UT did not send its band to the Rose Bowl game of 1940, but two UT bandsmen—Cy Gantt and Vernon Torbett—hitchhiked to Los Angeles and back wearing the bright orange band uniform coats, which had been in use only since May 1939. They arrived in time to meet the team’s special train as it arrived in Los Angeles and got back in time to meet returning fans. When they entered the Rose Bowl prior to the game, they were received with cheers from both sides—fans reported that they received more attention than Clark Gable, who was sitting in the stands. It took the men five days to reach Pasadena. Most of their rides on the way back were from fans also returning—three rides saw them in Knoxville.