A viral image claiming to show Virginia State University’s Trojan Explosion Marching Band spelling “NOLAN” on a football field is AI-generated and not an authentic performance, according to HBCU Gameday. The outlet reported that Gwen Williams Dandridge, Virginia State’s assistant vice president of communications, confirmed the image is inauthentic in a Sept. 28 email.
The image began circulating over the weekend, appearing to show the band forming the name “NOLAN” in tribute to Nolan Wells, an 18-year-old found dead near Mississippi’s Horn Island in July. HBCU Gameday reported that the Trojan Explosion did not perform the formation shown in the viral image, and that the false image assigns an invented performance to real Virginia State students.
Dandridge told HBCU Gameday she was still weighing whether the university should respond publicly, noting that a statement might inadvertently amplify the false image. The outlet reported that visible errors in the image include stadium signage appearing to spell “Virginia” as “VIRGINA,” and that the field and surrounding structures do not match Rogers Stadium.
HBCU Gameday reported that a Nolan support group had shared the image, and that the university’s communications office has confirmed the image is AI-generated and inauthentic. Whether Virginia State makes a broader public statement remains under consideration.
For more information, visit hbcugameday.com.