You know, looking back over my numbers I realized I made a couple of HUGE errors in my calculations.
1.) The $12-15,000 cost of busses would be what would be required to transport
the whole band (6 or 7 busses). I have no idea what I was doing. I was basing my figures off the cost of transporting the UA band, which is a little bigger than the BMB. Anyway, The real number for a single, nice bus would be around $2,000 probably, but that would be a bus which would hold over 60 people. I'm sure the university could come up with a better alternative.
2.) That being said, the bus driver cost should be adjusted as well. I'd still say a few hundred dollars -- bus drivers have to take a break every 3-4 hours and switch every 8 hours.
The meal cost would probably be cut to one meal as well.
SO, IN CONCLUSION CLASS, my previous figures would be more correct for taking the entire band on a trip (say to SHSU), whereas they would be adjusted as stated above for a smaller pep trip. If the band could travel with cheerleaders/mascot/etc that would help costs.
But, Honey Bear, in their defense there are many dedicated band members @ both UCA & the UA who would go to the ends of the earth to play an away game for no charge. The UA pays the band as a courtesy, knowing the scheduleing conflicts, lost study hours, and other things that can come with an away trip. Plus, the students are expected to use the money in part to pay for meals and other incidentals. And it's usually not just an issue of playing at the game -- there are multiple pep rallys and sometimes media events, too. And this is often done with no down time, all in the same day...... the football team usually gets to go a little early so they can have some breaks.
And don't worry; the football players get their perks, though they may not be monetary -- each Hog player that went to the bowl this past year received a free 20" LCD TV, Xbox 360, and up to $1500 for "travel expenses," as well as catered meals, luxury hotel and the like. And that's all I
know about. That may sound outrageous, but consider this: some day our Bears will be getting that kind of stuff too!