Rutgers Marching Band Performs At Giants Halftime Show Thursday

EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ — The Rutgers marching band, the Marching Scarlet Knights (MSK), are used to performing in front of crowds of up to 50,000 at the Rutgers' stadium in Piscataway.

But this Thursday, the Big Ten band will trade its home turf for MetLife stadium, where they will perform at halftime during the New York Giants vs. Washington Commanders game.

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At the request of New York Giants leadership, the band is prepping a seven-minute show with music by Michael Jackson, My Chemical Romance and Rush, designed to appeal to the broad crowd at an NFL game.

"The Giants want a throwback rock 'n' roll type show," said Rutgers band director Todd Nichols. "We're also learning a second show for the Rutgers Military Appreciation game on Saturday. These students are amazing."

Many of the Rutgers marching band members started playing an instrument in elementary school and later joined their high school marching band.

To perform during an NFL halftime show is a dream come true.

"I'm a big NFL fan, so doing this is awesome and not something I ever thought I would get to do in marching band, especially on Thursday night, which is an infamous night in football," said senior Hannah Echols, 21, one of the band's five drum majors. "It's cool to get to blow everyone's socks off in the stadium."

Rutgers marching band has a unique system where any interested Rutgers student is guaranteed a spot in the band.

"This is absolutely purposeful and has boosted enrollment," Nichols said. "We found a way for students to be able to excel in their academic classes, not have to miss labs and recitations, and still do band."

"It's so important that people get to see what we do at Rutgers because our band is really something special," said senior Evan Gore, 22, another drum major. "It's not just about the music; it's about the people and community, and that all goes into creating one product."

Under Nichols' leadership over the past decade, the band has more than doubled in size, growing from 178 members to 375. The program has also expanded its full-time team, adding Julia Baumanis as assistant director of university bands in 2022. Last month, Turner Gray was hired as coordinator of athletic bands.

"Todd Nichols leaves places better than he finds them," said Gray. "He and Julia are people I look up to."

This marks the fourth time the band will perform at MetLife during Nichols' 10-year tenure at Rutgers, having previously played twice for the Jets and now twice for the Giants. It is also their fifth marquee performance in five years, an impressive stretch that includes the 2023 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and the 2025 Tour de London.