The Marching 97. You know them, you love them, but how much do you know about their Rivalry traditions and superstitions? We went straight to the insiders to uncover some of the band's favorite game-week rituals.
The Marching 97’s biggest and best-known tradition is Eco-Flame, when band members make surprise appearances in classrooms across campus on the Thursday before the game, interrupting lectures with a few spirited tunes.
The tradition dates back to the 1970s, though its exact origins are debated. According to Bob Haines ’80, drum major for the 1978 season, it started when he organized a march and performance around campus the Friday morning before the big game. As the band approached Packard Lab, an idea formed.
“We knew that professor Rich Aaronson loved the Marching 97. He even guest conducted once for a song the band played in the stands during a game at Taylor Stadium in the late 70s,” says Haines. “In addition to playing Lehigh fight songs outside of various buildings on campus, we'd figured we’d be 'safe' for the flame band to show up unannounced during the middle of his economics lecture in Packard’s auditorium. His ECO 001 course had the most students enrolled, so we knew we'd have a huge audience. Eco-Flame was coined to commemorate this inaugural indoor performance. It's nice that a tradition that started almost 50 years ago still occurs today.”
What began as a Friday morning march and performance has since moved to Thursday, the day before the game.
What might be considered a disturbance on other campuses has become a welcome annual occurrence at Lehigh. In fact, many professors now sign up through a formal request form to have the band visit their classrooms. The ensemble also makes several regular stops at campus buildings and events each year.
The drum major maps out the band’s route across campus, prioritizing larger classrooms and gathering spaces. Performances feature a rotation of about four songs, ending with Lehigh’s fight song.
But there’s another part of Eco-Flame that not everyone knows about. Before heading into the Alumni Memorial Building for the band’s annual performance, every member makes a point of touching the Asa Packer statue.
A little extra luck from the university’s founder never hurts.
The Marching 97 also welcomes alumni band members back to join in the Rivalry halftime show. Their return helps fill out the ranks while bringing generations of Marching 97 members together through a shared love of the ensemble.
And then there are the performances you won’t find on the official schedule.
On the Wednesday before the big game, a small flame band visits fraternity and sorority houses to play fight songs.
The following night, the brass players gather atop the stone walls near the fraternity houses for a performance of their favorite song: “Underbone.”
Neither performance is advertised, and photography is off-limits. They’re the definition of an “if you know, you know” tradition. And now you’re in on the secret.
“The Marching 97 is an incredibly important community to me,” says Mailei Schechterly ’27, the ensemble’s publicity manager. “I would do anything for this club; we’re all bonded. It’s brought me people I care about and love dearly.”
Former bandsman Kal Chany ’79 remembers well his four Lehigh-Lafayette game performances.
“The marching band is considered by many to be the heartbeat of the college game day experience,” Chany says. “We strived to put on a great show every time we performed, but Rivalry raised the band’s adrenaline to another level. We got extremely psyched up, especially given the history of the game and our largest crowd of the season. And we knew the ‘Marching Lehigh’ sequence would really get the fans excited.”
The songs, rituals, and superstitions may be what bring the Marching 97 together each Rivalry season, but it’s the people behind them who make the traditions last. As alumni return to join current members, those connections continue to grow, one Rivalry at a time.
“The band is a really tight-knit group that loves coming together to show their spirit!” says Darin Lewis, Marching 97 band director. “There’s no better time than Le-Laf week!”
