WINNER
UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE PRIDE OF THE SOUTHLAND BAND
Football games in Knoxville just wouldn't be the same without the Pride of the Southland Band. Established in 1869, the University of Tennessee's band has escalated from an all-male squad attached to the Military Department to a 330-member regiment of troops dedicated to marching the Vols toward victory.
The Pride of the Southland Band spends most fall Saturdays energizing UT fans and players alike with its adrenaline-pumping renditions of "Rocky Top."
And the action's not just on the turf of Neyland Stadium; band members often play other events as well, such as the past nine presidential inaugurations, park concerts, and as guest performers for the Tennessee Titans.
Kind of makes you wish you'd kept practicing the tuba like Mom told you, doesn't it?
Runners-up: Boy's Night Out and Gran Torino
September 30, 2001