South Carolina Football: Mighty Sound of the Southeast to play in Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade

Today is Thanksgiving (in case you haven’t heard), and people all across America will be watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade as they get ready for food, family, and football. Giant balloon floats, musical acts, various other performers, children’s shows, and marching bands are among the attractions during the New York-based parade.

One particular marching band recently announced that they would be performing in the parade, and it is a group that might be of interest to South Carolina football fans.

According to an announcement from the University of South Carolina, next year, at the 2024 edition of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, the Mighty Sound of the Southeast will be performing. The Carolina Band has never performed in the parade, so the 2024 trip to the Big Apple will be the band’s first.

Macy’s has donated $10,000 to the band to help offset the costs of all the expenses that come with traveling to New York City to perform in the parade. More information on the parade and on how to donate to the Carolina Band can be found here.

As many South Carolina football fans realize, the annual rivalry game between the South Carolina Gamecocks and the Clemson Tigers is usually the Saturday after Thanksgiving. That would mean that the Carolina Band would have less than two days to make it back to South Carolina before the two rivals face off on Saturday.

There hasn’t been any word yet on whether or not the band will be able to be back in time for next year’s rivalry game in Memorial Stadium against the Tigers, but the band will sometimes send a smaller contingent to away games, so if they won’t be back in time, it seems likely that a backup plan will be in place.

Today’s Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade will be broadcast on NBC and the Peacock app. The broadcast will air from 8:30 to 12:00.

This Saturday’s South Carolina-Clemson matchup will be played at 7:30 on the SECNetwork and ESPN app.