Black College Expo 2025 at SoFi Stadium for the Honda Battle of the Bands
On Saturday, February 1, 2025, the National College Resources Foundation (NCRF), in collaboration with Honda, hosted the largest Black College Expo. Over 200 colleges and universities participated to recruit high school students from Los Angeles communities. The day’s highlight was the Honda Battle of the Bands Invitational Showcase at SoFi Stadium.
Performances featured six of the nation’s top college marching bands: the Alabama A&M University Marching Maroon and White Band, the Alabama State University Mighty Marching Hornets, the Hampton University Marching FORCE, the North Carolina A&T University Blue and Gold Marching Machine, the Southern University Human Jukebox Marching Band, and the University of Arkansas Pine Bluff Marching Musical Machine of the Mid-South. These exceptional bands captivated the audience with their commitment to excellence, providing hours of excitement and entertainment.
Leading up to the Honda Battle of the Bands, the Black College Expo was filled with energy as thousands of high school students moved from recruiter to recruiter, seeking valuable information about enrollment, scholarships, and academic opportunities. There were on-the-spot college interviews and acceptances, along with over $10 million available in scholarships. Both youth and adults experienced an event of a lifetime, filled with a spirit of hope and inspiration.
NCRF is a nonprofit on a mission to close the gap in educational achievement, workforce and economic disparities. They serve students and adult learners from underserved, underrepresented communities. Connecting them to college, careers & beyond!
Honda committed in 2003 to highlight the heart-stopping musical talent of HBCU marching bands. Since then, Honda Battle of the Bands has served as the blueprint for showcasing one of the most recognizable and celebrated examples of HBCU culture and tradition to the rest of the world.
HBOB continues to evolve into a platform built for and by the HBCU community. Known as the marching band homecoming event of the year, HBOB has hosted some of the greatest performances and moments in the HBCU battle of the band’s history.
For 35 years, Honda has supported the success and dreams of Historically Black College and University (HBCU) students. Through its “Drive the Legacy” initiative — which includes Honda Battle of the Bands, the Honda Campus All-Star Challenge, and other HBCU-related activities— Honda has provided over $14 million in grants to HBCUs and impacted the lives of more than 300,000 students over the past three decades.
