Texas Tech University Athletics
Behind The Scenes: Red Raider Gameday
September 25, 2007 | Football
Sept. 25, 2007
By Wes Skipwith, Texas Tech Athletic Media Relations
We have all seen the glitz and the glamour of a Red Raider football game. From the pageantry of the spirit squads to the precision of the Goin' Band from Raiderland, hard work and dedication by these individuals contribute to the awesome atmosphere that is Texas Tech football. Now you have the chance to go behind the scenes and find out what really goes into producing the greatest show in West Texas. This is the first part of a three-part series.
Goin' Band from Raiderland
The 410-member Goin' Band from Raiderland is one of the largest college marching bands in the country and the largest student organization on campus. As long as Tech has been playing football, the Goin' Band has been there supporting the Red Raiders, dating back to the very first football game in 1923. In 1999, the Goin' Band was awarded the Sudler Trophy, which recognizes the top college or university marching band in the country.
Today, the band is led by director Christopher M. Anderson and continues to produce high musical standards and innovative marching routines and ideas. Michael Blass, the director of operations for the Goin' Band, said the 410 members, most of who are not on any sort of scholarship, sacrifice hours of hard work and dedication in order to put on a great show for Tech fans.
"The kids are performing just for their love of performing," Blass said. "We do so well that I think the University doesn't notice. We're like a well oiled machine. We have taught students that by the time they come to college, they have been practicing on their horns, they have been going to contests and taking lessons, and all that other stuff in high school. Now when you're in college, this is what you have been working for. This is your performance. For most of them this will be the only time they ever perform professionally."
 Goin' Band.  |
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On a typical game day at home with a 6:00 p.m. kickoff, the band arrives at the band hall at 8:00 a.m. for rehearsals which lasts several hours. Then after being released, the members are expected to return back at 4:15 fully dressed for "call." There they will make sure every member is fully dressed and warmed-up. At 5:15, they conduct their march through campus to the football stadium.
Once reaching the stadium the Goin' Band divides into two groups at the East and West tunnels of the stadium. After the teams clear the field approximately 20 minutes to kickoff, the band conducts their "Run On" onto the field. It is not actually a run but a synchronized high-tempo march which is a tradition of the Goin' Band dating back to 1960. After the band has a chance to catch their breath, they perform a 10 - 15 minute pregame show. Then they return to their designated seats in the stands for the game.
Whether it is a time out, touchdown, or big play, the band is ready to play at a moments notice. Anderson has hand signals that the band and all of the spirit squads have memorized so they know what song is going to be played. Right after a significant moment in the game takes place, the band will play one of 30 different songs for about 10 - 15 seconds.
"It is a fine art that very few people recognize because we do it good here," Blass said. "Its called game management and it takes a skill. If you consider that we are the largest marching band in the country that he can get that band up and ready to play on a moment notice, that's phenomenal. You just don't think about what its like to get 400-plus people coordinated."
The band will go back onto the field five minutes before the end of the first half in order to take the field for the halftime show. The show is the climax of the Goin' Band's performance and they don't hold back. Blass said each of Tech's halftime shows averages 60-70 sets or movements which are designed by a computer where as most other collegiate bands have 20-30 sets.. Blass said each band member has their own coordinates and theoretically they could take those coordinates and march their spots by themselves because they know exactly where they are going.
"This comes from the idea that we have been preparing and practicing all our lives, now its time to put on a great show," Blass said. "There is a lot of movement on the field. They don't call us the Goin' Band for nothing."
After the seven minute halftime show, length mandated by the NCAA, the band goes back to the stands and prepares for the third quarter. Blass said that is the time the band really needs to go all out in order to motivate the crowd and the team. The band has already done their half-time show so they are not afraid to exert all of their energy.
"The third quarter is a surge for us," Blass said. "There is a tremendous amount of playing. There is sometimes when the playing is non stop. Our director has met with the coaching staff and with the athletics department and they all agree that is a crucial time to lift up the spirits of the crowd and really get the tempo going."
If the game is close, the band will continue to play strong until the very end. Once the game is over, the band will gather on the field again in order to march back to the band hall. After they are dismissed, they put away their equipment and usually leave between 11 and 11:30 p.m., ending their 15-hour game day.
Spirit Squads
Texas Tech is home to some of the best mascots, pom squad dancers and cheerleaders in the country. The Masked Rider was recently named a Fox Sports Top-25 mascot. The Tech Cheerleaders finished fifth at the National Cheerleaders Association Collegiate Cheer & Dance Championship in 2007. Former Tech Pom Squad members are currently dancing for professional teams like the Dallas Cowboys, Houston Texans and Kansas City Chiefs.
The Masked Rider is one of Tech oldest positions as it enters its 53rd year of existence. This year the mask, bolero hat and red and black cape will be donned by Kevin Burns, a junior Animal and Food Sciences major from Clovis, N.M. He will be riding Midnight Matador, who has been trotting the Tech sidelines for six years now. Stephanie Rhode, the Assistant Director of Campus Life and overseer of all the spirit squads, said taking on the role of the Masked Rider requires a lot of hard work and determination.
 Masked Rider. |
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"Of all the jobs that I oversee, the rider is the hardest. That person has to take care of that horse 24 - 7, grooming it and making sure it looks fabulous. He also has traveled to events, sign autographs and make sure he properly represents Tech in everything he does because the rider is such an icon."
On game day, Burns and Midnight Matador must arrive three hours before kickoff to sign autographs and make appearances at different tailgating functions. At five minutes prior to kickoff, the Masked Rider, on top of his steed, gallops onto the field, leading the Red Raider Football team to the roar of the 50,000-plus fans in attendance.
"It is the most electrifying moment of the game," Rhode said. "Seeing the Masked Rider with the reigns in his mouth and both of his hands in the air, holding up his guns, that is the coolest tradition Tech has."
During the game, the Masked Rider gallops up and down the home sideline after every touchdown. Rhode said Burns spends at least three hours straight mounted on top of Midnight Matador.
 Raider Red. |
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In 1971, Jim Gaspard, a member of Saddle Tramps, came up with a costumed mascot named Raider Red. Red became Tech's public relations mascot appearing at football, basketball, volleyball and baseball games to shake hands with people in the crowd and pose for pictures. Red also participates in dances with the cheerleaders and pom squad dancers. Before the first and third quarters, he stands in the middle of the Saddle Tramps' Bell Circle.
There are four different students who wear three different Raider Red costumes. They arrive three hours before kickoff and get dressed in the Frazier Alumni Pavilion. Then they will separate and make appearances at different places around the stadium. One will go to the club levels, the other will appear at Raider Alley for the pre-game pep rally, and one will walk the east side of the stadium to meet and greet fans.
During the games, there will be only one Raider Red on the sideline at a time, cheering along with the cheerleaders and pom squad, while the other three rest. Rhode said the students wearing the costumes have to switch out four to five times a game because wearing the costume is so exhausting.
"The kids are good about not pushing themselves to hard," Rhode said. "Since it is so hot on the sideline, they easily dehydrate and risk fainting."
The cheerleaders and the pom squad can be seen right next to Raider Red for all the pre-game activities and on the sideline during the game. They also show up three hours before the game to make appearances and perform for the pep rally at Raider Alley. During the game, they choreograph their dances with the music the band is playing. The band instructor uses hand signals to tip off the dancers so they know what song is coming.
 Texas Tech Pom Squad. |
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Layci Tarvin, one of this year's pom squad captains, said that on a typical game day, the pom squad and the cheerleaders perform for about seven hours and during the game they are performing for four hours straight. They only get to see about one third of the entire game.
"It exhausting," Tarvin said. "Towards the end it gets hard to concentrate because there is such a sensory overload on the sidelines. You still have to pump up the crowd but at the same time you want to be safe. It takes a lot of stamina."
Saddle Tramps
The Saddle Tramps have been cheering on Texas Tech athletics since 1936. Decked out in their red shirts with arching black letters which read "Saddle Tramps," the brotherhood can be seen at every home football, baseball and basketball game. They are especially visual to common fans as they gather on the field for the "Bell Circle" right before kickoff at Jones AT&T Stadium. But that is not all they do on a Red Raider game day, there are many more behind the scenes duties taken on by the Tramps to put on an exciting atmosphere.
Before every Tech home game, the Tramps begin work on Thursday night. That is when they wrap Will Roger's statue and post up streamers all around campus. It takes four to five guys about 2 1/2 hours to wrap the statue. Chris Snead, one of the Saddle Tramp advisors, said wrapping the statue is not an easy task.
"Most people don't realize how long it takes," Snead said. "There is a specific and meticulous way to do it and the Tramps take a lot of pride in doing it right."
On game day, most of the Saddle Tramps go to RaiderGate, where they have their own tailgate set up. About three hours before kickoff, a few of the Tramps make their way to the Alumni Pavilion where they sell t-shirts to students.
When the football players arrive at the stadium from their hotel two hours before kickoff, the Tramps are there to cheer them on. An hour before kickoff, they are on the field helping with safety and getting ready for the team to take the field. Once the players come on, the Tramps sprint out onto the field near the south end zone and form their traditional "Bell Circle."
"The Saddle Tramps start ringing their bells really loud and once they are ready to go, the sergeants lead the Tramps out onto the field and into their bell circle," Snead said. "Once they get out there they go into the Go, Fight, Win chant. Raider Red gets in the middle and shoots his shotguns. Basically it gets the crowd into the game right before we kick it off. It's the most visible thing the Tramps do."
After the circle, the Tramps split up and go to their different positions. Most of them go up to their seats in the stands, while 12 of them work security behind the bench on the west side of the stadium. Sneed said there are three Tramps that shoot shotguns after every touchdown which is a position of honor within the Tramps.
 Saddle Tramps. |
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"You ascend to that position," Snead said. "The folks that are in charge of the shotguns have to go through a shotgun safety course; they have to be certified in order to do that. They coordinate with the police department to make sure the police know what's going on."
There is also the Tramp that is in charge of ringing "Banging Bertha." Snead said a new person is chosen each week for that job as a reward for service. The bell is rung on touchdowns, third downs and whenever the Tramps need to get the crowd excited.
Every Sunday morning after home games, the Saddle Tramps are in charge of cleaning all the streamers and crape paper they put up the previous Thursday. Snead said they call it "cleaning campus" and they take the job very seriously.
"Every streamer that they put up they have to take down," Snead said. "It takes quite awhile, because not only do they have to take down the streamers that are still up, they also have to pick up all the ones that fall off or get ripped down. After a game if you see a streamer that's down, pick it up and give it to a Saddle Tramp and they will make sure that it comes to someone's attention because they take a lot of pride in that."
