South Carolina State University’s Marching 101 Band will perform at the Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday festivities in January 2026. The band is scheduled to participate in the first Pepsi National Battle of the Bands in Boca Raton, Florida, on Saturday, January 17, 2026, at Flagler Credit Union Stadium. This is the first time the event will be held in the Palm Beaches and will include six HBCU bands from across the country.
Dr. J. William Nicholas, SC State’s director of bands, noted the opportunity to perform in his home state and lead the Marching 101 in his first year as director. Other participating bands are from Bethune-Cookman University, Florida A&M University, Florida Memorial University, North Carolina A&T State University, and Southern University…