Concordia College Alabama won’t have a football team next year, but the school will still have a marching band.

Athletic Director Don Jefferson confirmed Monday that Concordia plans to have a marching band in the future, but said he’s not sure if not having football will affect the band’s overall participation.  Jefferson said that’s the biggest unknown moving forward.

“The scholarships are still there for band members, so they will still be offered scholarships next year,” Jefferson said. “It just remains to be see how many participants [we will have]. Usually when you think about a marching band, you think about something to march for and usually football is a part of that and Mardi Gras and things like that.”

Concordia’s band has around 50 members this year, which is down from around 75 members the two previous years. Band director Steven Johnson said the lower participation this year is because a large group of band members graduated last year.

Although many relate the band with football games, the Concordia band performs all over the state throughout the year. It marches in parades in New Orleans and Mobile for Mardi Gras and also participates in various homecoming parades for schools in and around the Dallas County area. Concordia also serves as the exhibition band at many high school competitions.

“We do a parade on Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday and Tuesday in New Orleans every year,” Johnson said. “Typically we have got our name out there now, so we either lead off the parade or we are within the top two bands from the front.”

Johnson said Mardi Gras has become an important recruiting tool for Concordia because it’s a chance for the band to be seen on a big stage. The Concordia band also performs at all Concordia’s home basketball games, except for the ones played during Christmas break.

Johnson said there are many large and successful bands at schools without football programs. He’s confident Concordia can still have a band the school will be proud of.

“We still can do it,” Johnson said.

He said he’s had band members call him since news broke that the football team would be shut down, but he hasn’t had a chance to communicate with many of them because Concordia is still out of school.

He planned to send out an updated band schedule and to reach out to band members Monday. The band will start practicing next week for Mardi Gras.