- Top HBCU marching bands will perform live February 1, 2025 at the iconic SoFi
Stadium
- Tickets for much-anticipated return of HBOB go on sale
May 15, 2024 at
www.hondabattleofthebands.com
TORRANCE, Calif., April 30,
2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Honda Battle of the Bands
(HBOB), the nation's premier showcase for Historically Black
College and University (HBCU) marching bands, will bring its high
energy and sound to SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California on Saturday, February 1, 2025. Six talented HBCU
marching bands will perform live at the 2025 Invitational Showcase,
making HBOB history as Honda brings the tradition and culture of
HBCU schools to the West Coast for the first time.
"Honda continues its commitment to powering the dreams and
success of HBCU students by providing experiences and opportunities
like Honda Battle of the Bands," said Yvette Hunsicker, vice president of Corporate
Social Responsibility and Inclusion & Diversity at American
Honda Motor Co., Inc. "Bringing Honda Battle of the Bands to
California will provide a platform
for these young musicians while expanding awareness of the rich
legacy of HBCU schools."
Music and entertainment fans in Southern California and from all over the
country can look forward to six different bands taking the field in
2025, where they will demonstrate their unique sounds and
extraordinary ability to get the crowd on its feet. The bands
will be selected through a voting process that includes HBOB fans,
HBCU band directors and students, and Honda representatives.
Starting July 15, fans can visit
www.hondabattleofthebands.com to vote for the HBCU marching
bands they want to see perform at the 2025 Invitational Showcase in
Los Angeles. Tickets will go on
sale May 15
at www.hondabattleofthebands.com.
"SoFi Stadium and Hollywood Park look forward to hosting the
first West Coast appearance of Honda Battle of the Bands," said
Christy Castillo Butcher, senior
vice president of Booking and Programming for SoFi Stadium, YouTube
Theater and Hollywood Park. "Our global stage is set to
showcase these collegians' talent and celebrate music and
culture."
"We are thrilled to welcome Honda Battle of the Bands to our
great city," said Inglewood Mayor
James T. Butts. "Over the years we
have crowned NBA, NFL, and Olympic champions. Now, the City of Inglewood will be home to a new group
of champions when six HBCU marching bands take the field at SoFi
Stadium in 2025."
Driving the Legacy of HBCUs
"I appreciate Honda's commitment to supporting and showcasing
the dynamic music and culture of America's HBCUs. Honda Battle of
the Bands has become a wonderful and energizing tradition that
allows students to create, compete and come together in solidarity
with fellow HBCUs," said California State Senator Steven Bradford. "The financial support provided
by Honda is critical to the mission of our nation's HBCUs."
Honda has supported HBCUs for 35 years, acknowledging their
critical role in providing higher education and opportunities for
advancement within the Black community. This support includes
scholarships, programs, and initiatives that celebrate the dreams
and potential of HBCU students, shaping them into future Black
leaders. Through HBOB and the Honda Campus All-Star Challenge,
Honda has impacted the lives of more than 300,000 students and
awarded over $14 million in grants in
support of HBCU education programs and facilities improvements.
Ahead of HBOB 2025, Honda reaffirmed its longstanding commitment
to HBCU music education through a $500,000 grant to Thurgood Marshall College Fund.
The grant is dedicated to awarding scholarships that will power the
academic ambitions of HBCU student-musicians across the country. To
learn more about the scholarship program, visit
https://www.tmcf.org/students-alumni/scholarship/tmcf-honda-hbcu-scholarship/.
For the latest HBOB news, follow along on social media:
- Instagram – @the_honda / Instagram.com/the_honda
- Facebook – Facebook.com/HondaBattleoftheBands
- X – @The_Honda / Twitter.com/The_Honda
Honda and Historically Black Colleges and
Universities
For 35 years, Honda has supported HBCUs, acknowledging their
critical role in providing higher education and opportunities for
advancement within the Black community. This support includes
scholarships, programs, and initiatives that celebrate the dreams
and potential of HBCU students, shaping them into future Black
leaders. Honda has impacted the lives of more than 300,000 students
and awarded over $14 million in
grants in support of HBCU education programs and facility
improvements.
To advance its leading investment in HBCUs, Honda is a member of
the HBCU Partnership Challenge, a Congressional Bipartisan HBCU
Caucus initiative that brings together government, industry and
HBCUs to create strategic, more sustainable HBCU partnerships.
Honda also has partnered with the Thurgood Marshall College Fund
and UNCF to provide annual scholarship funding to support HBCU
students pursuing an education in engineering, supply chain
management and manufacturing-related fields.
Learn more
at https://www.honda.com/community/diversity-reports.
About SoFi Stadium
SoFi Stadium, the home of the Los Angeles Rams and Los Angeles
Chargers, is located at Hollywood Park, a near 300-acre sports and
entertainment destination being developed by Los Angeles Rams
Owner/Chairman E. Stanley Kroenke in
Inglewood, Calif. The 3.1
million-square-foot SoFi Stadium is the largest stadium in the NFL,
as well as the first indoor-outdoor stadium. It seats approximately
70,000, expandable up to 100,000, with more than 260 luxury suites
and more than 13,000 premium seats. SoFi Stadium was host to Super
Bowl LVI in 2022, the College Football National Championship in
2023, WrestleMania in 2023, the annual Starco Brands LA Bowl Hosted
By Gronk, and was ranked the No. 1 stadium in the world for
top-grossing concert and live event ticket sales in 2023. SoFi
Stadium is set to host eight FIFA World Cup '26 matches, Super Bowl
LXI in 2027, and the Opening and Closing Ceremonies of the Olympic
Games in 2028. Adjacent to the stadium and sitting under the same
roof canopy is the 2.5-acre American Airlines Plaza and the
6,000-seat YouTube Theater.
View original content to download
multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/honda-battle-of-the-bands-to-make-los-angeles-debut-in-first-ever-west-coast-invitational-showcase-302131130.html
SOURCE Honda