Do we mandate that bigger/richer schools spend less on football? Baseball? Soccer? Golf?

Drill team? Cheerleading? Robotics team? One act play?

Schools with more money have a competitive advantage in EVERY activity. Trying to restrict spending in band ONLY completely ignores how it works in every other activity.

Trying to make it seem as if a program has for lack of a better way to express it "purchased its ticket to the SMC" is 100% sour grapes. Teach better. March better. Play better.

Military bands regularly qualify for SMC in every classification (yes, even 6A) with a $0 budget for props, costuming, and arranging - in many cases they play songs that are in the public domain, making their total marching budget $0, as the director can and does write the drill.

Want better results? TEACH.