MADISON - The Wisconsin marching band will play on -- but members better watch their step.

University of Wisconsin-Madison officials said Thursday the band's suspension will be lifted so it can play during Saturday's home football game against No. 6 Penn State. But they vowed to end a culture of hazing, alcohol abuse and sexualized behavior that has persisted for years and flared up in recent weeks.

The band, the pride of many Badgers fans, was suspended for last weekend's game against Ohio State after the university received allegations of hazing. It was the first time the band missed a game in 40 years.

Dean of Students Lori Berquam said Thursday her investigation, based on interviews with 70 band members, found a pattern of inappropriate behavior. She said much of the activity involved upperclassmen who bullied freshmen -- but only a fraction of the band's 315 members.

"The interviews confirm reports of some asinine, some disgusting, some degrading behavior by some of our band members," Band Director Michael Leckrone said at a news conference. "These behaviors could be extensive, hurtful and childish. This kind of conduct is a personal embarrassment to me obviously. As the leader of the band, the buck stops here. I'm sorry these activities took place on my watch."

The band will not be allowed to travel for the time being, which may prevent members from playing during a Green Bay Packers game this fall, he said.

Berquam said the investigation confirmed that underage drinking was prevalent during band gatherings, students were held for hours in bathrooms during a bus trip, members were forced to have "odd and unbecoming haircuts" and routinely conducted other bizarre rituals.

One included students being forced to kneel in front of another and take a bite from a summer sausage; another involved students who were blindfolded and asked to remove lingerie from a male band member, she said. Most of the incidents involved male band members, she said.

"Our meetings confirmed that a broad pattern of inappropriate and humiliating behavior took place in the band" since the beginning of the school year, including on a trip to play during a football game at Michigan, Berquam said.

An allegation that students were fondled against their will has not been substantiated, she said.

Berquam and Leckrone would not say whether anyone had been kicked off the band for misconduct. The dean said her investigation continues and disciplinary action ranging from reprimand to expulsion may be pursued against the instigators.

Jon Alfuth, a junior from Eau Claire who is a leader in the band, said the suspension has been a wake up call.

"It felt terrible and was an embarrassment," he said. "We believe that as a group we can overcome the actions of a few and we can start fresh with a new culture of respect."

He and other another band leader, Alex Waskawic, said they encouraged members to cooperate with the investigation and have strengthened the band's code of conduct. Waskawic said some of the allegations came as a surprise, but others did not.

The band was placed on probation in 2006 by then-Chancellor John Wiley after similar behavior during a trip to Michigan. Leckrone promised then to change the band's culture, but he said Thursday he may not have done enough.

This time, he promised, the changes "aren't window-dressing."

"It's obvious the band's culture needs to change," said Leckrone, who has led the band since 1969. "It needs to change now, and it needs to change permanently."

The university also said it was taking the following steps:

-- Appointing a staff member to work with band members to change the culture. The employee will report to Berquam.

-- Conducting a review of the band's educational role. This will include a self-study by the band and reviews by a committee of faculty and an academic planning council.

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)