The 380-member Western Carolina University band will perform as halftime entertainment during the Carolina Panthers regular season home opener against defending Super Bowl champions, the Green Bay Packers, on Sunday, Sept. 18.

The game has a 1 p.m. kickoff at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte.

The band was selected based on its recognized showmanship and musicianship, as well as its previous experience and ability to execute a halftime performance under stringent NFL halftime guidelines, Panthers team officials said.

The WCU band received the 2009 John Philip Sousa Foundation’s Sudler Trophy, the nation’s highest award for college and university marching bands. The Pride of the Mountains enjoyed a 2011 New Year’s Day appearance in the Tournament of Roses Parade and was named “best band” in the parade in an online poll conducted by KTLA-TV of Los Angeles.

A limited number of single-game tickets for the Sept. 18 game are available. For information, visit www.panthers.com.