The Pride of Oklahoma Marching Band The Pride of Oklahoma Marching Band , known as " The Pride " , is the student marching band for the University of Oklahoma Sooners . Early years . The Pride was founded in 1901 as a pep band to play at Sooner football games . In the early years , the band was composed mostly of Norman residents and was disbanded every year after football season . The first continuous student band was founded in 1904 by Lloyd Curtis , himself a Sooner freshman . The band branched out and began playing at other athletic events . Eventually , they started playing non - athletic events also , including concerts and parades . The band marched in the parade celebrating the inauguration of the first Oklahoma governor , Charles N . Haskell . A military band was created during World War I but was kept separate from the University band . In 1929 , the University hired its first full - time faculty member , William R . Wehrend , whose primary responsibility was to direct the band program . He devised numerous ways of promoting the band . He was one of the first band directors to have an annual high school Band Day event . In 1934 , he organized a publicity stunt to set the record for the world ' s longest drum roll . Ten hours later , it was successful . Wehrend was one of the first directors to admit women into the band program , in 1934 . Directors . With the success of the football program in the 1950s , so increased the visibility of the Pride . Their halftime programs , centered on themes that would incorporate well - known songs of the day , were soon being broadcast on television during games . They received the grand prize as the best overall unit in the 200 - unit 1961 National Cherry Blossom Festival Parade held in Washington , D . C . Since the 1950s , the Pride has been under the leadership of several different band directors and with those directors came different styles . The 1960s saw band director Gene Braught bring a style of precision marching filled with intricate routines creating geometric shapes and lines . Gene " Coach " Thrailkill transitioned the Pride to emphasize technique and sound – but not at the expense of the overriding goal to support the Sooners . During the 1983 Bedlam game at Oklahoma State in Stillwater , the Sooners fell behind 20 - 3 early in the 4th quarter . Stillwater police took Thrailkill off the field for not having a sideline pass . Incensed , Thrailkill told the Pride to " start playing and don ' t stop until we ' re ahead ! " The band complied , and played " Boomer Sooner " non - stop – and after roughly 300 times , the Sooners were ahead 21 - 20 . Barry Switzer and the Sooners awarded the Pride the game ball , and labeled it " The Day The Pride Won " as proof . Thrailkill also introduced the current pre - game show , which has been used continuously in one form or another for over 35 years . In 2011 , Bleacher Report ranked the Pride ' s pre - game show the third best pre - game show in college football . A Second Century of Pride . Upon Thrailkill ' s retirement in 2001 , Brian Britt was named Pride director . Debra Traficante , a former Graduate Assistant at the University of Oklahoma , became Assistant Director in 2010 . As of January 1 , 2013 , Dr . Debra Traficante assumed the title and position of Interim Director of the Pride of Oklahoma , following Brian Britt ' s announcement that he would be taking the position of Director of Fine Arts for Richardson Independent School District in Richardson , TX . In 1987 , the Pride was awarded the prestigious Sudler Trophy , the equivalent of the Heisman Trophy for university bands and an award no band may be awarded twice . As of 2006 , the Sudler Trophy has been awarded 25 times ; the Pride was the sixth recipient of the award . On November 22 , 2007 , six days after Oklahoma marked 100 years as an American state , the Pride made its first trip to New York City to be Oklahoma ' s representative in the Macy ' s Thanksgiving Day Parade . The band debuted a new uniform coat during the parade , and returned to Oklahoma in time to support the Sooners against the Oklahoma State Cowboys on November 24 . Traditional songs . In attendance at all home and away football games , the Pride performs a variety of music .