Nine historically Black colleges and universities brought their marching bands to Savannah on Sunday for the 2026 Big HBCU Battle of the Bands: Battle for the South. Alex Davis, president of the Big HBCU Battle of the Bands, said the organization is national and that Sunday’s event made history with nine HBCUs competing in Savannah.
“We’re happy to be here, and we feel like family already to you guys,” Davis said.
Organizers said the event is meant to celebrate the impact of HBCUs while showing young people how music, education and opportunity work together.