After 10-plus years of marching in their current red, white and blue ensembles, the University of Arizona’s Pride of Arizona band is on a mission to get new uniforms — but they need the community’s help.
The Pride of Arizona hopes to raise $200,000 by the end of the year for 320 new uniforms.
To reach their goal, The Pride of Arizona is asking for monetary donations from the community to help raise half of the $200,000. The remaining $100,000 will be matched by the Marshall Foundation.
The new uniforms will be here in time for the next football season when the UA transitions from the Pac-12 to the Big 12 Conference.
“It's going to be something I think everybody can be really, really proud of,” said Chad Shoopman, the Associate Director of Bands and Director of Athletic Bands. “And I kind of like the idea of when people see the uniform, they can honestly say they helped get us there. And they can have their own sense of ownership over The Pride, it's their band, it's the community's band.”
The Pride of Arizona’s new uniforms seen on a band member in Arizona Stadium. The Pride of Arizona is trying to raise $200,000 for 320 new uniforms.
The new uniforms will feature sharper edges, a centered UA block “A” and, of course, a panel of silver sequins that shimmer under the lights of Arizona Stadium.
“We wanted to generate the same nostalgia with the new uniform as well,” Shoopman said. “So that it harkens back to the old but still is cutting edge on the newer side. They've seen a lot on a regular basis. And I love that when people see that uniform, they're instantly tied to ‘Bear Down, (Arizona),’ the song and that spirit and Wildcat spirit. And they're kind of transported either back to their college days or reminded of a great memory that they've had. And we're a really cool connection for people to the University of Arizona visually that way.”
While the $200,000 goal may seem like a hefty price to pay for the uniforms, it’s an investment that produces a long-term payout as the band plans on using the new uniforms for the next decade.
A look at the new Pride of Arizona uniforms. The Pride is running a fundraiser to raise enough money to get new uniforms before the UA's transition to the Big 12 Conference next year.
The uniforms, which also include the gauntlets and shakos (hats), come out to $625 per person for 320 uniforms. To break it down even further, that’s a little over $62 per person each year for the next 10 years. For reference, the current cost of in-state tuition at the UA is $13,200 per year or $39,600 per year for out-of-state students. UA President Robert C. Robbins could not be reached for comment.
“I think the way to think about this and the way I've chosen to approach it is that there are a lot of areas in the university that have to raise funds externally,” Shoopman said. “When the Marshall Foundation provided the opportunity for us, it was thought of as an opportunity for us to reach out to the community, to reach out to potential donors for the university that want to have a stake and be a stakeholder in a symbol for the university. And I think giving back that way is a powerful opportunity for folks. But I will say that this really came from the way a lot of areas at the university have to operate, which is external fundraising.”
Despite relying on external fundraising for the new uniforms, Shoopman says he feels The Pride of Arizona is supported by the university’s upper administration more so than other collegiate bands.
“Dr. Robbins is a rock star for me because he's been so supportive of the band and the student experience,” Shoopman said. “And he comes out and talks to us every year. He gave out his cell phone number to the whole band last year. … I mean, he loves being around the students, I think it really energizes him. That's one of his big focuses. So, I'm a big fan of his just because of how much he's cared about our students, both with his personal time, in his capacity, but also financially through those experience opportunities in bowl games.”
The Pride of Arizona, University of Arizona Marching Band, during the 1973 La Fiesta de los Vaqueros Tucson Rodeo Parade.
A symbol for over 100 years 🥁
For the last 121 years, members of the UA marching band — later known as The Pride of Arizona — have put blood, sweat and tears into their uniforms.
They’ve played numerous football games (including a few bowl games) and other UA-related events like the opening ceremonies of new buildings, Homecoming and Bear Down Fridays in Main Gate Square.
In the music realm, The Pride of Arizona puts on an annual Band Day where high school marching bands from across Arizona can showcase their programs. The night concludes with a performance from The Pride, who perform their football halftime show.
Over the years, the band has rocked various styles of uniforms including a more military-style uniform during the early 1900s, a traditional-style uniform with blocks of color in the 1970s and a more glitz-and-glam-style uniform in the last several years.
But one thing hasn’t changed throughout the last 70 years: the high brassy notes from trumpets, the loud thumps from drums and the clash of symbols coming together harmoniously to play “Bear Down, Arizona” — the anthem the band has played since the 1950s.
But, if “Bear Down, Arizona” is the UA’s anthem, The Pride of Arizona’s uniforms are a symbol of unity between the university and the community, Shoopman says.
“It's a symbol of the university and a symbol of the community here in Tucson,” he said. “And I'm so grateful that The Pride is, in general, pretty beloved and that's a really nice thing. So, the symbol matters. I think having it be reflective of the community and those kinds of things are important. So, the opportunity to get a new uniform, and especially as we're going into the new Big 12 conference, just timing-wise it made a lot of sense.”
After retiring the current uniforms, Shoopman hopes to contribute one of them to the Musical Instrument Museum in Phoenix, where they have a Pride of Arizona uniform from the previous decade on display.
“I have the best students on campus,” Shoopman said. “I think they represent the university. It's not just being a normal, everyday student; it is a responsibility to be in The Pride. You're representing not only that organization, which I believe is a world-class organization, but also the university and the Tucson community. The Wildcats are the pro team in Tucson. We're that pro band in Tucson and everybody knows who The Pride is and I think really appreciates our organization."
To make a monetary donation toward The Pride of Arizona's new uniform goal, check out their fundraising page.
