Iowa Honors Marching Band Member Derek Phillips With Tribute During Week 2 Game vs. ISU

The Iowa marching band honored member Derek Phillips, who died Tuesday after collapsing during the season-opening game against Northern Illinois, during Saturday's contest against Iowa State.

The Hawkeye Marching Band previously announced that it would honor Phillips "in several ways," including keeping the leader position of the H1 squad empty for the rest of the 2026 campaign.

The band also spelled out his name on the field at halftime and wore black ribbons in his honor. There was a moment of silence at the game as well.

Phillips' family announced on Instagram he suffered "sudden cardiac arrest" during the game. They also said they made the "heartbreaking decision to remove" him from life support.

"Despite the extraordinary efforts of the ICU team at the University of Iowa Hospital, the damage to his brain was too severe, and we have made the heartbreaking decision to remove life support," the family said. "... Derek is comfortable, surrounded by family, and enveloped in the music he loved so much. Thank you for every prayer, every shared experience, and every bit of love you've given to our boy."

In the band's initial statement, it said, "Derek Phillips was our mellophone section leader, a beloved member of the School of Music horn studio, and the kind of friend, student, and musician that represents the very best of what it means to be a Hawkeye."