Category: Athletics

Mike Leckrone is legendary as the unbound band director at the University of Wisconsin. In the band’s annual spring concerts, which draw rock-star levels of crowds, Mr. Leckrone has dropped onto the stage on a bungee cord, ridden a bicycle down a wire, slid down a firefighter pole, driven in on a motorcycle, arrived on a wedge of cheese and flown in on a cow that flipped in midair.

“I tell the kids it’s supposed to be fun, but not fun at the expense of other people,” said Mr. Leckrone, who’s been a director for 39 of his 72 years.

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Wisconsin is designating next weekend’s homecoming football game with Illinois as “carbon-neutral.”

The designation gives the university a chance to raise awareness of environmental issues, such as the damaging effects of carbon dioxide and the benefits of recycling.

The University of Wisconsin-Madison Marching Band will be allowed to make a trip to Green Bay on Sunday to perform during the Packers’ game against the Indianapolis Colts at Lambeau Field.

UW-Madison made the announcement in a press release Wednesday afternoon.

MADISON â?? The University of Wisconsin marching band is getting another chance to behave while traveling.

The university announced Wednesday the band would be allowed to play at halftime during the Green Bay Packers game at Lambeau Field on Sunday.

The university temporarily suspended the band’s travel privileges last week after an investigation uncovered inappropriate hazing and alcohol-related activities. Some of the behavior occurred during the band’s last road trip to Michigan in late September.

A recent series of allegations of misconduct by college marching bands across the country has raised questions about the culture and practices the groups adopt.

In several instances, university officials have responded by suspending the bands criticizing the groups’ behavior.

The marching band at the University of Wisconsin, Madison also landed a suspension on Oct. 3 amid allegations of misconduct, including inappropriate use of alcohol, serious hazing and sexualized behavio

MADISON, Wis. — On Saturday night, the University of Wisconsin Marching Band made a comeback after being suspended from last weekend’s Badger football game.

School officials said the investigation into serious hazing allegations is still ongoing, but the UW Marching Band is once again permitted to play at football games.

Some fans said that they were glad to have the band back. One fan said of the band’s return, “It was invigorating. It was so much fun. It just wouldn’t be the same if they weren’t there so we were really glad that they were there tonight.”

The UW marching band is practicing hard for their return to Camp Randall.

They missed the big ten home opener against Ohio State because of a suspension.

The first missed home game in 40 years.

Any Badger fan will tell you, there’s nothing like a gameday at Camp Randall Stadium. “Being at a Badger game is that’s about as good as it gets,” said Ron Green, a parent of a UW-Madison student.

As the details of hazing within the band began surfacing over the past week, many fans felt band director Mike Leckrone did the right thing by suspending the band. Leckrone and UW administration lifted the suspension Thursday after the team missed the previous game against Ohio State University. A suspension for away games is still in effect.

A total of 43 citations were issued for Saturday nightâ??s University of Wisconsin football game against Penn State, up from the Oct. 4 night game against Ohio State.

Fans from both Penn State and the University of Wisconsin were on their best behavior before Saturday night’s showdown at Camp Randall Stadium.

In fact, one fan who drove all the way to Madison from Pennsylvania gave me the shirt off his back. Really.

I was assigned to look into whether Badger fans still act like what a scolding editorial in our competitor’s paper dubbed “drunken louts.” What better way to do that than to be an undercover Penn State fan myself?

In two private facilities on campus, UW-Madison varsity athletes can request a tutor in everything from calculus to Portuguese faster than it takes the wave to make its way around Camp Randall stadium.
There are advisers who help student athletes make flashcards and outlines, life skills seminars, career fairs and etiquette dinners to help them distinguish the salad from the dessert fork.

And the band will play on.

The culture that has allowed demeaning and inappropriate conduct within the University of Wisconsin Marching Band, however, must change.

That was the message University of Wisconsin-Madison officials sent Thursday when they held a news conference to announce the band would be allowed to play at Saturday night’s UW football game against Penn State at Camp Randall Stadium.

Other college marching bands have had controversies similar to the one at UW-Madison:

The UW Marching Band will once again take to the field Saturday night in the Badger home football game against Penn State.

But university officials said in a news conference Thursday that some band members could still face punishment for recent hazing, characterized by band director Mike Leckrone as “asinine, disgusting and degrading.

The Wisconsin marching band will play on â?? but members better watch their step.

University of Wisconsin-Madison officials said Thursday the bandâ??s suspension will be lifted so it can play during Saturdayâ??s home football game against No. 6 Penn State. But they vowed to end a culture of hazing, alcohol abuse and sexualized behavior that has persisted for years and flared up in recent weeks.

The band, the pride of many Badgers fans, was suspended for last weekendâ??s game against Ohio State after the university received allegations of hazing. It was the first time the band missed a game in 40 years.

The UW Marching Band will be on the field again Saturday night against Penn State even though school officials confirmed sexual hazing did occur.

Music and marching are what the UW Band is best known for, but for the last week it’s all taken a back seat.

Director Mike Leckrone says, “It’s obvious that the band’s culture needs to change. It needs to change now and it needs to change permanently.”

UW-Madison officials announced the marching band’s suspension has been lifted and the more than 300 member band will peform Saturday during the Badgers home football game against Penn State.

But Dean of Students Lori Berquam said an investigation found some band members engaged in humiliating rituals, including forcing band members to kneel and bite a sausage, and remove lingerie from male band members.

“Our review confirmed that much of the behavior described in the complaints (from students) actually took place,” Berquam said. “These activities represent intimidating behavior and extremely poor judgment on the part of people who represent the university as ambassadors.”

MADISON, Wis. — The University of Wisconsin marching band is cleared to play in Saturday’s game at Camp Randall, after an investigation into hazing last week led to suspension of the band for last week’s game against Ohio State. Fans now ponder whether these actions were serious enough to match the punishment.

“I mean, the fact that they’ve been in trouble before puts them in a hard spot, but I also have some friends in the band and they say it probably was a measure that didn’t have to be taken that extremely,” said Amy Boerneke, a UW-Madison grad student.

UW-Madison Marching Band director Mike Leckrone pledges a new culture in the wake of an investigation into hazing. They will play for this weekend’s game against Penn State, but it’s been a tough week for the band. Leckrone told a campus press conference that he’s embarrassed by events that have occurred on his watch, calling the hazing abuses asinine, disgusting and degrading.

The University of Wisconsin Marching Band practiced again Wednesday afternoon and continues to fine-tune its routine in advance of Saturday night’s UW football game against No. 6 Penn State at Camp Randall Stadium.

Whether or not the band will be allowed to perform or not remains in limbo.

Prior to Wednesday’s practice, band director Mike Leckrone said it is not yet clear whether the band’s suspension will be lifted before Saturday.

University of Wisconsin officials suspect some Marching Band members were sexually fondled or forced to drink alcohol against their will in a recent road trip, two of several allegations that resulted in the bandâ??s suspension from last Saturdayâ??s football game.

In a letter sent to band membersâ?? parents, Dean of Students Lori Berquam said allegations also include â??being forced to have their hair cut in a way that is not flatteringâ? and â??being forced or pressured to eat something disgusting.â?

Bucky doesn’t live underground like most badgers, but the UW-Madison marching band’s recent actions may force him to.

According to an Oct. 6 article in The Badger Herald, the band did not play at Saturday’s home game against Ohio State for the first time in 40 years in response to allegations of hazing during the band’s trip to the University of Michigan.

Madison band director Mike Leckrone’s suspending of the band was appropriate. Hazing is never justified and just because it was done to someone doesn’t mean they have to do it to others. People joining the band should feel safe and hazing takes that away. Freshmen, eager to be accepted, suffer in the long run from the events and actions needed to be taken in order to pressure the band into stopping their hazing.

At Tuesday’s practice of the UW Marching Band, students blasted a brassy version of “On Wisconsin” and read through the sheet music of Penn State’s fight song.

It was little different from any other band practice, except for the cluster of TV cameras and reporters on the sidelines and a veil of uncertainty surrounding the band’s future.

Will they play or won’t they, is the question surrounding the University of Wisconsin Marching Band.

It is still unknown if the UW Marching Band will play at this Saturday’s football game against Penn State.

All members of the band are suspended.

“As soon as I walked through that gate yeah it was like ‘ok let’s get down to business,” said UW Marching Band Director Mike Lackrone. “I can sense there’s some tension on the part of a lot of the kids as it should be they’ve felt a lot of what’s going on.”

For the first time since their Friday suspension, the University of Wisconsin Marching Band is taking the field.

They’re practicing like they’ll perform at Saturday’s home game but hazing allegations may silence them longer than that.

After a weekend full of questions and national embarrasement, the UW Band is getting back to what they do best, marching.

Director Mike Leckrone says, “It’s going to serve as therapy for us all to get back to work and hopefully put it out of our minds for an hour and 45 mintues.”

For the first time since the entire UW-Madison marching band was suspended and kept out of the football team’s Oct. 4 Camp Randall game against Ohio State, band members resumed pratice, with no guarantee they will play at Saturday’s badger home game against Penn State.

Band director Mike Leckrone has told 27 News the suspension was the result of accusations of a pattern of season long hazing, and allegedly inappropriate actions by band members during last month’s trip to Michigan for a badger game.

The University of Wisconsin Marching Band learned once again last week that what happens in Michigan does not stay in Michigan.

After allegations of hazing surfaced last Friday afternoon, Band Director Mike Leckrone suspended the band indefinitely, including during last Saturdayâ??s football game against Ohio State. According to Leckrone, the hazing allegations are alcohol-related and involve inappropriate sexual conduct. The situation appears to be very similar to misconduct on another trip to Ann Arbor two years ago.

Carolyn “Biddy” Martin said Monday that she agrees with Mike Leckrone’s decision to suspend the UW Marching Band indefinitely after hazing allegations were leveled against some of its members late last week.

Martin, speaking with The Capital Times after the UW-Madison Faculty Senate’s monthly meeting at Bascom Hall, also said it’s too early in the investigation to know when the inquiry might be complete or whether or not the band will be able to perform at Saturday night’s UW football game against Penn State at Camp Randall Stadium.

The University of Wisconsin may not permit members of the Penn State Blue Band to play at this Saturday’s football game at Wisconsin, a Blue Band official said Monday.

The Blue Band plans to send a smaller pep band to Wisconsin this weekend, but the Wisconsin athletic department has not confirmed if the band will be allowed to play during the football game, Blue Band Director Richard Bundy said Monday.

MADISON, Wis. — Wisconsin could learn as soon as Tuesday whether the UW-Madison marching band will be allowed to perform this weekend.

The band was suspended on Friday after allegations of hazing surfaced.

UW Band Director Mike Leckrone told WISC-TV on Monday that he made the right decision in suspending the band from Saturday’s home Badger game against Ohio State.

It’s the first time in the director’s nearly 40-year history that the marching band did not perform at a home game.

Leckrone told News 3 that while his decision may have been somewhat, impetuous â?? he is comfortable with it and believes he did the right thing.

UW-Madison marching band director Mike Leckrone told 27 News the suspension of the band for the Oct. 4 home football game against Ohio State was tied to alleged band misconduct last month in connection to the band’s trip to play at the Michigan game in Ann Arbor.

Leckrone also told 27 News his unprecedented step of stopping the band form performing also stemmed from an alleged pattern of hazing he only learned about last week. “There were situations that we saw evidence that there was some kind of hazing going on from the beginning of the school year.”

The allegations sound like the exploits of Mötley Crüe:

Women and men stripping to their underwear on a tour bus.

Drunken band members urinating in elevators.

A drummer giving lap dances.

Such behavior was routine for the University of California at Davisâ?? Cal Aggie Marching Band, according to the student groupâ??s director. And, as the San Francisco Chronicle reported Monday, Director Tom Slabaugh found he had little power to stop the madness, even after filing a sexual harassment complaint against his own band.

Taped versions of â??On Wisconsinâ? and â??Varsityâ? were the only sounds of the UW Marching Band Saturday during the Badgers-Ohio State football gameâ??a result of Band Director Mike Leckrone suspending the band for misconduct allegations.