Honda Battle of the Bands
Year CIAA MEAC SIAC SWAC Independents
2003 Johnson C. Smith Florida A & M Clark Atlanta , Morehouse , Tuskegee Grambling Morris Brown , Tennessee State
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 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
2012 Virginia State , Winston-Salem State Bethune-Cookman , South Carolina State Albany State Jackson State , Prairie View A & M Tennessee State
2013 Winston-Salem State Bethune-Cookman , North Carolina A & T Albany State Alcorn State , Jackson State Edward Waters , Tennessee State
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
2016 Lincoln ( PA ) Bethune-Cookman , South Carolina State None Alabama A & M , Alcorn State , Jackson State , Prairie View A & M Tennessee State
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
History
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 , with Bethune-Cookman University leading with thirteen appearances :
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 takes place in the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia in late January. 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 the most popular collegiate marching band event in the nation, attracting over 50,000 fans and spectators annually.