JSU's Marching Southerners claim prestigious Sudler Trophy

Times Staff Report
·2 min read
Jacksonville State's Marching Southerners will claim the 2022 Sudler Trophy presented by the John Phillip Sousa Foundation.
Jacksonville State's Marching Southerners will claim the 2022 Sudler Trophy presented by the John Phillip Sousa Foundation.

Jacksonville State University’s famed Marching Southerners band is the 2022 recipient of the Sudler Trophy presented by the John Phillip Sousa Foundation, according to a news release from the university.

Since 1982, the Sudler Trophy has been presented every two years to a collegiate marching band, and is considered the equivalent of winning the Heisman Trophy in football.

According to the release, it recognizes collegiate marching bands of particular excellence that have made outstanding contributions to the American way of life; have demonstrated the highest musical standards, the most innovative marching routines and ideas; and have made important contributions to the advancement of college marching band performance standards.

JSU, with a Fall 2021 enrollment of 9,540, is the smallest university to receive the honor.

"The announcement that we will receive the coveted 2022 Sudler Trophy completely humbles me," said Dr. Kenneth G. Bodiford, JSU director of bands. "In addition to the current members and staff, this award is a culmination of all the hard work and dedication of past members and directors dating back to the founding of the Southerners and Marching Ballerinas in 1956. It is truly an honor to share this accomplishment with our entire band and university family."

Bob Buckner, retired band director at Western Carolina University — now the second smallest university to receive the trophy — said the honor is long overdue.

"Since first witnessing a performance by the JSU Marching Southerners in the late 1970s, I have been a fan," Buckner said. "Their strong tradition, musicianship and overwhelming sound have brought thrills to countless students and audiences throughout the Southeast.

“Being awarded the Sudler Trophy is a tremendous tribute for any collegiate band and is an honor that places them among a highly distinguished list of previous winners of the award,” he said. “Nothing is more American than a great marching band, and no bands that I know are more accomplished or deserving than the Marching Southerners."

Members of the Sousa Foundation's Board of Directors will present the trophy to the band at halftime during a JSU football game next fall. For more information on the Marching Southerners, visit www.marchingsoutherners.org.

This article originally appeared on The Gadsden Times: JSU band receives Sudler Trophy