Texas Band Triumph Performing at the Liberty Bowl!

Help send the UA Eagle Marching Band to the Liberty Bowl https://www.universalacademy.com Keep up with the latest news and events from a minority perspective https://www.northdallasgazette.com Read the full story at NDG https://northdallasgazette.com/2024/11/12/the-march-to-memphis-a-small-irving-charter-school-is-welcomed-onto-a-very-large-national-stage/ Football season is winding down; and in the ranks of college programs that means a very few select teams are looking for the chance to play in a bowl game. These prestigious events take place at venues throughout the country, with audiences far beyond the students and alumni of the particular colleges represented on the field. One of these is the Auto Zone Liberty Bowl, slated for Dec. 27 in Memphis, Tennessee. As with many bowl games, select high schools are often invited to share in the festivities; offering a wide variety of entertainment to the throngs of fans who gather for the event. The invitations go far and wide, with bands from schools in foreign countries sometimes making the trek to join in the fun. But an invitation is hard to come by. There is one school here in the metroplex that garnered such an invitation, and it is a somewhat unexpected choice. Universal Academy (UA), a public charter school located in Irving with just under 700 students in grades Pre-K through 12, accomplished just that. The Director of Fine Arts at UA, Dion Hood, has been at the school for 18 years, and has seen the quality of its musicians and program improve over time. This year he sent off a recording of his school’s marching band to the bowl game performance committee. It was an optimistic move, and the first time such a submission had been made. Shortly thereafter he received word back that his school had been chosen. While the invitation is secured for the Marching Eagles to take the field at the Liberty Bowl, it is an expensive endeavor. UA is reaching out to the community for support in sending its students to Memphis. The school is hoping to raise $25,000 to help pave the way for 54 students to make the trip.

Added 2 Sept 2026