The University of Illinois Marching Illini is proud to be the nation's premiere college marching band. The unique style of the Marching Illini represents a combination of time-honored traditions and exciting innovations.

Bands of the Big Ten

- Illinois - Indiana - Iowa - Ohio State - Penn State - Purdue - Michigan - Michigan State - Minnesota - Northwestern - Wisconsin

Perhaps the most visible and accessible of the many University Bands ensembles, the Marching Illini annually performs at all home Fighting Illini football games. In addition to these spectacular performances before Memorial Stadium crowds, the Marching Illini travels to at least one away game per football season. The Marching Illini showcases its world-renowned musicianship and showmanship at the annually sold-out Assembly Hall Concert. Serving as host and performing in exhibition at the close of the annual Illini Marching Festival presents yet another opportunity for the Marching Illini to show why it is "The Best Band in the Land."

The Marching Illini is a very select and close-knit organization which annually includes approximately 350 of the University of Illinois' finest and most dedicated students. Members of the Marching Illini represent virtually every college, discipline and major on the University's diverse Urbana-Champaign campus.

Continually at the forefront of great university marching bands, the Marching Illini was awarded the prestigious Louis Sudler Intercollegiate Marching Band Trophy in 1983 in recognition of its many outstanding achievements. In addition to Rose Bowl appearances, the Marching Illini has performed at the All-American, Peach, Liberty, Citrus, Hall of Fame, John Hancock, Holiday, MicronPC.com, and Sugar bowl games.

The Marching Illini Philosophy
As developed by Director Emeritus Gary Smith

System + Spirit = Success
The two most important attributes of a successful marching band are spirit and system. A system is a way of doing things. It represents the total structure of the band, such as organization, procedures, activities, philosophies, teaching methods, marching and playing style, and policies. Spirit represents how individual band members respond to the system. It includes practice habits, good attitudes, mental discipline, commitment, responsibility, dependability, and hard work. Success is the result of both good spirit and a good system, and it generates its own "by-products" such as pride, enthusiasm, loyalty, discipline, and dedication.