin Marching Band represents the university at major athletic and extracurricular events. During the fall marching season, this 250-member band performs at the Rose Bowl for UCLA Bruin home football games. Pregame shows by the band aim to build crowd energy and enthusiasm with traditional UCLA songs like "Strike Up the Band for UCLA", "Bruin Warriors", and "The Mighty Bruins". Throughout the game, the band performs custom-arranged rock and pop songs, as well as the traditional fight songs and cheers of the university. The UCLA Varsity Band appears at basketball games and other athletic contests in Pauley Pavilion. In 2018, the Bruin Marching Band was featured on the Muse album "Simulation Theory" performing the Super Deluxe version of the song "Pressure."
The Florida State University Marching Chiefs is the official marching band of Florida State University. The band has served in this capacity since the 1940s and continues to perform at all home football games as well as several away games each year. There are 420+ members, or Chiefs, as members are sometimes known, in the band who hail from almost every academic department within the university.
The Sun Devil Marching Band (SDMB), also known as The Pride of the Southwest, is the athletic band of Arizona State University in Tempe, Arizona. The Sun Devil Marching Band motto is “Expect Great Things.” The acronym EGT is inscribed on a sign that hangs from the director's podium towering over the band's practice field, and is a symbol of the high standards that band members strive to meet. The ASU Band program, which includes the Marching, Pep, and Dixieland bands, is a part of the Sun Devil Athletics department. The band is currently under the direction of Director of Athletic Bands James G. "The Hammer" Hudson, who took over the program in 2006. The Sun Devil Marching Band is a major ambassador for Arizona State University and the state of Arizona. Each year almost 500,000 people are entertained by the band, which plays at home football at Sun Devil Stadium and as a pep band for basketball games at Wells Fargo Arena, homecoming, bowl game parades, other community events in the Valley, across the country, and even abroad.
The Marching Illini is the marching band of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. The Marching Illini is an organization which annually includes approximately 400 students enrolled in the University of Illinois, and Parkland College. It was founded in 1867 and primarily performs at Illini football games as well as other events around campus.
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 University of Minnesota Marching Band is the marching band of the University of Minnesota and the flagship university band for the state of Minnesota. The Pride of Minnesota serves as an ambassador for the university, representing the school at major events both on and off campus. The band performs before, during, and after all home Golden Gopher football games and bowl games, occasional away games, local parades, numerous pepfests, exhibition performances, as well as a series of indoor concerts toward the end of the regular football season. Members of the band, along with non-member students, also participate in smaller athletic pep bands that perform at other major sporting events, including men's hockey, men's basketball, women's hockey, women's basketball, and women's volleyball.
The Kansas State University Marching Band, also known as "The Pride of Wildcat Land" or just The Pride, is a 400+ 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.
The University of Pittsburgh Varsity Marching Band, or Pitt Band, is the college marching band at the University of Pittsburgh. The band numbers over 300 students consisting of instrumentalists, a majorette squad known as the Golden Girls, a color guard, and the drumline. The band was founded in 1911 and has won numerous awards over the years. All members of the band must pass an audition in order to join. The band is currently housed in Trees Hall; however, in 2020, the Pitt Athletic Department announced its "Victory Heights" initiative, part of the campus master plan which includes a new marching band facility slated to open in spring 2027.
The Iowa State University Cyclone Football 'Varsity' Marching Band (ISUCF'V'MB) is the marching band of Iowa State University. Also known as the Cyclone Marching Band (CMB), it is nicknamed the "Pride of Iowa State", the "Best of the Midwest", and the "Varsity Band". The band performs in support of the Iowa State Cyclones football team at all home games and at some away games versus Big 12 Conference rivals. The band plays at high school band festivals, indoor concerts, and post-season bowl games.
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.
Oregon State University Marching Band, ("OSUMB"), is the marching band of Oregon State University, known as the "Spirit and Sound of OSU." The band was established in 1891. It is one of the oldest bands in the Pac-12 and the primary athletic band at Oregon State. In addition to the Oregon State University Marching Band, other athletic bands include Basketball Band, Rhythm & Beavs, Rhythm & Beavs: Travel Band, the Away Game Pep Band, Alumni Band, Gymnastics Band, and Bar Band. All band members are required to participate in marching band before they may be eligible to participate in any of the other athletic bands Oregon State offers.
The Million Dollar Band is the official marching band of the University of Alabama. Founded in 1912, the Million Dollar Band is the largest student organization at the University of Alabama. The band performs during pregame and halftime of every home and neutral-site Alabama football game; it also supplies at least a pep band to every away football game, as well as home men's basketball, women's basketball, women's gymnastics, and volleyball games. In 2003, the band was awarded the Sudler Trophy, recognizing it as one of the top college bands in the United States.
The Boston College Marching Band (BCMB), also known as the Boston College "Screaming Eagles" Marching Band, is the marching band for the Boston College Eagles. Founded in 1919, The Band is the largest and most visible student organization at Boston College, and represents the school at home football games, most bowl games, international events, and parades.
The "Pride of Mid-America" is the name of the Ball State University marching band. Consisting of around 200 members, it is the largest student organization at Ball State.
The Mountaineer Marching Band, known as The Pride of West Virginia, is the marching band of West Virginia University located in Morgantown, West Virginia. The band was awarded the prestigious Sudler Trophy by the John Philip Sousa Foundation in 1997.
The Falcon Marching Band, known also as the FMB, is the marching band of Bowling Green State University. It features a symphonic sound and chair step marching. Under the direction of Jonathan “Jon” Waters, marching band is the largest student organization on campus. The band performs at all home football games, which are hosted in Doyt Perry Stadium as well as other various university functions.
The Mighty Sound of Maryland is the marching band of the University of Maryland. It was founded in 1908 at what was then known as the Maryland Agricultural College. The band performs pregame, halftime, and fifth-quarter shows at all Maryland Terrapins home football games, and travels to at least one away game each year.
The Eastern Michigan University Marching Band serves as Eastern Michigan University's marching band.
The Marching Scarlet Knights is the marching band of Rutgers University. The band was founded in 1915 as a small military band, and since then has grown into a 330-member athletic band for the university. The Marching Scarlet Knights performs at all home Rutgers Scarlet Knights football games. The band also travels to select regular season and post season football games.