ORLANDO, Fla. — The City Beautiful is prepared to welcome thousands of people for the annual Florida Classic with a weekend full of events.
But according to fans, the Florida Blue Battle of the Bands is one of the most anticipated.
What You Need To Know
- The 46th annual Florida Blue Florida Classic between Bethune-Cookman (B-CU) University and Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU) kicks off this weekend with a list full of events
- Fans of B-CU and FAMU say one of the most anticipated events of the weekend is the Florida Blue Battle of the Bands
- The event features several high school bands opening for BCU’s The Pride and FAMU’s Marching 100.
- The Florida Classic football game kicks off on Saturday at 3:30 p.m.
For the 46th year, Bethune-Cookman University B-CU) and Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU) have been battling it out on the gridiron in the Florida Classic, which is the last regular season game for both of the HBCUs.
But when it comes to Classic Weekend as a whole, a lot of people would argue that the game itself is not the headliner.
“We really come for the bands. It’s the bands,” said B-CU alum Felicia Taylor. “We cheer the team on, but the band’s rhythm is electrifying.”
“We love our music, and it comes from that drum beat. Back to the motherland,” said FAMU alum Adrian Lee.
Lee says he is always cheering on his Rattlers and shared that a high school field trip to Battle of the Bands changed his life.
“It was just the first time that I heard the music and it was when I knew I had to go to FAMU,” said Lee. “I knew I had to go.”
That same feeling was felt by Dr. Debbie Lyons, who made history at one of the Florida schools not involved in the Florida Classic.
“I was the first African American ‘Gatorette’ at the University of Florida back in 1976,” said Dr. Lyons.
Lyons said events like the Battle of the Bands highlight why representation is so important.
“It’s an opportunity for kids to see that if they’re not good in sports, you can actually become a band member and earn a scholarship, and gives you the opportunity and opens doors for you, and it also brought community together when there wasn’t anything else for minorities to do,” Dr. Lyons said.
It’s a sentiment echoed by Felicia Taylor, who has deep roots in this rivalry.
“My baby boy is in the band, and this is his first year. And my oldest son was a football player,” Taylor said. “And my mom, my dad, my auntie — this is legacy.”
And for HBCU bands, it’s a legacy that started in 1890 at Tuskegee Normal School, now known as Tuskegee University.
135 years later, high school bands are able to showcase their skills before The Marching 100 and The Pride take center stage.
It showcased that same culture and tradition, while not forgetting the rivalry.
“I will always and forever say Bethune,” Taylor said.
“Hey, go Rattlers! That’s all I got to say — go Rattlers,” said Lee.
The actual Florida Classic football game is set to kick off at Camping World Stadium at 3:30 p.m.
