Rutgers Band Traditions
The Rutgers Marching and Pep Band's primary goal is to support the Rutgers Athletic teams. We are their No. 1 fan, and we're proud of it. We are also known to have a lot of fun, Rutgers-style.
Some of our Traditions include:
Multiple football gameday performances: Before each game, the band parades through parking lots filled with tons of Rutgers fans chanting the school’s name to the “Chop Cadence.” Then it’s down The Rutgers Boardwalk, and the band plays the school’s fight song, “The Bells Must Ring”. After the parade, the band heads over to Athlete’s Glen for the “Tailgate Village at The Rutgers Boardwalk,” where the band will hype up the crowd in preparation for gameday! The band will hit the road one final time with the “Stadium Parade” filled with Rutgers pride. After the parade, the band will take the field and perform a traditional pregame show, halftime show, and music in the stands to support the Scarlet Knights. At the conclusion of the day, the band heads back to the practice field and sings the Alma Mater to close out a day filled with Rutgers Pride.
Traditional Pregame: Each home football game begins with a pregame show. The pregame show begins with the band marching out to the beat of the “Chop Cadence” out of the tunnel, and then creates the fanfare block as the field major marches and holds into a back bend. The “RU Fanfare”is the first tune to be played, and its piercing sound gets the crowd ready for the fight song “The Bells Must Ring” as the band floats the “Block R” 64 counts down the field. Iconic pregame formations include the “Queen’s Crown,” “Football Helmet,” “State of New Jersey,” and the “Rutgers Set” concluding pregame with the National Anthem and Alma Mater before forming the “team tunnel” with Rutgers Spirit, the Scarlet Knight on his horse to bring out the football team.
Rutgers Fight Songs: Our fight songs include: The Bells Must Ring - Played for every touchdown with the blast of the cannon, and includes the famous RU Rah Rah cheer. This song is named for Old Queens Bell, which is rung for every winning season. Colonel Rutgers - Played for the football team as they touch the foot of “The First Knight” Statue, during pregame, and in the stands at SHI Stadium.
Alma Mater: Our members know their Alma Mater, probably because they sing it all the time! The singing of the Alma Mater has become a great tradition, instilling pride and spirit. The Alma Mater is played and sung at the end of a winning football game and sung again when the band heads back to the practice field at the conclusion of gameday. It’s also sung whenever the band returns home and crosses the Raritan River, reminding us of the home we love.
On the Banks of the Old Raritan
From far and near we came to Rutgers,
And resolved to learn all that we can;
And so we settled down,
In that noisy college town,
On the banks of the old Raritan.
Refrain:
On the banks of the old Raritan (my friends)
Where old Rutgers evermore shall stand,
For has she not stood
Since the time of the flood,
On the banks of the old Raritan.
Then sing aloud to Alma Mater
And keep the scarlet in the van'
For with her motto high
Rutgers' name shall never die
On the banks of the old Raritan.
(Refrain)
1914 single-gender text
My father sent me to old Rutgers,
And resolv'd that I should be a man;
And so I settled down, In that noisy college town,
On the banks of the old Raritan.
