Circa 2011, the Ohio State University football team had a a black eye in the national media. Several team members had sold memorabilia in exchange for tattoos, which opened the door to further NCAA investigations resulting in the loss of scholarships, bowl ineligibility and the firing of a head coach. In retrospect, selling jerseys seems rather innocent compared to the behavior the school band was carrying out at the same time.
The university fired Jonathan Waters—the director of what fans affectionately refer to as "The Best Damn Band in The Land—for ignoring a "culture" of sexual harassment. The OSU Office of Compliance and Integrity released a 23-page report listing a litany of depraved and sometimes bizarre behavior from band members.
Some traditions that raised eyebrows for officials: a yearly session of practice where the band marches while wearing only underwear. Waters himself began attending the practice after a band member suffered from alcohol poisoning following the session. New band members were given nicknames, many of which were sexually explicit, and required to perform "tricks" when told to. Part of the evidence handed over as part of the investigator was a songbook containing Ohio State's classic theme songs that featured newly revised, and obscene, lyrics.
Although all of the above were relevant to Waters' firing, most concerning were the mishandling of two sexual harassment cases under his tenure.
Many in the Ohio State community rushed to defend Waters, as the school's fan base takes great pride in the band's spectacular marching routines. It was eerily similar to 2011, when the same fans came forward to defend Tressel as the allegations piled up. The actions of quarterback Terrelle Pryor seem relatively mild now.