Tradition
The ASU Sun Devil Marching Band has many traditions within the band program that continue to be honored today:
EGT: A motto that the band lives by is “Expect Great Things.” The acronym EGT is inscribed on a sign that hangs from the director’s podium, and is a symbol of the high standards that band members strive to meet.
Learning of the Alma Mater and Fight Song (Maroon and Gold): All band members are required to know the Fight Song and Alma Mater as a point of pride. The band sings the Alma Mater at every Friday rehearsal of the season, and all “Blue Chippers” (new band members) must demonstrate their knowledge of the Alma Mater and Maroon and Gold by singing as a group for veteran members at the end of Band Camp.
Maroon and Gold:
Fight, Devils down the field
Fight with your might and don’t ever yield
Long may our colors outshine all others
Echo from the buttes, Give em’ hell Devils!
Cheer, cheer for A-S-U!
Fight for the old Maroon
For it’s Hail! Hail! The gang’s all here
And it’s onward to victory!
Al Davis Fight Song:
Ar-i-zona
Ar-i-zona
State, State
Arizona State
Go Go, you Sun Devils
It's a score for ASU
One more, you Sun Devils
And we'll win the game for
AR-I-ZONA STATE
The Sun Devil colors
Of maroon and gold look great,
So go for a vict´ry, a Sun Devil win
Go, Go ARIZONA STATE!
Alma Mater:
Where the bold saguaros raise their arms on high
Praying strength for brave tomorrows from the western sky
Where eternal mountains kneel at sunset’s gate
Here we hail thee Alma Mater, Arizona State
Tuba Baptism: A time-honored tradition that takes place in Cady Fountain next to the Memorial Union at the end of band camp. This yearly custom regularly draws crowds of the general public and band members alike, and is not an event to be missed.
Pre-game concert: Before every game, the ASU Sun Devil Marching Band performs a concert on the southside steps of Desert Financial Arena that consists of pre-game music and parts of the current show.
Pass-in-Review: The highlight of every marching season is the Pass-in-Review concert, where all shows from the season are performed in a stage setting in ASU Desert Financial Arena. The entire performance is recorded so that a professional quality recording can be compiled and made available for members, alumni and fans on our YouTube channel. Pass-in-Review is not only a chance to revisit previous shows, but also the time to recognize band members who will not be returning the following year.
Explosion Block: A trademark of the ASU Sun Devil Marching Band is the ASU Explosion Block, an aspect of the pre-game show. Band members begin in a tightly clustered block, and then "explode" in a series of lines running in several different directions during a drum cadence. It takes only 64 counts for the explosion to close with the band standing in the trademark "ASU," and concludes with marching up the field to form a pitchfork for the football team to run through.
