Long a halftime staple of university football games, the Mighty Sound of Maryland is preparing for the national stage.

The university’s marching band will perform at the nation’s 57th inaugural parade on Jan. 21, celebrating the swearing in of President Obama to his second term. The Presidential Inauguration Committee selected the band, and several other local groups, from a pool of more than 2,800 applicants, more than twice as many as applied for the last inauguration, according to The Washington Post.

“It’s a very intense competition,” said university archivist Anne Turkos. “This is very prestigious.”

At the beginning of the semester, the band sent the PIC its application — including an audition tape, video, record of the band’s history and letters of recommendation from senators Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.) and Ben Cardin (D-Md.) and Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-Md.).

It wasn’t until last week the band learned it had won the honor — so far, the PIC has selected just 42 groups, including 20 bands, to perform at the inauguration.

“I was elated,” said Richmond Sparks, the university’s band director. “It was quite an honor to be selected to do this. It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity for the students.”

The event will also mark the debut of the band’s new uniforms, which were purchased after winning the Hawaii Five-O Marching Band Mania Contest in 2010 — the Mighty Sound of Maryland took home $25,000 for performing the best rendition of the show’s theme song.

“When you look down the list of what this band has done, it’s impressive,” Sparks said. “The band has a very good reputation.”

Band members said it was gratifying to see the community match their enthusiasm after the announcement.

“It’s amazing how excited everybody is for us,” said Zara Simpson, a symbol player and senior materials science and engineering major. “We posted it all over Facebook and immediately people started writing to us.”

While the event is a first to members of this year’s company, the Mighty Sound of Maryland has graced several inaugurations. Past bands played in the parades for Woodrow Wilson, Dwight Eisenhower and John Kennedy and an in-door celebration for Ronald Reagan, according to Turkos.

These events are important for both the band and the university, said Richard Taylor, a former member and now band historian.

“The marching band is an ambassador for the university,” Taylor said. “And [this] will give them national recognition.”

Though the November election divided many states along party lines, the inaugural parade is about uniting the factions and lifting the spirits of those who come out to line Washington’s streets.

“Everyone is ecstatic, no matter what political views they have,” said Mary Kate Gentile, freshman history major and flute player. “Being a history major, this means a lot to me. I’ll get to be a part of history.”

Briana Bednarz, a flute player, is even coming home early from a study abroad program in London to take part in the parade.

“My professor was very understanding and is allowing me to come home earlier than the rest of the group so I can participate in this,” said the sophomore hearing and speech sciences major. “I’m never going to get the chance to march in an inaugural parade again.”

For some, it will be one of their final chances to march with this band.

“It [is] a pretty good feeling, especially knowing this is my last year marching, probably ever,” said drum major Noel Benton.

Benton, a senior computer engineering major, and drum majors Terry Thompson and Brendan Kelly will lead the band along the parade route from the Capital Building to the White House. They will play the “Washington Post March,” and the Maryland victory song.

The band will only have two days to rehearse together so players must prepare on their own over break, practicing “as long as it takes to get it completely under their fingers and memorized,” Sparks said. But the group is more than up for the task, he added.

“I’m not a bit nervous,” Sparks said. “This is one of the finest bands that I’ve ever stood in front of.”