University of Utah President Michael Young is holding out his hat this week to solicit $150,000 after the school's marching band was invited to perform at the Jan. 20 presidential inauguration of Barack Obama.

"It's a wonderful thing for the state," Young said. "It reflects what the state is all about. Take the Nobel Prize, the Sugar Bowl and then the marching band at the inauguration. Utah is a small state that does extraordinary things."

But U. officials lack the discretionary funds to finance the trip, so they are turning to alumni and the community.

"This is a tough year for the state overall and we want to be respectful of that," Young said. "Going to outside donors seems to be a good way to thread the needle. We have four or five days. It's a small window and we need to move pretty expeditiously."

The belated invitation triggered a logistical scramble to charter a flight, arrange hotel accommodations and transportation, and perform background checks on members of the Marching Utes.

"It is not cheap to send 128 members of a band across the country," said Fred Esplin, the U. vice president for institutional advancement. "All the hotels in D.C. are filled. You would have to stay in Baltimore or Philadelphia."

Students were ecstatic that the band was even considered for the inaugural, according to band director Brian Sproul. The Presidential Inauguration Committee extended a formal invitation last weekend as members returned from New Orleans where the band's music punctuated Utah's triumph at the Sugar Bowl.

Trumpet player Alexandrea Nelson said she was thrilled at the prospect of performing again on a national stage.

"I am really interested in this political season. It would be a great experience to play for President-elect Obama," said Nelson, a sophomore accounting major.

"It's really cool to be a part of something so historic," said drum major C.J. Leoncini. "Utah is known as the little guy. It's neat that Utah is getting its face on the map."

Getting the Marching Utes and their instruments to the parade may be an institutional priority, but not at the expense of scholarships or the U. core mission, officials stressed.

"We are excited about our students getting an opportunity to represent not just the university but the whole state at a benchmark event in U.S. history," School of Music director Robert Walzel said. "I'm going to personally donate money because I want to see our kids go."

Since the launch of Thomas Jefferson's second term in 1805, the parade has been an inaugural tradition, covering the mile between the Capitol and the White House. Between 1 and 3 million people are expected to line the parade route.

"Hopefully we'll get there from people digging deep," Nelson said. "Every little bit counts."

bmaffly@sltrib.com