UAlbany’s Pep Band premiered in 2003. When Casey Stadium opened in 2013 and UAlbany’s football team moved up in conference, the University’s band also expanded.
The Marching Great Danes debuted on September 14, 2013, at the first home game of the season. Under Kevin Champagne’s direction, the Marching Great Danes performed a James Bond-themed show for the entire first season.
The marching band now performs two shows each season, performs at all home football games and travels with the football team once a year — most notably to Montana in December 2019 for a playoff game.
The Pep Band, which was renamed the UAlbany Spirit Band in 2022, performs at home basketball games.
The Marching Great Danes and UAlbany Spirit Band also perform at University and community events, as well as occasional high school marching band shows.
The band has been small since its inception, with roughly 40 students participating each year. However, in 2021, the University launched a concerted effort to grow marching band membership — hiring full-time director Justin Miller, spending more time and money on recruitment and purchasing new instruments.
We aim to have more than 100 students participate in the Marching Great Danes within the next few years. Join today!