Virtual halftime performance puts college marching bands in national spotlight and last updated 2021-01-12 15:04:10-05 When this school year began, it was painfully clear there'd be a lot of silence inside college football stadiums across the country as fans and some marching bands were prohibited from attending games because of the risk of spreading COVID-19. But it wasn't just athletes who were sidelined because of the virus. Students in marching bands all over the country suddenly saw their seasons either dramatically altered or disappear completely. As a drum major at the University of Maryland, Garrett Tatano was one of the thousands of students who were looking forward to finishing out his senior year with his university's marching band.