A&T’s Blue and Gold Marching Machine won’t travel to Elon or FAMU due to budget constraints

North Carolina A&T’s Blue and Gold Marching Machine made headlines last Saturday when it joined the UNC band on the field at Keenan Stadium. Don’t look for that to happen this week at Elon, because the band won’t be there due to budget constraints.

“It’s a budget thing,” Dr. Kenneth Ruff, director of bands at A&T told The Burlington Times. “We’re like everyone else. It’s money driven.”

Elon and A&T are located just 21 miles apart, less than a 30 minute drive, but the $10,000 price tag for bringing the band just isn’t in the budget, according to Ruff. Neither is a trip to Tallahassee, FL when A&T travels to MEAC rival FAMU. FAMU brought its band to Aggie Stadium last year.

“We have to decide which trips we can go to,” Ruff said. “There’s a lot of people, and it takes money to move the band.”