For more than a century, the Marching 110 has represented Ohio University, collected awards, entertained fans and hyped up fellow Bobcats in the stands during performances. After all these years, the marching band is getting its own practice facility, called Hurley Field, to be open in time for the 2026 season.
Hurley Field is named after 110 alumni Shawn and Tracey Hurley, who gave a foundational gift of $1 million and matched donations up to $5,000. Hurley Field will be located next to Chessa Field on South Shafer Street, across from the Central Food Facility.
For 102 years, the 110 band members have not had a practice field to call their own. This past year, they practiced at Pruitt Field, which is used by other sports teams, such as the lacrosse and women’s field hockey teams.
When the band is unable to practice at Pruitt, it goes to Peden or another grassy area. Mikey Rivera, a senior studying integrated social studies and the 110 field commander, said the band often competes for a practice space.
“During training week at the beginning of the year, when everyone comes back the week before school starts, we're competing to try to get spaces when we can,” Rivera said. “It's not anyone's fault, because obviously football needs a place to practice too. It's just kind of unfortunate when sometimes we have to practice on a grass field … we hardly have lines.”
Rivera said the new field will solve many logistical problems, including providing the band with permanent lines to practice on instead of painting new lines every week on Pruitt Field.
Practicing at Pruitt also meant the band directors could not see, since there was no tall structure for them to stand on to get the full picture of the drill. Hurley Field will include a 40-foot director’s tower, for the directors to look at the entire band at once.
"Sometimes we would have our photographer bring his drone, so he could bring it all the way up there and we could see it from a top-down view,” Rivera said. “But with having this new director’s tower that is really tall, our director, Dr. Suk, will just look down and be able to see what is actually happening. It'll make his life so much easier.”
Without having to strain any necks or wait for a drone video to be available, directors can more easily see the drill and determine what they need to improve.
In addition to having a field accommodated to its needs, the 110 will also have access to its own storage unit, which will be directly next to Hurley Field.
Alden Laipply, a sophomore studying engineering technology and management, is a tuba player for the 110 and is excitedly awaiting the new practice facility and storage unit. He said his tuba horn can only be stored in two places, inside Peden or beside Pruitt Field, and whenever he needs his instrument, he needs to stop to grab it.
“I think this new storage area is going to be really nice because it'll have a lot more room,” Laipply said. “It'll let us be a little more flexible.”
Laipply also said he feels the 110 is getting the space and accommodations it needs. Whenever the weather was bad and multiple sports were trying to practice, Laipply said the football team was prioritized.
“I think that the 110, by a lot of people, is regarded as one of the best marching bands in the country,” Laipply said. “Despite that, we sometimes don't necessarily have the greatest accommodations. But obviously, with this new field, I feel like we're not a second thought anymore.”
Nate Stafford, a freshman studying electrical engineering and a trumpet player in the 110, said he is also looking forward to the band’s new storage unit, as he mentioned it previously used shipping containers in a parking lot for storage.
After his first season with the 110, Stafford said the people are his favorite part of the band, and he is happy to be involved with them.
“It's great to have the community,” Stafford said. “There are a lot of incredible people in the band. They're all very nice. I was able to make friends really quickly, which is always nice.”
Fortunately, Stafford has a few more years with his friends in the 110 and will have the pleasure of breaking in the new practice field for future 110 members.
Rivera said many 110 seniors and alumni are ecstatic for students to enjoy their new facility.
“I think that (says) a lot about the culture that the 110 has, that even the people who aren't going to witness it are super excited for those who are,” Rivera said. “Then the Marching 110 can continue to be better than the best and cross into new territory.”
With the Marching 110 having space to itself, the band’s main focus is to improve, and with the new accommodations, it can thrive without having to worry about scheduling conflicts or inadequate practice conditions.
