ESPN is partnering with Lockerverse to open fan voting for its HBCU Band of the Year Competition. Lockerverse is a tech platform founded by, among others, Savannah James, and hosts a slew of creators, such as James' son Bronny and Houston Texans' quarterback C.J. Stroud.

Voting on the Band of the Year Competition opened on Oct. 9 and closes on Dec. 1. The final decision will be made on Dec. 16 at the Celebration Bowl at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia.  The HBCU band with the most votes on the platform will receive a $5,000 scholarship on top of being crowned as the Band of the Year.

Fans looking to vote simply have to create a Lockerverse account. After that, they can go to the HBCU Band of the Year section to access the profiles of the competing bands, as well as watch their performances.

Along with the standard layout, Lockerverse will post a Featured Four section which will highlight four specific HBCU bands.

This year is the first iteration of the Band of the Year Competition. Throughout the college football season, HBCU bands in both Division I and II are ranked based on their performances. The best bands will move on to perform at the Celebration Bowl. The competition mirrors the outcome of the Celebration Bowl: the winner will be recognized as the best band in the nation, just like the winner of the match between the MEAC and SWAC champions is recognized as the HBCU National Champion. Instead of nebulous arguments over whose band is superior, fans can now directly propel their band to the top.