SAN JOSE, Calif. — Wildcat fans may know the names and faces of the Arizona stars on the court, but what about the supporters on the sidelines?
With an event as busy as an NCAA tournament, there are thousands of people working behind-the-scenes to make sure some the best collegiate athletes in the country are able to perform their best on a national stage.
For No. 1 seed Arizona, that behind-the-scenes team comes in the form of another top-ranked team—The Pride of Arizona Pep Band—to lead their fan base.
“Everybody in the arena knows who the Arizona fans are and what we’re about: that we’re positive but we’re relentless in that support," said the University's Director of Athletic Bands Chad Shoopman.
Under his direction, The Pride of Arizona is current holder of the Sudler Trophy, one of the greatest honors for a collegiate band, on par with winning an NCAA title.
“We’re number one in the country,” said Drum Major Kaesey Borders.
She and the band are hoping their support can help the Wildcats pull off the same victory on the court.
That means traveling with the team and playing in unfamiliar stadiums.
“Sometimes we’re being stacked up in the stands, sometimes we’re on the floor in big long lines," Shoopman said. "So we just have to kind of be on the fly figuring it out.”
Due to NCAA rules, the band is slimmed down to just 25 musicians, a huge cut form their hundred-plus person crew from football season.
This group says they know their job is to support, not become stars.
“We have to remember what we’re there for," Borders said. "We’re there to cheer on the team, we’re not there to make the spotlight about us. We’re there as a support system to the team. They’re hyping us up the entire time, so we’re hyping them up, it’s just a really cool collaboration between the team and the band.”
A collaboration Shoopman says his students will remember for years to come.
“When I was at U of A and I went on tournament trips, I still remember those times," he said. "So it’s incredibly special, and for as hard as they work all year long supporting all the different sports and activities, to have the opportunity to participate in the post season is really special.”
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