Orange Blossom Classic: S. FL high school bands battled for bragging rights Saturday

MIAMI GARDENS – Alabama State University (ASU) and North Carolina Central University (NCCU) will compete in a matchup showcasing two of the top HBCU football programs in the nation Sunday afternoon at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens.

Plenty of fun activities led up to Sunday's Orange Blossom Classic (OBC) football game. Denny's is the title sponsor.

Besides OBC activities leading up to this weekend -- like a pickleball tournament and kickoff luncheon and the Saturday morning Tobacco Free Florida 5k Run/Walk -- events included the ever popular Battle of the Bands Saturday and Gameday Fan Fest on Sunday, 11 a.m. - 3 p.m.

South Florida high school bands who battled Saturday night included: Miami Carol City's Mighty Marching Chiefs , The PBL Ram Regiment Band at Palm Beach Lakes, Everglades' Gator Band , Dillard's Marching Panther Band , Fort Lauderdale High School's Thee Sound of the South and Southridge High School's Spirit of Southridge .

Sunday night, North Carolina Central University (NCCU) Sound Machine will go head-to-head with the Alabama State University (ASU) Mighty Marching Hornets in the stands and on the field.

The Orange Blossom Classic was founded in 1933 and quickly became HBCU (Historically Black Colleges and Universities) college football post-season's must-see game.

Then, it was considered the unofficial de facto Black National Championship game, encompassing teams from Division I and II.

FAMU, by far, the biggest HBCU in Florida, played host to some of the best teams in the league and attracted thousands of students, alumnae and fans to the game wearing a sea of green and orange.

The inaugural game was cheered by 2,000 fans in a Blacks-only ballpark in Jacksonville, Fla.

In that first game, FAMU beat Howard University 9-0.

The Classic was paused after its 1978 game and returned in 2021 to a crowd of about 36,000 fans, according to The Miami Herald.

That season, FAMU played Jackson State at Hard Rock Stadium.

The 2022 matchup drew 40,000 to the stadium and was the most viewed with 958.000 people tuning in on ESPN 2, according to ShowBuzzDaily.

The next year, 2023, FAMU Rattlers and their Marching 100 bowed out of the bowl, beating the Jackson State Tigers 28 - 10 on their way out. But that left many to wonder what was next.

OBC executive director Kendra Bulluck-Major told Sports Illustrated recently, "We're moving forward. The Orange Blossom Classic is here to stay and we're excited about what the future holds."