The Green Bay Packers have extended their invitation to the Marching Pioneers to perform on Oct. 20, 2024, during their game against the Houston Texans. They will perform a tailgate performance prior to the game and their marching show at halftime.
The Marching Pioneers will perform Billy Squier’s “Rock Me Tonite” and Henry Mancini’s “It Had Better Be Tonight” on the field. Director Matt Gregg stated, “It’s all of six minutes, but it’ll be six minutes that those students and me, and the staff involved, will remember for the rest of their lives.”
The Marching Pioneers performed in previous years at Lambeau Field, the last time being before the pandemic. “This will be the third time that I’ve done that in my 21 years at the university. It’s just an extraordinary opportunity for the students and for the school and for myself,” Gregg stated.
For many Marching Pioneers, this will be their first experience at any professional sports stadium. “In terms of the exposure it provides, also just the nature of the experience, I think the students who aren’t aware of exactly what that means now who are in the marching band will know what that means the moment we step out on to Lambeau field with 80,000 fans in attendance. It is just something that is unique. That place to me, as a professional sport and a Green Bay Packers fan, is a special place, but I think amongst professional sports franchises, most people would admit that Green Bay, WI, and Lambeau field is a very special place,” said Gregg.
Trumpet section leader Chris Thomas III reflected, “I’m very excited to take the trumpets and the entirety of the marching pioneers to Lambeau to perform at the Green Bay Packer halftime show. We as a band and a section have made a lot of progress this year, and as a leader of the trumpet section, I can’t wait for them to do well and have this great experience.”
The Marching Pioneers will perform at two more UW-Platteville football home games, Oct. 26 against UW-Whitewater, and Nov. 9 against UW-Eau Claire. The marching performance season will end with the Last Blast concert on Sunday, Nov. 10 in Williams Fieldhouse.
