USA TODAY NETWORK - Tennessee

Three East Tennessee high-school marching bands won’t be going to a large band competition in Murfreesboro this weekend. But that doesn’t mean band members will be sitting home playing the blues.

Late Tuesday night, band directors received an email alerting them Middle Tennessee State University has cancelled its 56-year-old Contest of Champions this weekend, in the wake of concerns about a series of “White Lives Matter” rallies officials fear might draw white nationalists and violence to the college campus.

The prestigious, invitation-only band competition is one of several weekend events cancelled at the college, which will also lock its residence halls, said university President Sidney McPhee in an email.

More:MTSU to lock dorms, cancel two Saturday events due to 'White Lives Matter' rally

More: White Lives Matter rally: Who are the groups involved, and what do they believe?

In East Tennessee, Halls, Hardin Valley Academy and Blount County’s Heritage high schools all were slated to compete. Instead, the three bands will compete at the regional Foothills Classic band competition at Seymour High School.

“Seymour High School Band has been very gracious about letting us enter late,” said Hardin Valley Academy band director Alex Rector, who said he called the Sevier County band Wednesday morning. “Our senior members, in particular, will get to have one more competition performance before the season ends.”

Sign Up:Get breaking news headlines in your email inbox.

Rector said the MTSU competition would have ended the season for the band, which has competed there three times before.

Halls High band director Eric Baumgardner watched his students work hard all summer to raise money for the entry fees and bus rental for the Contest of Champions: hosting pancake breakfasts and car washes, selling cookie dough and concessions. That’s on top of the work they did on the field to be ready for the contest, at which they’ve competed eight times.

The band’s student leadership had made it their primary goal to make it to the finals at the competition, which it’s done six times before, he said.

“It’s a big honor, and our kids worked so hard,” Baumgardner said, adding that although the band enjoys playing football games, that’s nothing like playing for an attentive crowd at the college football stadium: “The crowd is there to see them. The stadium is quiet. They talk in between the groups, not during the groups.”

MTSU’s band will refund entry fees to the 25 bands that were scheduled to compete, but bands are out any money they’ve spent for transportation costs, the director said. He doesn’t blame the college; they’re losing fees and ticket sales already, he said, and the contest is a major fundraiser and recruitment tool for the band. There’s not a weekend or venue available for rescheduling such a big event for this season, MTSU said.

“MTSU made the right call” to ensure students’ safety, Baumgardner said. “It’s just disappointing, especially for our seniors."

“We have all these differences in our band,” he added, but he sees students put them aside and work together on a daily basis.

MTSU also canceled the Expanding Your Horizons science event for middle- and high-school girls this weekend.

Soccer tournament

Meanwhile, the Tennessee State Soccer Association state championships will go on at the Richard Siegel Soccer Complex seven miles north of downtown Murfreesboro.

The single-elimination tournament will have quarterfinal games Saturday, semifinals Sunday and the championships the following weekend. The 19-field complex is also hosting the girls state high school soccer tournament concluding Saturday.

Hans Hobson, executive director for the association, said he’s had a conversation with Murfreesboro Mayor Shane McFarland about the planned “White Lives Matter” event and has received a few emails from parents also.

“We feel pretty comfortable with what the mayor has told us,” Hobson said. “With the actual rally taking place away from the complex and with some police presence at the complex, we feel safe.”

The association sent out an email to all teams competing, advising them of the situation and suggesting they avoid the downtown area.

He said no teams have canceled.

Derek Broadley, director of the Knoxville Soccer Academy, said his organization is sending three teams – one each in the 16-under, 17-under and 18-under age groups.

“We have an internal email system, and we have used that to send out an email to parents and members,” Broadley said. “We have also told them verbally at practices.”

Because the tournament is single-elimination, only teams that win Saturday will advance to Sunday and need to stay in the area overnight.

“Me, personally, I think the tournament is far enough from the (White Lives Matter) event, and we are coming in from a different direction,” Broadley said. “I don’t think there is any reason for any of our families to go downtown. I have no specific concerns.”

In addition to any safety issues, increased traffic downtown will make it an area best avoided, Broadley said.

Hobson said most of the downtown restaurants and stores will be closed, further limiting any reason to go there.