The ISU Marching Band will not be accompanying the football team to its bowl game this year, according to the band’s director Michael Golemo.

Unlike the past two years, this year Iowa State will likely be playing in a tier-three bowl game, decreasing the amount of money given to the school for travel expenses and prompting officials to make some new decisions.

Bowl games are ranked in tiers and the conference has a payout system for the different bowl games for conference schools.

According to Laird Veatch, senior associate athletic director, each team that plays in a tier-two bowl games receives $925,000 for travel expenses, whereas tier-three bowl games — including the Houston, Tangerine, Humanitarian and Independence Bowls — only pay $650,000.

The smaller payout means that the band will not have enough money to bring all its members.

For the past two years it has cost about $140,000 to send 300 marching band students with the football team to the bowl game, Golemo said.

“It’s a lot of work,” Golemo said. “They arrive, they rehearse and they’re on the first flight home.”

He said this year band members “have been very understanding” about not playing at the bowl game. “All we want to do is see the football team continue to do well.”

Jeff Hines, one of the marching band’s drum majors and a sophomore in pre-journalism and mass communication, said he wasn’t too disappointed not to be going.

“I’d rather spend a few more days with my friends and family,” he said.

Hines has attended both of Iowa State’s two recent bowl games, the Insight.com Bowl in Phoenix two years ago and last year’s Independence Bowl in Shreveport, La.

Despite the fact that the marching band will be unable to accompany the football team, both the athletics and band departments are hoping to work out a way to bring a pep band to the bowl game.