The mic-ing of the entire band was something I️ noticed sitting in sec 441 for semis and 239 for finals. According to my recollection and verified by the jolesch photos used for the txband live blog (which was great btw), there were three finalist bands who utilized full band mics - Avon (already mentioned); Marian Catholic (7 between 22 1/2 yard lines with one the 50); and Marcus (6 between the 35s). These mics were in the range of 6 to 8 feet tall. Yes, completely within the rules, or more accurately, not against the rules. My strong preference is a solid NO for this practice. Does it make a difference; absolutely. Nothing brings out oooohs and aaahhs from the crowd (and music GE judges) than huge impact points.