| Florida A&M University’s “incomparable” Marching 100 band was unable to defend its title in the 2025 HBCU Band of the Year national championship by ESPN.After taking home the trophy in last year’s competition and being named the best band among historically Black colleges and universities across Division I schools – beating the North Carolina A&T State University Blue & Gold Marching Machine – the world-renowned FAMU band went up against Southern University’s Human Jukebox for the winning title on Dec. 12 in Atlanta, Georgia.But Southern came out on top.According to HBCU Game Day, “the season carried deep meaning following the loss of band member Caleb Wilson, whose death earlier this year was ruled by police to be connected to a fraternity hazing ritual. Throughout the fall, the band performed in his memory, a theme that remained front and center on Friday night.”“We know he is smiling down,” Kedric Taylor said in an interview with HBCU Gameday, underscoring how the triumph represented healing as much as hardware. |
