Nobody has been punished yet???? Their privilege of performing was suspended. That's a punishment.

"Leckrone said it involved only a small number of band members, but it was significant enough to warrant the suspension."

Of the whole team? Come on. Wouldn't it have made more sense to remove the small number of band members from the band or suspend them? I don't see why a select few have to ruin the band experience for the school and state of Wisconsin.

Actually, I attended and graduated from UW-Madison and Blackhawk Tech. I'm bashing UW-Wastewater because the town is a dump and there is major grade inflation at the school in recent years. Next time the Dean's list is released in the Gazette for UW-Wastewater notice how many names are on the list in comparison to other colleges. Oh, and it's also a suitcase college.

Buckyfan - I totally agree. Good for Leckrone for making this decision. I'm sorry he had to. He's an honorable man, excellent band director, and one of the best professors I had at UW-Madison. I'm sorry these few students disrespected him like this, and ruined it for all.

BTCalum....Are you bashing UW-Whitewater because you didn't get accepted there?

"What happened to innocent til proven guilty?"

Nobody has been punished yet. Band performances are a privilege. That privilege is being suspended until the investigation is complete. Everybody in the band is an adult, and they are responsible for their individual behavior. The behavior of the band as a whole also reflects on the University. It is impossible for supervisors to be everywhere, so the band members have to police themselves.

What happened to innocent til proven guilty?

SKI...I totally AGREE with you. Just another PR movement.

What a bunch of crap. I know the whole band was put on probataion, but this is a bit severe. There will be no energy in Camp Randall tonight. I would hope that the rest of the student body stands up for the band members that didn't take part in this, possibly by not coming to the game tonight. Suspend the offenders, even up to dismisal from school, don't take part of the college football atmosphere away from the rest of us.

Does this mean band members won't be allowed into the stadium to watch tonight's game? If not, are those 300 seats available to the students (and others) who were not able to get tickets before?

Here's details from the 2006 incident as reported in the Cap Times:
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That included semi-nude suggestive dancing by some members, and women being forced to kiss other women to be allowed to enter bathrooms on the band bus. One student complained he had his head shaved during the trip.
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A female band member complained of being forced to suck on a sex toy during a hazing incident, while other women complained of being forced to draw pornographic pictures for older male band members, and recite obscene limericks.
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Others said they were ordered to read aloud to older band members explicit accounts of their sexual preferences composed by others for them to read.

Rocky, there's a difference, not a double standard. The football players' violations occur off the field, away from the game. These band violations historically have occurred while the members are together (ie the bus trips to games) and involve older band members forcing their will on younger or female members. I think the message to the band by suspending them is that the members have to police themselves to make sure these behaviors stop. And for those who think they were just having fun, it's one thing to have fun but wholly another thing to force people to perform sexual acts (kissing other girls) just to go to the bathroom. That goes beyond inappropriate into the realm of criminal! Good for Mike Leckrone for making a powerful statement. The kids knew the code of conduct, broke it and are paying the price. Bet the behavior stops!

Double standard. When a football player violates terms of conduct, does the entire team get suspended? Nope. A "small group" of band members mess up and everyone pays - including the crowd that bought tickets. Suspend the offenders - let the rest play.

They should take a page from the UW athletic programs. Announce a full scale investigation then suspend the band for the Cal Poly game.

BTC, why do you have to go and slam UW-Whitewater? I went to both UW-Madison and UW-Whitewater, and I definitely prefer UW-Whitewater. Actually, one of the main reasons I went to UW-Madison in the first place was because of the atmostphere at the sporting events. It's true, the band brings a ton of energy to the crowd. It's unfortunate they didn't listen to the warnings, because now UW is going into the toughest game of the season without a big part of their support.

I go to the games to see the team too, but the game won't be the same without the band. They do make it even more fun.

Just remember, you succeed as a team, you fail as a team.

UW was the number one party school in the United States....is it still ranked that high? I'll bet if not its still in the top ten.

Good job! Nothing like holding young adults accountable. Since the band is a team effort best to treat them all the same. It will be very weird at Camp Randall without the Band there though......

I absolutely DISAGREE with what has happened. Yeah, if you get caught for what you did....punishment. But come on....hear say is never a good defense. Seminude bus riders...whoppee....how many of us adults haven't behaved in the same manner if not worse. Probably even the CHANCLOR...or the DEAN. Get over your title and just let people be people. They were only having fun adn didn't hurt anyone. Get on with life.

I have never agreed with group punishment - if I were a Parent of one of the "innocent" I would be livid. An investigation - yes - and THEN proper punishment for those involved.

It figures that John Belushi went to UW-Wastewater. Animal House is a great film though.

Belushi acted in Animal House, but he didn't write it. Most of the material came from writers Chris Miller (Dartmouth) and Harold Ramis (Washington University in St. Louis) as well as other National Lampoon writers. I'm sure everyone contributed their own touches, of course.
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Anyway, the appropriate movie line here is "So ... this one time ... at band camp ...."

300 band members suspended indefinitely. Yikes!
I don't know, maybe there was a big screening of "Animal House" on campus. Folklore says that the movie "Animal House" had some basis on John Belushi's short lived attendance at UW Whitewater.
The quote that comes to mind is, “We’re with the band.”
Funny but NOT funny.

Prevention - You seriously didn't consider the University of Wisconsin because of 100 band geeks? That isn't exactly the most intelligent of choices.

My dad drove for one of their trips. He said that he'd never drive for the Madison Marching Band due to their behaviors on that trip.... and all trips from what I understand. I believe it. That is why I never even thought about going to the UW.

Its to bad the young adults don't know how to have fun responsibly or where to draw the line. The fifth quarter will be missed.

I think he made the right choice. Yes it sucks for the kids who did not do anything but if he needs to make a statement saying he is not putting up with it then this is what he has to do. Hazing is a very scary and dangerous thing and it needs to stop. Preventing the kids from playing is one way to get to them.
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Now on the other hand. I don't know how the band works but do they have "2nd string" members that practice with them but don't preform? If the number was small enough could the director suspended the players that were violating the policies and replaced them with the "2nd string?"

Good. Hold Young adults responsible.