Honda Battle of the Bands
From Honda Wiki
The Honda Battle of the Bands (sometimes abbreviated Honda or HBOB) is an annual Marching band exhibition which features performances by HBCU bands. Sponsored by Honda, the Invitational Showcase takes place in the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Georgia in late January, while the Celebration Tour takes place between the months of August and November at regular season College 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.
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Participation
| The fictitious BET Big Southern Classic from the 2002 film Drumline (film) was similar to the HBOB. |
Honda's Celebration Tour takes place annually at HBCU football venues, often universities' campus stadiums. During this tour, fans, as well as university and conference officials, have the opportunity to see a number of bands in action through their field shows, stands performances, and "Fifth Quarter" (post-game performances). For the Invitational Showcase, each year two bands are selected from each of the four HBCU Athletic conference--the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association, the MEAC, the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, and the Southwestern Athletic Conference--and two independent HBCUs. The participating schools are selected by equal parts of the following criteria: Fan voting through an online poll; selections of the commissioners of the four conferences and college presidents; and votes from the band directors. None of the university officials involved in the selection process may vote for their own institution.[1]
History
Since its inception in 2003, The following colleges have participated in the Honda Invitational Showcase:
| Year | CIAA | MEAC | SIAC | SWAC | Independents |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003[1] | Johnson C. Smith University | Florida A&M University | Clark Atlanta University, Morehouse College, Morris Brown College, Tuskegee University | Grambling State University | Tennessee State University[2] |
| 2004 | Johnson C. Smith University, Virginia State University | Bethune-Cookman College, Florida A&M University | Clark Atlanta University, Tuskegee University | Alabama State University, Prairie View A&M University | Savannah State University, Tennessee State University |
| 2005 | North Carolina Central University, Virginia State University | Bethune-Cookman College, Florida A&M University | Clark Atlanta University, Tuskegee University | Alabama A&M University, Prairie View A&M University | Langston University, Savannah State University |
| 2006 | North Carolina Central University, Virginia State University | Bethune-Cookman College, Florida A&M University | Clark Atlanta University, Tuskegee University | Jackson State University, Prairie View A&M University | Central State University, Langston University |
| 2007 | North Carolina Central University, Virginia State University | Bethune-Cookman College, Norfolk State University | Albany State University, Clark Atlanta University | Alabama State University, Prairie View A&M University | Central State University, Langston University |
| 2008 | Shaw University, Virginia State University | Bethune-Cookman College, Norfolk State University | Albany State University, Tuskegee University | University of Arkansas, Pine Bluff, Texas Southern University | North Carolina Central University, Winston-Salem State University |
| 2009 | Fayetteville State University, Virginia State University | Florida A&M University, North Carolina A&T State University | Kentucky State University, Tuskegee University | Jackson State University, Texas Southern University | North Carolina Central University, Edward Waters College |
