The Pride of Arizona Marching Band is one of the most recognizable and diverse groups on campus. Home to 122 different majors and over 300 members, this group is the battery that makes Arizona Stadium run on Saturdays, the heartbeat of the McKale Center, and a staple at university events, including faculty celebrations and facility grand openings. These students work as hard, if not harder, than any other group on campus, and that hard work is being honored and recognized on Friday, November 15, when the Pride of Arizona is awarded the 2024 Sudler Trophy.
The Sudler Trophy, presented by the John Philip Sousa Foundation, is awarded biannually to a college or university marching band which has demonstrated the highest of musical standards and innovative marching routines and ideas, and which has made important contributions to the advancement of the performance standards of college marching bands over a number of years. Over the years, it has become one of the most prestigious honors in collegiate marching band, and is often referred to as the ‘Heisman Trophy of the collegiate band world.’
How did the Pride of Arizona get here?
The Pride of Arizona was one of 22 finalists for the 2024 Sudler Trophy, according to Professor Chad Shoopman, Director of Athletics Bands, including the Pride of Arizona.
“You have to have at least one, if not two nominations for the award from other directors around the country who respect and appreciate the program, and have seen it recently, and they submit, and so there was a record number of submission nominations that we we were in the pool with of 22, I think, which is more than they’ve ever really had. So that’s that’s a huge honor to be amongst 22 finalists, and then to obviously be selected,” said Shoopman.
Shoopman said the Pride of Arizona has garnered attention from band scholars for over 70 years. Jack Lee (1952-80), the director who wrote “Bear Down, Arizona”, brought in Shirlee Bertolini, the Pride’s first featured twirler, and one of the first women in the band. He also took the POA to the Super Bowl, and revolutionized the marching technique at the UofA. When Jay Rees arrived at the University of Arizona in 1995, he brought alternative music to marching band in a way no one had ever seen before. Under his direction, the Pride performed shows featuring music by The Beatles, Pink Floyd, The Red Hot Chili Peppers, and more. The attention and revolutionary mindsets culminated with the Pride of Arizona’s ‘Heisman Trophy.’
It’s no short task for a band program after receiving a nomination either. The Pride of Arizona, with support from band administrator Courtney Dodge, submitted a comprehensive packet of information, history, and more, including a recording of a full pregame and halftime show. Shoopman said the POA chose to submit its 2021 “Panic! at the Disco” show, largely in part because of the show’s significance coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Pride also submitted quotes from former Arizona President Robbert C. Robbins speaking to the Arizona Board of Regents about the Pride of Arizona being one of the 10 best things at the UofA, shoutouts from Gwen Stefani following the 2019 No Doubt show, and photos from the Pride’s performances in the first Super Bowl halftime show and Jimmy Carter’s Presidential Inauguration.
Shoopman says he’s been ecstatic, both for himself and the Pride, since the day he got the call.
“I’ve been on Cloud nine ever since, and I can’t think of a more deserving program and students and people like that, that just were all about it, deserve that. I mean, I know how hard we work and how much we mean to the community, and then our lineage. It was long overdue in a lot of ways.”
What the Sudler Trophy means for the University of Arizona and Tucson Community
The Pride of Arizona is nothing without the support of the University of Arizona and Tucson community. On the flip side, the UofA and Tucson aren’t quite the same without the Pride of Arizona. That’s why the Sudler Trophy means so much to the Pride. It’s recognition of years of the support this program and city have shown one another. And it is that legacy and reputation that will push the Pride of Arizona to continue being great, even after receiving this lifetime achievement.
“What I hope it means to the community and the university is to recognize how special the students at the University of Arizona are, how committed they are to the spirit of the university, to the teams, to being a part of something that’s bigger than themselves. And that recognition that it’s not official unless the Pride’s there,” says Shoopman.
Shoopman added, “Having the Pride there lifts every event and every happening on campus and in the community. It should be thought of a special thing – it’s really the community’s ensemble.”
Perhaps the most special thing about the Pride of Arizona is exactly what Shoopman said. They are the community’s ensemble. There’s nothing more reflective of that then the energy they bring on game day. If you’ve never really watched the Pride during a game before, then tonight you have a new challenge. That’s because no matter what happens tonight on the gridiron, the POA will be cheering on Arizona Football louder than anyone else in the stadium.
“When the clock hits zeros, I don’t care what the final score is, you’re gonna get Bear Down with the same spirit and energy as you get it, regardless of the result,” says Shoopman. “I think for us as an organization, it is being honored to wear that Block A, and that Block A doesn’t fade on losses. It’s still just as bright when you’re winning, or losing, and you have to back that.”
Win or lose, the Pride of Arizona stays the whole game, cheers the whole game, and wears that Block A with…well pride.
Conference Realignment…and Marching Band?
Since the inception of the Sudler Trophy in 1982, only five programs west of the Mississippi River have received the award. When the Pride of Arizona received the call last December, they were just the third Pac-12 program honored, joining Arizona State (1991) and UCLA (1993). When the Wildcats, along with the Sun Devils, became members of the the Big 12 Conference in August of 2024, they became the sixth and seventh Sudler Trophy winners in the conference, joining Kansas (1989), West Virgina (1997), Texas Tech (1999), Kansas State (2015), and Iowa State (2017).
“It’s really awesome to get with some programs like that because that’s ultimately where we want to be at the end of the day. We want to be, we want to have that tradition, we want to have that that sort of love,” said Shoopman.
“I think conference realignment definitely brought us into a different era, or a different stratus of band, for sure, in terms of tradition, size, scope, achievement. That’s not to say the Pac-12 bands weren’t amazing. They’re all led by incredible directors. I know them all, they’re all amazing, but I think the culture that exists in that part of the country [the West Coast] is just behind.”
Blast to the Past
On Thursday, the Pride of Arizona hosted a banquet, welcoming back decades of alumni and former directors. Current and former members took photos with the Sudler Trophy, and enjoyed photos and memorabilia from over the years. Representatives from the Sudler Trophy and John Philip Sousa Foundation were also in attendance to formally recognize the POA. And of course, no marching band banquet is complete without a performance from the Pride.
“It was a very successful night. There were lots of tears when the Pride came in and played, there was laughter, recalling stories and different times and I think a lot of people were really, really moved and the nostalgia was there”, said Shoopman. “We had so many different things set up from different eras and people got to kind of reminisce and re-live what is usually one of the best times in our lives, being in college and getting the opportunity to do something like that. So it was really special. I’m really glad we were able to do that.”
The fun started when five former directors and assistants took the stage, sharing their favorite stories and experiences while at the helm of the band. In attendance were Gary Cook, Alice Keene (widow to James Keene), Stephen K. Steele, Joseph Hermann, and Jay C. Rees, along with current director Chad Shoopman. Steele, who led the band from 1985-1987, shared a story about traveling to Tokyo to face Stanford in the 1986 “Coca Cola Bowl”. He joked about the Stanford band’s rehearsal habits (ask us about them some time), and getting into Japan National Stadium for the first time, only to realize that the lines on the field were completely wrong.
It was a chance to reminisce and re-connect with friends and family, but more importantly, it was an opportunity to celebrate the collective achievement of the Pride of Arizona.
On a Personal Note…
Marching in the Pride of Arizona was one of the most impactful and profound experiences in my life. I not only became a better musician, marcher, and student, but more importantly, a better person. The lessons I learned in communication, flexibility, and being a source of positivity and energy for others are all things I keep sacred every day.
This organization is a world-class institution, and I am so proud to call myself an alumni. While being a section leader for three seasons was great, and a CO-MVP award in 2020 is one of the most special honors I have ever received, I never think about those things when I reflect on my time in the Pride. I think about the lifelong friendships and memories, cheering on the Wildcats in Arizona Stadium and McKale, traveling to the 2017 Foster Farms Bowl and USC and Disneyland in 2019, and the avenue it has provided for me to be sharing this story right now.
So, thank you Pride of Arizona. You’ve earned tonight. Enjoy your moment in the sun, because there will never be another Sudler Trophy presentation. IT’S GAME DAY!!!