Marching Pioneers to perform during halftime of Packers game

The University of Wisconsin-Platteville marching band, the Marching Pioneers, will be performing at Lambeau Field on Sunday, Oct. 20 when the Green Bay Packers play the Houston Texans. Kickoff is scheduled for noon.

This is a rare opportunity for band members, whose numbers are estimated to be between 170-180 this season, according to Matt Gregg, director of bands at UW-Platteville. "Each year, I try to take the band on a trip to perform outside of Platteville," said Gregg. "On any trip, it is a priority to promote UW-Platteville and the Marching Pioneers by getting them in front of as many people as possible."

This is Gregg's third time taking the band to Lambeau, though he believes the Marching Pioneers have performed in Green Bay less than ten times in all. With just six minutes to perform, the band needs to be very selective of its song choices. They plan to play "Rock Me Tonite," "It Had Better Be Tonight," from their first season show, and the "Pioneer Fight Song."

"There is no other experience that compares to leading those young performers onto Lambeau Field to play for 80,000 fans, TV cameras and dozens of NFL players," said Gregg. "This is something they will remember for the rest of their lives. So will I."