What’s a championship without brass, woodwinds and a little percussion? Thanks to the musicians at John Carroll University, teams competing for a Division III men’s basketball title each year don’t have to answer that question.

When John Carroll won the 2004 Division III Men’s Basketball Championship, its pep band was there every step of the way. It’s been five years since the Blue Streaks made it to the national semifinals, but the good tunes have continued for the fans in Salem, Virginia, as the John Carroll pepsters have made the championship an annual gig.

“After our first trip to Salem, we were looking at our schedule the following year and trying to find an event where we could get national recognition for John Carroll,” said band director Marty Hoehler. “It’s the biggest event we do each year.”

While major Division I programs regularly travel with full ensembles, a large percentage of Division III schools don’t have pep bands that play at their games. John Carroll’s presence in Salem has augmented the experience for the teams that are competing for the national championship.

“It enhances the game and adds to the atmosphere,” said Kerry Harveycutter, director of civic facilities for the city of Salem. “They create a unique experience for the student-athletes.”

John Carroll is located in Cleveland, about 450 miles north of Salem. During the third week of March, the band climbs onto a bus first thing Friday morning and gears up for an eight-hour ride south.

The students usually sleep for the first couple of hours on the road. When they wake up, they begin making sandwiches and watching movies. They arrive in Salem in the afternoon, just a couple of hours before the first national semifinal game.

After playing such crowd-pleasers as “The Impression That I Get,” “Carry On My Wayward Son,” and “You Can Call Me Al,” for the doubleheader, the band heads back to the Quality Inn, where three or four band members share a room. After Saturday’s national championship game, the band gets back on the bus and begins its eight-hour journey home.

“It’s not terribly glamorous, but it’s a great bonding experience. It helps us build our identity as a band,” Hoehler said.

John Carroll’s band has so improved the championship experience that the Salem Civic Center gives the group a $700 honorarium, buys them pizzas and provides them with access to a hospitality room at the arena.

This year, Washington-St. Louis returned to Salem for the second consecutive season, and the team’s fans bonded with the band en route to a national title.

“We had three buses of students who went down and they danced and swayed with the band,” said Washington-St. Louis head coach Mark Edwards. “I think they’ve become part of the tradition of the event. They take tremendous pride in what they’re doing and in representing Division III basketball.”

The trip to Salem has become such a tradition for John Carroll that many alums often make the trip to play with the band at the Division III games. Fans who attend the championship year in and year out have started to look forward to seeing the familiar faces providing courtside entertainment.

“The fans have definitely grown accustomed to having them here,” Harveycutter said. “We hope they come forever.”

The John Carroll University pep band is a fixture each year at the Division III Men’s Basketball Championship – whether or not their team is competing in the event. / Photo courtesy of John Carroll University.