by Marcus Washington
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - This year's John Merritt Classic will see Tennessee State University and Florida A & M University face off on the football field. Usually, it's the battle of the schools' bands that steals the show, but a big change has some folks wondering what's next.
The sound of the Aristocrats of Bands walking through the campus of Tennessee State University, TSU, means only one thing, the start of the football season.
"We're coming into our 100th year," said TSU senior Jasmin Garmon. "It's our centennial, so this is going to kick off our first game and we're going to win, we're going to beat FAMU."
Beating the opposing team in college football, particularly an HBCU, comes twice on the football field; once, on the football team and then with the battle of the bands.
"I came here in 1971 and graduated in 1975 and the Aristocrat of Bands set the standard in terms of precession, the high stepping and there's nothing like it in terms of the TSU band," said alumna and faculty member Rita Fleming.
This year the battle will be one team short after FAMU's band, the Marching 100, was suspended after the hazing death of one of its band members.
"Yeah I'm going to miss that because that's the excitement," said a TSU freshman.
The bands are just as much of a draw as the game itself, so many wonder will this affect attendance this year without that half-time excitement.
TSU senior and drum major Troy Lambert will lead the band throughout its performance and he says at the end of half-time, you will have been entertained.
"Oh we have prepared a nice long show to make sure nobody's attention would have been anywhere but on us regardless," said Lambert.
"We're known for our band and our students are excited. It gets our students excited," said Garmon. "It gets our Tiger Jams our cheerleaders excited. It just brings everybody out to hear that same song, "I'm so glad to go to TSU."
Workers at the TSU box office said by 4:30 p.m. Friday night, they sold 17,000 to 19,000 tickets for Saturday's game
This season TSU's football team will return to its home stadium, affectionately known as "The Hole", on September 15th as they take on Austin Peay State University.
