The NCAA March Madness final got off to a blistering start on Monday night with Indianapolis band Soul Lounge winning over thousands of fans with their stunning rendition of The Star-Spangled Banner.
Moments before UConn and Michigan faced off in their hugely anticipated college basketball showdown, the band took to the court and blew basketball fans away with their version of the anthem.
‘Absolutely INCREDIBLE National Anthem! 15/10. What a start to the National Championship!’ one fan wrote on X.
Another fan said: ‘I’m in a dive bar in western Nebraska and there was a standing ovation of that national anthem. Nicely done.’
A different fan called for Soul Lounge to return on an even bigger stage, writing: ‘Soul Street just delivered the most moving national anthem I have ever heard. Can we book them for the Super Bowl?’
There were also calls for them to perform at the World Cup later this year – even though there aren’t any games scheduled to be played in Indianapolis.
Indianapolis band Soul Lounge performed a moving rendtiong of The Star-Spangled Banner
Dan Hurley and his UConn team sing the national anthem before the NCAA final
The band were relishing their opportunity in the moments before the big performance
What makes a truly unforgettable national anthem performance at a major sports event?
‘That sextet that just sang the national anthem at the national championship game needs to be booked for the opener at the World Cup,’ the fan wrote.
The USA plays their first game in the World Cup against Paraguay in Los Angeles on June 12.
The band were clearly excited to perform on such a stage, sharing a picture of them all together in their dressing room shortly before their big moment.
They captioned the picture ‘Anthem Ready’ while calling for their fans to tune in and watch them sing live on television.
As for the game itself, Michigan emerged victorious and won its second national championship by beating a stubborn UConn 69-63.
