By Sophie Rogers, Contributing Writer

The University of South Alabama will soon open a new $10 million marching band practice facility, which will be a remarkable feat for the future of the Jaguar Marching Band. 

 The Jaguar Marching Band has been a staple of South Alabama game day since its inception in 2009. With over 280 members, it is the largest student organization on campus and arguably the most recognizable. However, until recently, the Jaguar Marching Band has not had a permanent space on campus. 

 The band has been split between the Laidlaw Performing Arts Center, the Health, Kinesiology and Sport building, Jaguar Training Center, and their practice field next to the Mitchell Center, it goes without saying that the JMB needed their own permanent home, especially if they continue to grow the way they have been. In the last two years alone, the band has grown by at least 50 members, reflecting the trend of enrollment growth across the university as a whole. 

 Currently, the way buildings and practice areas are spread throughout campus is very inconvenient; however, the new facility will house the entire program under one roof. Ground was broken on the construction in March of this year, and it is already nearly finished. This new facility will include a band room, drumline and color guard practice rooms, offices for staff, uniform and equipment storage, and more. The new facility is conveniently located nearby Hancock Whitney Stadium. 

 Across the band, fourth- and fifth-year members express sadness that they won’t be able to experience the facility. Drum major and fourth-year member Shannon Kille said she is “very excited for the future members of the JMB who will get to experience marching in the new building.”

 Dr. Will Petersen, director of bands at South, has been with the marching band since 2012. He says that getting this facility has been 10 years in the making, most of the delay being from wanting to place it close to the stadium, but South Alabama did not have a stadium on campus until Hancock Whitney Stadium opened in 2020. The directors share the same sentiments as the students and are very excited about this new opportunity. 

 “I’ve been very lucky to be a part of it for a very long time,” said Dr. Petersen. “The JMB deserves a home, and I am ecstatic that they will have one in three and a half months.” 

 The facility is set to open in January 2026.