The series of letdowns at Notre Dame stadium Saturday were not just limited to weather and football.
After the marching band's halftime show was canceled due to severe weather, students were disappointed they could not watch what many call the "one constant" of Notre Dame home football games.
When stadium public address announcer Mike Collins revealed over the loudspeaker that the show was not only delayed but canceled, students began chanting, "Halftime show, halftime show."
"I thought there was a lot of support from students," junior band member John Bailey said. "It was … cool that they were calling for us to do the halftime show."
That cancellation wasn't the band's first letdown of the night.
Bailey said that at halftime, about half the band members were in place when they were told to exit the field due to severe weather.
Like everyone else in the stadium, the band found out about the decision over the loudspeaker system, band president senior Michael Schwind said.
When the fans returned to the Stadium after the game's first evacuation for the start of the second half, an announcement was made that the band would perform their halftime show at the end of the game, after they played the Alma Mater and the Notre Dame Fight Song.
"When they told us that we were going to do halftime after the game, I was pumped," junior band member Julie Novak said.
However, due to the second weather evacuation and the possibility of more storms, it was later announced that the halftime show was canceled, and the band would just perform the Fight Song and the Alma Mater.
"I don't think they would have canceled the Alma Mater," junior band member Heidi Ryan said. "They had to do that. It's such a tradition and people were expecting it."
The decision to cancel the show was made by Stadium personnel after severe weather began moving into the area, Ryan said.
"It was so upsetting," Novak said. "I like the songs this time. They were all pop songs. I wanted to see the students' reaction."
Schwind said the band currently has "no idea" whether there will be a makeup show.
Ryan said the band loves seeing students' reactions to their shows.
"We put a lot of time into the halftime show," Bailey said. "The circumstances of yesterday made it so we couldn't perform. It's too bad."
But band members said they sensed immense support from students and fans Saturday.
"We come and we play for the team, but we also play for the students," Ryan said. "We really look for their approval."
