Band Director Bartner Reaches 250th Home Game
The overwhelming victory over UCLA wasn't the only thing Trojans were celebrating on Saturday night. The cross-city rivalry game also marked Arthur C. Bartner's 250th home game as director of the USC Marching Band.
According to a USC News article, Bartner has only missed one home game since his first USC football game on Sept. 12, 1970. Now, 42 seasons later, Bartner has watched 186 Trojan victories at home.
Bartner's work and committment to turning the Spirit of Troy into a premiere collegiate marching band will be honored with his induction into the USC Hall of Fame in May.
The band reached several other milestones this year as well. It celebrated its 300th consecutive football game when USC played Syracuse at the beginning of the season, and the Notre Dame game marked its 20th time traveling to South Bend for the rival match-up.
In order to maintain the Spirit of Troy's consecutive attendance on the road, it has launched the Trojan Marching Band Travel Fund to raise the $325,000 it takes to travel to all away games every year. If you would like to make a donation, you can visit uscband.com/travel.