FAMU Marching Band 100 Named ESPN 2024 Band Of The Year

FAMU's Marching 100 Band bested the North Carolina A&T State University Blue & Gold Marching Machine.

Florida A&M University (FAMU) won the ESPN 2024 Band of the Year competition last week.

FAMU’s Marching 100 Band took the title for the Division 1 category when it beat last year’s champions, the North Carolina A&T State University Blue & Gold Marching Machine, on Dec. 13.

“Speechless, humbled, and proud of our AMAZING Marching 100 band students & staff on an extraordinary performance tonight during the 2024 Band of the Year in Atlanta,” Dr. Shelby R. Chipman, Director of Bands and professor of music at FAMU, wrote on Facebook. “I asked them to do one thing: follow the process from Aug, don’t leave nothing for chance during this ‘One Shot’ experience. Special kudos to the number-one band staff in the WORLD… I’m grateful and lost for words as I shed tears heading back to celebrate Commencement with some of our graduating senior band members tomorrow.!”

The competition took place last week at the Mercedes Benz Dome stadium during the HBCU Celebration Bowl. Miles College Purple Marching Machine won the 2024 ESPN Division II Band of the Year contest against the Virginia State University Trojan Explosion.

The Marching 100 was the only HBCU band to be awarded the John Phillip Sousa Foundation’s Sudler Trophy, widely regarded as the Heisman Trophy of marching bands.

The school also announced that it has hired a new registrar, Antonio Witherspoon. The three-time FAMU graduate will start on Jan. 3, 2025.

“Witherspoon’s deep connection to the university’s mission and community will help propel the registrar’s office forward in helping students achieve their educational goals,” Provost Allyson Watson, Ph.D., said in a written statement. “His passion for student success and commitment to operational excellence make him an ideal fit for this leadership role. His extensive experience and deep ties to FAMU’s mission will drive transformative progress in the registrar’s office.”