The University of Louisville Marching Band The University of Louisville " Cardinal " Marching Band is the official marching band of the University of Louisville ( a . k . a . " U of L " or " UofL " ) in Louisville , Kentucky . It is considered the Music Ambassador for U of L . The band plays at all home football games at Papa John ' s Cardinal Stadium ( PJCS ) , all postseason bowl game s , and occasionally a regular season away football game . It also plays at the annual Spring Scrimmage Game which pits the Cardinal Offense against the Cardinal Defense . The band is run as a Major Ensemble course at the UofL School of Music and is perhaps best known for its nationally televised performances of " My Old Kentucky Home " every year at the Kentucky Derby . About . Overview . During the University ' s Fall semester , the band rehearses from 4 : 30pm to 6 : 30pm on Mondays , Wednesdays , and Fridays . Membership normally ranges from 150 to 250 , which includes the players , twirlers , colorguard , and drum majors . It is composed of students at the University ( music majors and non - music majors alike ) as well as a select few students of other nearby colleges that don ' t have a marching band program of their own . Members receive both a college credit and a scholarship for participation . The band has performed on MTV and has had musical greats join them in performance such as world renowned trumpeter , Wynton Marsalis . The group was chosen to perform for the Captain ' s Celebration of the 2008 Ryder Cup at the Valhalla Golf Club . The group has also been featured and / or written about on ESPN , FOX Sports , Good Morning America , ABC World News Tonight with Charlie Gibson , Inside Edition , and ABC ’ s . " RED RAGE ! " . The marching band adopted the nickname " RED RAGE ! " from Fall 2007 to Spring 2011 . The nickname was featured on various band apparel . The nickname was chosen in homage to a piece of the Louisville football team ' s history . Vince Gibson ( Louisville football coach from 1975 to 1979 ) coined the name for his football team during their success . When the band was being announced during pregame and halftime show s , the band was called the " RED RAGE ! " Marching Band . Tau Beta Sigma ( ΤΒΣ ) . Certain members of the Cardinal Marching Band rush for the co - educational national honorary band fraternity known as Tau Beta Sigma ( TBS ) . The University of Louisville is home to the Theta Psi chapter of TBS . Performances . The Kentucky Derby Festival . Pegasus Parade . During the Kentucky Derby Festival , the band has two events that it participates in annually . The first of which is the " Pegasus Parade " , held in downtown Louisville two days before the Kentucky Derby . It is one of the largest parades in the United States . The band marches the parade among all the other floats and attractions while playing fight songs , both representing the University of Louisville and the city of Louisville itself . Kentucky Derby . The second of these events is the Kentucky Derby itself at historic Churchill Downs . The band routinely plays in between the various races held on Derby day , usually alternating play times with a military band . Its greatest honor every year takes place minutes before the big race — the playing of the Stephen Foster classic " My Old Kentucky Home " near the Derby Winner ' s Circle for all those in attendance and for those that watch on television . The band first played the song at the Derby in 1936 , by which time it was established as the music played while the horses are led to the post parade . It has kept this engagement for all but a few years since then . In 2002 , famed trumpeter Wynton Marsalis joined the band for this honor . In 1998 , Dr . Frederick A . Speck ( the UofL director of bands and a composer in his own right ) wrote an arrangement of " My Old Kentucky Home " that the marching band has since played for this and many other occasions . The Louisville Orchestra . For years , the UofL Marching Band has carried a relationship with the Louisville Orchestra . The first concert of the Orchestra ' s season is called " Fanfara " — held at at The Kentucky Center for the Performing Arts in September every year . The marching band is featured as the opening act , usually entering and exiting to a drum cadence but stopping to play The Star - Spangled Banner while on stage . The playing of the American national anthem appropriately kicks off the Orchestra ' s season of wonderful live music . KMEA State Marching Championships . Since 2007 , when the competition returned to Louisville after a long drought without it , band members have assisted the Kentucky Music Educators Association ( KMEA ) in hosting the semi - finals and finals of " Kentucky State Marching Band Championships " at Papa Johns Cardinal Stadium . Band members take on various jobs for the day , from being a band guide to being a press box assistant and more . At the end of the competition , the UofL Drumline ( ULD ) plays a series a cadences as all of the finalist bands reenter the stadium for the trophy ceremony . Patrick Henry Hughes . In 2006 , at the suggestion of then Louisville marching band director , Dr . Greg Byrne , trumpet er Patrick Henry Hughes joined the marching band . The significance in this is that Patrick was a young man who had been born without eyes and , furthermore , was bound to a wheelchair , unable to walk . Patrick would play trumpet while his father pushed him in his wheelchair through the marching drill and routines . This visible commitment attracted increasing crowd and media attention throughout the fall football season , and the pair of Patricks were featured in a variety of television and newspaper coverage . Extreme Makeover : Home Edition . In November 2007 , at the suggestion of a member of the marching band , ABC ' s came to Louisville to remake Patrick Henry Hughes ' family home . As part of a community project that the show routinely does at the suggestion of the recipient of the home makeover , the band ' s practice field was given a makeover . The show filmed at two band rehearsals — one rehearsal on the old field and one rehearsal at the unveiling of the new field . New lights and a new sound system were installed for better practice conditions . Other additions to the new field include a new shed for the storage of both instruments and equipment , a roofed sitting area to escape the sun ' s heat , and water fountains to hydrate the band members . The new field is fenced off and has a tall gate that displays the name of the field : Patrick Henry Hughes Field . Music . CDs . In recent years , the marching band has released one CD of music played : 2007 Highlights . The CD was engineered and recorded by Christopher Jones and Tim Haertel . It was produced by TNT Productions , Inc . The track listing is found below .