8 Marching Bands Brought the HBCU Spirit and Passion to NRG Stadium
The 2022 National Battle of the Bands (NBOTB) once again packed the house at NRG Stadium. Over 55,000 fans from across the nation gathered together to see 8 of the best HBCU marching band’s spirited and passionate performances. To make things even better, the evening culminated with an electric performance by GRAMMY®-nominated hip-hop artists Quavo & Takeoff.
Hosted for the first time in Houston in 2019, The NBOTB event was created to be the nation’s kick-off to the fall marching band season. This annual event hosted by the Harris County – Houston Sports Authority (HCHSA), in partnership with Webber Marketing, serves as a yearly celebration of arts, education, and Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) culture.
“The NBOTB serves as an annual opportunity to not only celebrate HBCU culture but as a chance to create positive change within the community through educational and cultural initiatives,” said Harris County – Houston Sports Authority Vice President, Chris Massey. “The NBOTB platform allows event organizers to create change through scholarship opportunities, community initiatives, and arts and educational programming. Moving forward, we will continue to work towards using the NBOTB as a platform to bring new and exciting opportunities to the city of Houston.”
This year over 3,000 area youth were provided tickets to attend the HBCU S.T.E.M. College Recruitment Fair and the NBOTB event. This opportunity allowed local students not only an opportunity to experience HBCU culture and spirit but access to educational opportunities and resources. Students in attendance were able to speak with representatives from 22 universities, with real-time scholarship and acceptance opportunities. Over $700,000 in scholarships have also been donated throughout the event’s history to support educational and cultural initiatives.
Along with the educational and cultural opportunities, the NBOTB also takes pride in its efforts to provide a positive economic impact to the city of Houston. Specifically, the NBOTB is a proud supporter of local minority-owned businesses. In 2021 NBOTB helped provide over $100,000 in revenue for minority-owned businesses in Houston by contracting with them for various products and services. NBOTB once again supported local minority-owned businesses in the lead-up to the 2022 NBOTB and will continue to do so for years to come.
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About National Battle of the Bands: Enhancing the exposure of Historically Black Colleges & Universities marching bands, while developing students through music and education, the NBOTB is an annual musical showcase. The National Battle of the Bands’ mission is to enhance the exposure of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and their marching bands, the roles they play in educating aspiring musicians, and developing future leaders. Event organizers have generated more than $700,000 in scholarships for the participating colleges and universities. The 2022 event is in Houston, Texas and features dozens of HBCU bands from across the country.
Harris County – Houston Sports Authority
The Harris County-Houston Sports Authority (HCHSA) maintains the facilities and services the debt of the world-class, professional sports venues it was created to build. To support this primary mission, Houston Sports serves as a leading proponent for attracting sporting events to Houston and for promoting the city as a home for sports-related activities, to ultimately enhance Houston’s economic development and bring better quality of life for its residents. Houston Sports also created the annual Houston Sports Awards to honor the area’s outstanding athletes. www.houstonsports.org
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