Rose Bowl game bands divert from Rose Parade early to make early kick-off time

The University of Indiana and University of Alabama marching bands made the turn onto Colorado Boulevard past the television cameras before hanging a right at Raymond Avenue.

No, it was not a wrong turn. Buses were waiting at nearby Central Park around 9:20 a.m. to get the two bands to the Rose Bowl Stadium in time for the early kick-off. This year, the game, which will be a College Football Playoff quarterfinal, is scheduled to start at 1 p.m. local time. The Rose Parade start time of around 8 a.m. did not change.

University of Indiana trombone player Aaron Funkhouser, 22, celebrated with the band as soon as the Indiana University Marching Hundred turned on Raymond Avenue en route to the earlier-scheduled Rose Bowl. The whole morning has been “amazing,” he said, rain notwithstanding. “I have no words, it was all worth it,” Funkhouser said. “Getting wet is just the price you gotta pay.”

As for his predictions on the 112th Rose Bowl, “I’m hoping for the best.”

This detour was not made on the fly but instead was one of many logistical adjustments made by the Tournament to accommodate the earlier start time. City officials anticipated that the earlier kick-off time will mean more pedestrian traffic going directly from the parade to the stadium.

The bands aren’t the only ones who will need to make a dash from parade route to the stadium. While Grand marshal Earvin “Magic” Johnson, Tournament of Roses President Mark Leavens and the Rose Court are expected to complete the entire 5.5-mile parade route, once they reach the finish line, a police escort is waiting to get them to the stadium.