Kansas University should redouble its efforts to support the Marching Jayhawks.

Come on, admit it. There have been times over the years that you’ve attended a Kansas University football game almost as much to see the band as to see the team.

There is so much about the atmosphere surrounding a college football game. The cheering, the big scoreboard, the halftime show, the tailgating all go into making the game an enjoyable experience whether the team wins or loses. And there’s almost nothing more important to that experience than the university marching band.

As important as the band is to fans, however, interest among participants apparently is waning. A story today notes that membership in KU’s Marching Jayhawks stands at its lowest point in decades. The band attracted 275 members about 15 years ago and membership had hovered around 240 for several years. This year, however, only about 150 band members will take the field, about 100 fewer than the bands at most other Big 12 schools.

KU officials aren’t sure what’s causing the decline, but they do note that the band requires a substantial time commitment from students. Modest stipends that were available to junior and senior members were discontinued after the 2000 marching season, which probably exacerbated the problem.

Band officials hope to find funding to restore the stipends, but they say that probably isn’t the only reason band interest is waning. Another component to band popularity is a winning team. They cite the example of Kansas State University, whose marching band drew only 123 members in 1993 but, after several notable winning seasons, has grown to about 275 members this year.

Just about everyone associated with KU football would like to see a winning season, but considering that band numbers were relatively stable through many losing seasons, it seems unfair to blame this year’s low participation on the football team. The stipends, even though they were small, probably were a strong motivator. Many band members probably also wanted to continue what had been a pleasant experience from high school. A large number of Marching Jayhawks are not music majors but still want to have a venue in which to perform. Participation in marching band is a special memory for many KU alumni.

This suggests that recruiting from Kansas high schools might help boost KU band numbers, and certainly restoring a small monetary token would be helpful. Perhaps a special benefactor could be found to help support the Marching Jayhawks. Or maybe the KU Athletic Corp. could find some funding for this worthy cause.

The football game is the main attraction at Memorial Stadium, but KU officials shouldn’t discount how big an attraction the Marching Jayhawks are for many KU fans.