MADISON, WI (MetroSource-WSAU) University of Wisconsin marching band director Mike Leckrone is reflecting on his upcoming final home game before retiring.
Leckrone says the decision was difficult, but he wanted to make it to 50 years leading the band and to leave on a high note. The 82-year-old announced his retirement at the start of the season. “To come to the decision, knowing what it meant for me to give up things that I really enjoy doing, that was hard,” he told WKOW-TV. “There’s kind of a sense of relief, too, that I can see the end of the road but I’m dreading it, to tell you the truth.”
The Badgers host Minnesota on Saturday at Camp Randall Stadium.
The band will likely make one more appearance under Leckrone during a bowl game later this year. Leckrone says he will stay on through the spring, and will lead the band’s annual spring concert at the Kohl Center.
The university is conducting a nationwide search for its next band director.
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