'The 5th Quarter' HBCU Marching Band Message Board Shuts Down After 20 Years

The 5th Quarter, a digital meeting place that raised a generation of virtual HBCU ‘bandheads,’ shut down last week after 20 years of operation.

Site founders Mike Lee and Christy Walker took to Facebook to share their memories of the site’s creation and legacy with fellow fans.

Launched in 1999 under the masthead of ‘Protecting Our History, Preserving the Craft,’ the 5th Quarter was among the original online destinations for HBCU content, with a focus on HBCU marching band performance and trash talk.

“Over the years, we have developed many friends, seen many battles and epic smack talk,” said co-founder Mike Lee in a Facebook post. “The 5th Quarter gave rise to much of the HBCU Marching Band vernacular and culture you see today.”

“It has been our pleasure in serving the craft for 20 years. Today we say goodbye to our beloved website The 5th Quarter, but not goodbye to the friendships, love, tears, fun, NLBHs, NLBH Cruise, Splash Parties, AB… DFs, the Chatroom, the Free Posts, the “To the GRAVEYARD”s, The Smack Rooms, the influence on “Drumline”, etc that The 5th Quarter brought us.”

The site spawned dozens of sites and podcasts dedicated to aggregating HBCU marching band performance video and commentary, and built a following of thousands of band enthusaists who viewed the farewell broadcast more than 1,000 times on Facebook.