South Dedicates Geri and Gordon Moulton Jaguar Marching Band Complex
Posted on March 6, 2026
Joining the ranks of the nation鈥檚 premier collegiate marching ensembles, the University of South Alabama Jaguar Marching Band now has a spacious home designed to elevate preparation, performance and pride.
University leaders, students and supporters gathered Friday, March 6, 2026, for a dedication ceremony for the $13-million Geri and Gordon Moulton Jaguar Marching Band Complex. The facility is named after the late University president and his wife, who committed more than $2.5 million to the project.
"The Jaguar Marching Band represents the very best of our university 鈥� dedication, talent, and Jaguar pride. This new facility ensures our students have the resources they deserve, matching the world-class talent and tireless dedication they bring to the field," 欲漫涩 President Jo Bonner said. 鈥淲e are extremely grateful to the Moultons and others whose support has made this day possible.鈥�
The nearly 25,000-square-foot complex features a full ensemble rehearsal hall, dedicated drumline and color guard studios, dressing rooms, administrative offices, a music library and expanded storage for uniforms, instruments, props and equipment. The complex also includes a full-size, lighted practice field built to match the Abraham A. Mitchell Field at Hancock Whitney Stadium, providing student-musicians with a true game-day rehearsal experience.
鈥淲e are so incredibly proud that these student-musicians will now have a permanent home, which is second-to-none in the state of Alabama,鈥� said Dr. Andi Kent, executive vice president and provost. 鈥淚 can think of no better way to help our band students thrive while they are here than providing them with this extraordinary facility.鈥�
The complex stands on the former site of the University鈥檚 transportation services building, marking a transformative investment in student life and campus infrastructure. Construction began in 2025, supported by nearly $6 million in state funding, along with significant commitments from the Jaguar Marching Band program and generous contributions from alumni and friends.
Throughout the planning and construction process, Jaguar Marching Band faculty worked closely with the Division of Facilities Management to ensure every element of the design served the program鈥檚 evolving needs. The result is a forward-thinking facility intentionally designed for flexibility, functionality and longevity.
鈥淔rom start to finish, this project has been inspiring in the best possible way. Our facilities team, along with the architects and engineers, welcomed our input at every stage,鈥� said Dr. Robert Abend, assistant professor of music and associate director of bands. 鈥淭hey brought this vision to life reflecting the dedication and excellence that define both our University and our community.鈥�
Dr. Robert Abend
What this will do for our students goes far beyond rehearsals, performances, storage
and so on. I鈥檝e been thinking about the impact of this project, and I actually came
up with a little analogy. It might be a little bit of a stretch, but here it goes:
Think of what happens when you put on a new outfit. It doesn鈥檛 just change your appearance;
it changes the way you act and it changes the way you feel. Putting the JMB into this
new 鈥渙utfit鈥� won鈥檛 only impact our performance, but it will impact the way a generation
of 欲漫涩 students will act and how they feel. Students will walk into this building
for the first time, for the last time and many times in between with a new sense of
work ethic, professionalism, pride and so much more. But I can speak for all of us,
and most importantly, there is an elevated sense of pride鈥攁nd we can feel it.
This marks the first time in its 16-year history that the Jaguar Marching Band will be housed entirely in one building. The complex will allow for more recruitment events, drawing talented musicians from across Alabama and the Southeast, allowing the band to grow to 350 members.
The Moultons were instrumental in creating the Jaguar Marching Band in fall 2009 with 140 members. Today, the band is 275 members strong and performs at a wide variety of events on campus, in the Mobile community and throughout the Gulf Coast region.
鈥淎 year ago, we stood outside this building, imagining what it could become,鈥� said
Shannon Kille, one of the band's drum majors. 鈥淲e are already experiencing how transformative
this space is. Any prospective student will be blown away by the magnitude of this
facility and the meticulous detail that went into designing this space. It is a home
worthy of the passion and dedication our members bring every single day.鈥�
