To state the apparent: The NCAA Match is a large operation. 67 video games in 14 cities, lots of of pupil athletes, and lots of of hundreds of followers all zig-zagging throughout the nation for a month to crown one winner. However behind the scenes and sometimes off display screen are hundreds of extra supporting solid members that make March Insanity the very best postseason in American sports activities. From the sector crew that put together the constructing and hold it buzzing on recreation day, to the crew trainers that hold the athletes in peak well being to compete.
Because the buzzer sounded in Spokane Veterans Memorial Area on Friday and Yale’s August Mahoney leapt onto the scorers desk to rejoice the 13-seed Bulldogs upsetting 4-seed Auburn, the Yale band tore by means of a rendition of their battle tune “Bulldog.” It wasn’t till after the sport that many came upon the reality: the musicians who simply rallied the Ivy League champions to arguably their greatest win at school historical past have been really from the College of Idaho.
The decision got here to Idaho’s band director Spencer Martin on Choice Sunday. Yale had double booked their band – the Bulldogs solely certified for the event because of a little bit of March magic within the Ivy League championship recreation. As Idaho was the host college for the Spokane video games, they have been requested to step in. “It was the proper storm as a result of we had simply gotten again from the Massive Sky event in Boise the place we supported our groups,” Martin advised SB Nation “I stated, ‘I believe we will do it.’ And so I simply reached out to [the band]. There have been 29 of them that have been accessible.”
Idaho hasn’t reached the lads’s NCAA Match in 34 years, and the ladies’s crew has solely certified 3 times within the final 40. For many within the Vandal band, this was their solely alternative to see March Insanity up shut. “I noticed the e-mail with the Google Doc being like, ‘Hey, join this,’” stated tenor saxophone participant Mysti Smith, “and I used to be like ‘Sure! I wish to go journey once more.’ I really like touring with the band.”
The Vandals (or Vandogs as they began calling themselves) discovered the Yale battle tune an hour earlier than they boarded the bus as much as Spokane on recreation day. The remainder of their repertoire—pumping their devices like weights whereas yelling “Get swole!” and singing the whole lot of the SpongeBob SquarePants theme throughout opponent free throws—that was all Idaho. “We’ve been sneakily weaving in lots of Vandal issues and we simply change it to Bulldogs or we do some bow-wowing and issues like that,” stated Martin.
Then got here the upset: behind a large 28-point recreation from junior John Poulakidas, Yale took down a possible title contender in Auburn. A frantic last possession noticed the Tigers get 4 alternatives to tie or win, however Yale prevailed to earn simply their second NCAA Match win at school historical past and their greatest upset. “My first response was I higher rely off this battle tune actual quick,” stated Martin “It was simply wonderful. It was simply surreal.” After the sport, Yale head coach James Jones acknowledged the impact the band had on the sport: “Having that ambiance and folks popping out to help us, there’s nothing higher than that, and we will’t admire them greater than to be Bulldog followers.”
Requested if the U of I band had plans to accompany Yale to the Candy Sixteen in the event that they have been to defeat San Diego State, Spencer stated their residency was ending in Spokane: “Our objective is to win, to not solely ship the crew to the Candy Sixteen, however in order that we will ship the Yale Band to the Candy Sixteen in order that they’ll expertise this as nicely.”
In the long run, Yale couldn’t hold the magic going and fell to final 12 months’s nationwide title runner-up Aztecs 85-57. However for Mysti Smith and the remainder of the Vandal band, attending to be honorary Ivy Leaguers for a weekend was the expertise of a lifetime: “It’s been actually thrilling and in addition a bit terrifying, as a result of we’re within the public eye. This has by no means occurred to me earlier than. It’s simply actually enjoyable.”