You want footage of Jackson State University’s Sonic Boom of the South? Well it’s going to cost you. Per a report by HBCU Gameday, a new media policy at Jackson State has been implemented where media outlets must buy credentials for access to record the band during home games. Per the new guidelines, media outlets must pay $300 to exclusively film footage of both Sonic Boom and the visiting band. Living streaming will cost media outlets $500. Failure to comply with the new policy could result in immediate removal from the stadium.
Strict guidelines on media relations and the band are outlined in the policy. It is forbidden for members of the media to record footage of the band or to interfere with any part of the performance, including exchanges between flag carriers, drum majors, dancers, and directors. Filming is not permitted on the field; instead, it is permitted from specific spots within the “horseshoe.” Media outlets are required to stay five feet back from the sides so as not to infringe on the band’s space, and field-level coverage is limited to the area outside the press box.
The Sonic Boom of South sees this new policy as a way to support members of the band as well as a way to financially contribute to the program. They stated that the additional costs are justified because their program generates substantial viewership and money for media outlets.
As they look at ways to help the band even more and highlight the efforts of its students, Jack State hopes that the media will support this new endeavor. Three days prior to the event, payments must be made in order to obtain credentials.
Jackson State’s Sonic Boom of the South has had a very successful run within the last year. In December, they made it to the finals of the inaugural HBCU Band of the Year tournament. The tournament was ultimately won by North Carolina A&T’s Blue & Gold Marching Machine. Back in February, the band performed with Usher during the Super Bowl LVIII halftime show. They performed renditions of some of Usher’s greatest hits, including “Love In This Club” and “Yeah.”
If those achievements weren’t already impressive enough, Jackson State’s Sonic Boom of the South is set to perform at the Rose Bowl Parade on New Year’s Day in 2025.
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