Posted by ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg
The Wisconsin marching band had its suspension lifted Thursday and will be able to perform at Saturday night's home game against No. 6 Penn State (ESPN, 8 p.m. ET). Longtime band director Michael Leckrone barred the band from performing at last week's game against Ohio State because allegations of hazing had surfaced following a recent trip to Michigan.
A university investigation found a pattern of troubling behavior among band members, including hazing and sexualized behavior. Most of the problems stemmed from upperclassmen hazing freshmen. The band won't be able to travel, but it will be back in the stands Saturday night at Camp Randall Stadium.
I'm sure Wisconsin fans are glad to hear the news. The Fifth Quarter is one of the Big Ten's best traditions, and marching bands are an integral part of the college football game-day experience. But Wisconsin has to do a better job of supervising its band, which is increasingly becoming an embarrassment to the university after two hazing-related incidents in three years.
Adam Rittenberg joined ESPN.com in 2008 after four years at the Arlington Heights (Ill.) Daily Herald, where he covered sports at Notre Dame, Northwestern, DePaul and several other colleges. He lives in Chicago.
