The Honda Battle of the Bands (sometimes abbreviated The Honda or HBOB) is an annual marching band exhibition in the United States which features performances by bands from historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs). Sponsored by the American Honda Motor Company, the Invitational Showcase took place in the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia in late January from 2003 to 2020. In 2022, it was announced HBOB selected Alabama State University in Montgomery, Alabama to be the first ever HBCU campus to host the in-person event in February 2023.[1] Since 2023, the HBOB has been moving to new locations. In 2025, HBOB will be held in the SoFi Stadium in Southern California.[2]
The Honda Battle of the Bands Celebration Tour takes place between the months of September and November at regular season football games, although Honda Battle of the Bands (and its abbreviations) is often intended to refer only to the invitational showcase, which first took place in 2003. Seemingly contradictory to the name, Honda's "battle" is not a competition in the traditional sense; that is, no winner is crowned during the event. Rather, the bands compete for the favor of the audience, each other, and the greater community.
The event is historically one of the most popular collegiate marching band event in the nation, drawing over 50,000 fans and spectators annually.[3]
The Honda Battle of the Bands program includes two components — the Voting Process, which runs September through October, and the "Honda Battle of the Bands Invitational Showcase".
Voting:
The first band will be selected by popular vote (i.e. the top overall vote-getter will be selected regardless of category).
The next three bands will be selected, one from each category by a weighted vote of 1/3 from institution president, band director and online opinion poll from category I, II and III. The categories being 128 instruments or less, 129 instruments up to 160 and 161 or more. This count is total instrument count, no auxiliaries, drum majors, etc. but will include percussion.
- a. Online Opinion Poll at hondabattleofthebands.com -- 1/3 weight
- b. Band Directors’ Votes -- 1/3 weight
- c. Presidents’ Votes -- 1/3 weight
Note: Presidents and Band Directors are not permitted to vote for their own institutions.
American Honda and Urban Sports & Entertainment Group will select the final four bands based on, but not limited to:
- a. Showmanship
- b. Social Media Buzz
- c. Years of previous participation in the Celebration Tour
Once all the votes are tallied, a total of 8 bands are invited to perform their carefully choreographed, halftime time routines in front of 50,000+ fans.
Started in 2003, the Honda Battle of the Bands was created to celebrate, support and recognize the excellence of Black college marching bands and the unique academic experience offered by Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). Honda annually awards more than $205,000 in grants to participating marching bands during the program period and facilitates a HBCU recruitment fair preceding the band showcase.
The following HBCUs have participated in the Honda Invitational Showcase:
More information Year, CIAA ...
| Year |
CIAA |
MEAC |
SIAC |
SWAC |
Independents |
| 2003[4] |
Johnson C. Smith |
Florida A&M |
Clark Atlanta, Morehouse, Tuskegee |
Grambling |
Morris Brown, Tennessee State[5] |
| 2004 |
Johnson C. Smith, Virginia State |
Bethune-Cookman, Florida A&M |
Clark Atlanta, Tuskegee |
Alabama State, Prairie View A&M |
Savannah State, Tennessee State |
| 2005 |
North Carolina Central, Virginia State |
Bethune-Cookman, Florida A&M |
Clark Atlanta, Tuskegee |
Alabama A&M, Prairie View A&M |
Langston, Savannah State |
| 2006 |
North Carolina Central, Virginia State |
Bethune-Cookman, Florida A&M |
Clark Atlanta, Tuskegee |
Jackson State, Prairie View A&M |
Central State, Langston |
| 2007 |
NC Central, Virginia State |
Bethune-Cookman, Norfolk State |
Albany State, Clark Atlanta |
Alabama State, Prairie View A&M |
Central State, Langston |
| 2008 |
Virginia State, Shaw |
Bethune-Cookman, Norfolk State |
Albany State, Tuskegee |
Texas Southern, Arkansas–Pine Bluff |
North Carolina Central, Winston-Salem State |
| 2009 |
Fayetteville State, Virginia State |
Florida A&M, North Carolina A&T |
Kentucky State, Tuskegee |
Jackson State, Texas Southern |
Edward Waters, North Carolina Central |
| 2010[6] |
Virginia State |
Florida A&M |
Albany State, Clark Atlanta, Tuskegee |
Prairie View A&M, Southern |
North Carolina Central |
| 2011 |
Virginia State, Winston-Salem State |
Bethune-Cookman, South Carolina State |
Albany State, Clark Atlanta |
Jackson State |
Tennessee State[5] |
| 2012 |
Virginia State, Winston-Salem State |
Bethune-Cookman, South Carolina State |
Albany State |
Jackson State, Prairie View A&M |
Tennessee State[5] |
| 2013 |
Winston-Salem State |
Bethune-Cookman, North Carolina A&T |
Albany State |
Alcorn State, Jackson State |
Edward Waters, Tennessee State[5] |
| 2014 |
Winston-Salem State |
Bethune-Cookman, North Carolina A&T, South Carolina State |
Morehouse |
Alabama State, Alabama A&M, Arkansas–Pine Bluff |
None |
| 2015 |
None |
Bethune-Cookman, North Carolina A&T, Howard |
None |
Alabama State, Jackson State, Southern |
Talladega, Tennessee State[5] |
| 2016 |
Lincoln (PA) |
Bethune-Cookman, South Carolina State |
None |
Alabama A&M, Alcorn State, Jackson State, Prairie View A&M |
Tennessee State[5] |
| 2017 |
Winston-Salem State |
Bethune-Cookman, North Carolina A&T |
Benedict College |
Alabama A&M, Alabama State, Alcorn State, Texas Southern |
None |
| 2018 |
None |
Bethune-Cookman, North Carolina A&T, Hampton |
Miles College |
Alabama A&M, Alabama State, Prairie View A&M |
Tennessee State |
| 2020 |
None |
Florida A&M, North Carolina A&T |
Benedict College |
Jackson State, Grambling State, Prairie View A&M |
Hampton, Tennessee State |
| 2023 |
Virginia State |
Morgan State |
Savannah State |
Alabama State, Texas Southern |
Langston |
|
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In 2018, Honda announced that the Battle of the Bands would be on a one-year hiatus in 2019, due to Super Bowl LIII being held in Atlanta. The event resumed in 2020.[7]
In 2020, Honda announced the Battle of the Bands will be on a one-year hiatus in 2021, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[8]
In 2021, Honda announced the Battle of the Bands in-person event is cancelled again due to the COVID-19 pandemic, however a virtual event will likely take place in 2022.
In 2022, Honda announced the Battle of the Bands will return as an in-person event in 2023 and they will release a four-part docuseries celebrating HBCU culture and bands on February 26, 2022.[9]
In November 2023, Honda announced they will be on hiatus in 2024. [10]
In April 2024, Honda announced they will return in February 2025 in the SoFi Stadium in Southern California. It will be the first time the event was held on the West Coast.[11]
- The fictitious BET Big Southern Classic from the 2002 film Drumline was similar to the HBOB, with the main difference that the Big Southern Classic was a competition with a declared winner. The HBOB is an invitational showcase and there are usually no official winners.
- In 2014, HBOB declared an official winner for the first time and it was North Carolina A&T's marching band. HBOB has only declared an official winner once in the history of the event.[12]
- With 13 appearances as of 2023, Bethune-Cookman's marching band leads with the most invitations to the HBOB.
In its inaugural year, Honda did not invite two bands per conference.
Tennessee State competes in the Ohio Valley Conference which is not an HBCU conference, and as such is considered an independent. Starting in 2010, Honda only invited 8 bands to perform.