Bands officially warned to adhere to SWAC gametime policies

Birmingham, Ala. – The Jackson State and Alabama State marching bands have been publicly reprimanded by the Southwestern Athletic Conference for failure to comply with league procedures and policies during SWAC football contests.

The offenses occurred during the Jackson State home game vs. Alabama A&M on Oct. 9, and the Alabama State home contest vs. Texas Southern on Oct. 2.

Conference rules state that: “once the offensive team breaks the huddle and approaches the line of scrimmage, the band shall cease playing.” By rule, both bands were asked to stop playing at these times by both the referee and the public address announcer.

SWAC rules state that: “on the 2nd offense the violating band will be reprimanded and suspended from performing during their next contest and/or fined an amount to be determined by the Commissioner. On the 3rd offense the violating band will be suspended from performing the remainder of the season. ”

“While we completely understand the importance of the bands to our total game experience, the rules of playing during the game must be adhered to in the interest of competitive balance”, SWAC Commissioner Duer Sharp said. “There are a number of opportunities for the bands to play and perform between plays, as well as, prior to the offensive team approaching the line of scrimmage. We expect all of our outstanding bands to follow these guidelines.”