‘This uniform is going to be a calling card for us as we enter a new era.’
by Duane Bonifer
COLUMBIA, KY. (03/23/2026) Mark Twain famously said that “clothes make the man.”
The same could be said about what uniforms mean to a marching band, and in 2026-27 the Lindsey Wilson Blue Raider Band will sport a new look from head to toe.
“This uniform is going to be a calling card for us as we enter a new era,” Lindsey Wilson Director of Bands Robert Palmer told band members during a private reveal on Wednesday, March 18, in the Blue Raider Band Building. “I hope that you feel proud putting it on when you next step on the field.”
The next time the band will step on the field will be in the fall, when the Blue Raider football team plays its first 2026 home game at Parnell Family Stadium. The Blue Raiders’ 2026 schedule will be announced later this year.
The Blue Raider Band’s new uniforms make use of the colors blue, white, gray, sliver and black, and they also feature a sash. The Lindsey Wilson Blue Raider logo is emblazoned on the left breast, which is opposite three bright silver buttons that form a vertical line on the right side.
The uniform is topped with a cavalier hat that is trimmed with a feather, a tribute to the wide-brimmed hat that was so popular in 17th-century Europe. It also connects band members of the Blue Raider Band to the Lindsey Wilson mascot, Blue Raider Bob, whose cavalier hat also sports a feather.
“It not only represents a classic marching band look, but it has just the right amount of modern flair to set us apart,” Palmer told the students during the reveal.
Palmer said the new uniforms, which include garment bags and rain jackets, represent “an incredible investment in you all” by the university’s administration.
“Thinking back to my days in college, there were few times I felt more pride than when I put my marching band uniform on and took the field,” said Palmer, who performed in college as a member of the famed Western Illinois University Marching Leathernecks.
It screams ‘university’
Before Palmer settled on a new uniform for the 2026-27 school year, he surveyed band members to get their opinions and impressions of various designs and looks. The style chosen was enthusiastically received by band members when they were among the first to see it.
“I am so excited about the new uniforms,” said flutist Kameron King ’27, a Christian ministries and human services and counseling double major from Madisonville, Kentucky. “I think it looks so classy and professional, and it screams ‘university.'”
Trombonist Jaden Latiola ’28 of Radcliff, Kentucky, said the new uniforms also help “unite the band.”
“These new ones really bring the band into modern times,” said Latiola, who is a nursing major.
Palmer is in his first year at Lindsey Wilson, and band members say he’s already made a big impression on the musical ensemble.
“Dr. Palmer is bringing such a wonderful light to this band, and he is so positive,” said King. “His positivity means a lot, and he pushes us to be the best we can be.”
The reveal of the new uniforms even inspired Brandon Arms ’26 of Burkesville, Kentucky, to volunteer to return to play at a game or two in 2026 — so he can experience the new uniforms that he will miss because he is set to graduate this spring from Lindsey Wilson.
“I’m really happy to see this change and for the band to get the recognition it deserves. I’m really excited to see this band grow,” said Arms, a percussionist who is a criminal justice and psychology double major. “I’ve even talked to Dr. Palmer and said, ‘If you want me to come back, I’ll gladly come back and play some drums with you.'”
Lindsey Wilson University Director of Bands Robert Palmer, right, gets help from percussionist Noah Mudd ’27 of Louisville, Kentucky, to reveal the new uniform for Lindsey Wilson Blue Raider Band on Wednesday, March 18, in the Blue Raider Band Building. The new uniform will make its debut at the Lindsey Wilson football team’s first 2026 home game at Parnell Family Stadium, which will be announced later this year.
Lindsey Wilson University Director of Bands Robert Palmer discusses the band’s new uniform during the private reveal to band members on Wednesday, March 18, in the Blue Raider Band Building. The new uniform will make its debut at the Lindsey Wilson football team’s first 2026 home game at Parnell Family Stadium, which will be announced later this year.
Lindsey Wilson University Director of Bands Robert Palmer discusses the band’s new uniform during the private reveal to band members on Wednesday, March 18, in the Blue Raider Band Building. The new uniform will make its debut at the Lindsey Wilson football team’s first 2026 home game at Parnell Family Stadium, which will be announced later this year.
Lindsey Wilson University Director of Bands Robert Palmer affixes a feather to the cavalier hat of the band’s new uniform during the private reveal to band members on Wednesday, March 18, in the Blue Raider Band Building. The new uniform will make its debut at the Lindsey Wilson football team’s first 2026 home game at Parnell Family Stadium, which will be announced later this year.
Lindsey Wilson University is a vibrant liberal arts university in Columbia, Kentucky. Founded in 1903 and affiliated with The United Methodist Church, the mission of Lindsey Wilson is to serve the educational needs of students by providing a living-learning environment within an atmosphere of active caring and Christian concern where every student, every day, learns and grows and feels like a real human being. Lindsey Wilson offers 30 undergraduate majors, five graduate programs and a doctoral program. The university’s 29 intercollegiate varsity athletic teams have won more than 120 team and individual national championships.
(Duane Bonifer – Lindsey Wilson University)