EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
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SELECTION COMMITTEE
Public Information for the Red Lobster Band of the Year
What
The 3rd annual Red Lobster Band of the Year (BOTY) National Championship will be held on Friday December 12, 2025, the day prior to the Cricket Celebration Bowl, at Mercedes Benz Stadium in Atlanta Georgia. Last year’s event featured the Florida A&M University Marching 100, the North Carolina A&T Blue and Gold Marching Machine, the Virginia State Trojan Explosion, and the Miles College Purple Marching Machine. Each band participating received more than $100,000.00 each for accommodations, travel, and pay-out. The event was broadcast live on an ESPN network.
Why
The purpose is to establish a competitive platform for HBCU marching bands and crown a season long national champion of Division I and Division II bands. Most importantly, to give our HBCU band directors a positive platform and voice to promote music education, from high school to the collegiate level. The combination of HBCU football and music will create the most unique and innovative weekends during the college football season. Every Performance Counts! Fans who follow HBCU football know that halftime marching band performances are an important aspect of the football game day experience. With this format, the significance of each halftime show makes every performance count. As a result, bands will strive to deliver their best performance every game. It will drive fan engagement as they follow their favorite bands, and others throughout the season via the adjudicated ranking system.
Band Finalists
A selection committee comprised of Band Directors and performance experts, will rank the bands based on weekly performances. The top two bands from Division I and top two bands from Division II will earn the opportunity to compete for their respective division’s national championship in Atlanta. Bands will be evaluated and ranked throughout the football season on musicality, drill and design, percussion, auxiliary corps, and drum majors. The category of general effect will be added during the championship final in Atlanta.
Ranking Categories:
| Categories | Sub-Categories of Adjudication |
| Musicality |
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| Drill & Design |
|
| Percussion |
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| Drum Majors |
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| Auxiliaries Average/Median Score of Majorettes, Flags, Dancers (if Applicable) |
|
Two Days
December will be” Championship Weekend” for HBCUs during the Cricket Celebration Bowl week including the Red Lobster Band of The Year showcasing the elite HBCU bands and football teams on consecutive days live on an ESPN national broadcast platform. There has never been a bowl game that highlighted both the football teams and bands in two different events as a part of an official bowl game week.
One Goal
The format will identify the Division I and Division II best bands for the entire football season and build anticipation for the Red Lobster Band of The Year and Cricket Celebration Bowl weekend. The format will also drive fan interest and create an increased interest in music studies.
Who Qualifies
Each participating band has equal access to qualify for the BOTY based on its weekly performance. No band automatically qualifies. Each band must meet the musical and evaluation criteria set by the selection committee to be considered as a finalist for BOTY. If your band makes it to the Top 5 within Division I and Division II in November, the committee will consider bringing them to Atlanta. An announcement will be made on the Top 2 bands in each division coming to Atlanta before Thanksgiving.
Selection Committee
The Red Lobster band of The Year adjudicators consists of a talented group of experienced individuals comprised of current band directors, band alumni and retired band directors. Band staff from the SWAC, MEAC, SIAC, CIAA will also have a regular vote in the monthly ranking process.
Adjudicators Names (except Present Division I & II Directors) will be released with each ranking via HBCU Game Day
Selection Committee Responsibilities
- • The format will identify the Division I, Division II and Metro-Atlanta high school best bands for the entire football season and build anticipation for the Red Lobster Band of the Year and Cricket Celebration Bowl weekend. The format will also drive fan interest, and create an increased interest in music studies
- • Selection Committee section:
- • Rank the Preseason Top 10 bands (Division I and Division II band directors will comprise 100% of the vote).
- • Rank top bands of the football season (Committee Votes). The first poll (ranking) will not be posted until each band has had at least one
home or other specified game in order to submit. - • Assign 8 Bands (4 Division I and 4 Division II) to semi-finals by early in November (Committee Votes)
- • Select Final 6 Bands of the Year (2 Division I, 2 Division II and 2 High school) prior to the Cricket Celebration Bowl (Committee Votes)
- • Competition of the Red Lobster Bands of the Year (day before Cricket Celebration Bowl)
- • Selection of the final champions for the Red Lobster Band of the Year (Committee Votes)
- • Champion will be announced, and Trophy presented at the end of the event.
What’s New or Improved
Innovation and constant improvement is a core foundation pillar the BOTY. With our success , we remain committed to improving the event every single year. Please note the following changes and/or additions for the 2025 Season:
- • A Pre-Season Band Media Poll for Division I and II was added which dropped in August. The poll was distributed to 21 band media outlets. We value the support of our band media and will make every effort to provide updates via press conferences and monthly communications.
- • Metro Atlanta High Schools will once again compete all season with the top two ranked bands selected to perform prior to the four HBCU bands. They will be competing for the title of Metro Atlanta High School Band of The Year. Our September ranking will include recommendations from local school district Music Supervisors.
- • The winners of the 2024 Division I, Division II, and High School BOTY were announced and trophies presented at the conclusion of the event on December 13th. Beginning in 2025 we will be making additional acknowledgements, including best musicality, drill and design, percussion, drum majors, and auxiliaries.
- • All Bands will once again perform to one side of the stadium.
- • Tickets for the event at Mercedes Benz Stadium will be available for as low as $22.45. On sales date scheduled for September 22, 2025 .
- • All adjudicators will be trained to use a new and revolutionary adjudication app for the evaluation of our template/rubric prior to serving on the adjudication committee. This app was used during the finals in Atlanta in 2025 and proved successful. It will be implemented for the entire season in 2025. Band Directors will receive immediate comments and feedback from adjudicators, with very little wait time.
- • We strongly recommend that the band director or his designee submit a video for the best possible monthly ranking. We have a band media expert that will collect the videos for those schools that do not meet our video submission deadline for the months of September and October. This assures the continuity of our evaluation process while making certain that all bands are adjudicated.
- • The goal should be to make it to the Top 5!! If a band makes it to our final five (5), the possibility of them making it to Atlanta are just as strong as those ranked one (1) and two (2) for several factors. The committee will consider support from the university, uniform attire, alumni support, and strength of schedule (New! Details are forthcoming).
- • If a band does not submit during the final November adjudication, they will automatically be accessed a penalty via points deduction. We strongly recommend that a video is submitted to the committee for adjudication purposes.
ESPN Events Executive Director/ Red Lobster Band of the Year
John Thomas Grant, Jr. was named Executive Director of the Cricket Celebration Bowl, an HBCU college football postseason bowl game owned and operated by ESPN Events, in August 2015. The first of its kind bowl pits the champion of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference against the Southwest Athletic Conference for the HBCU national championship. In 2018 he added the Cricket MEAC SWAC Challenge Kickoff, an HBCU college football kickoff game, and most recently the inaugural Band of The Year (BOTY), the National Championship for HBCU marching bands, to his Atlanta events portfolio. Having worked in the Atlanta market for over three decades, Grant joined ESPN from 100 Black Men of Atlanta (100), where he was the Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Grant has received numerous awards and recognitions. He was selected by the Atlanta Business Chronicle as one of the 100 Most Influential Atlantans, 100 Most Influential in Hospitality, 50 Most Influential Non-Profit Leaders, ‘50 Most Influential Leaders in Sports, Who’s Who in Sports and, one of Georgia’s 30 Most Influential Sports Business Figures of 2020. He was inducted into the 2015 Atlanta Hospitality Hall of Fame, named one of Atlanta’s 2016 Men of the Year by the Atlanta Tribune Magazine, honored by Atlanta City Council with a proclamation in 2018, and named Outstanding Georgia Citizen by the Georgia Secretary of State. Grant was also awarded the 2019 Progress Through Innovation Award by the Atlanta Rotary Club. He was named the 2022 DEI Visionary Award Honoree by the Atlanta Business Chronicle, and 2023 Sports Illustrated 20 Most Influential Black Figures in College Football.
ESPN Events Executive Band Consultant and Coordinator of BOTY
Don P. Roberts is a veteran in the band director community with a resume that includes his own creation of the critically acclaimed production, “DRUMLine Live,” of which he serves as the Director, CEO, and Playwright. As the Executive Band Consultant of the 20th Century Fox hit movie, “Drumline,” Roberts was responsible for training the actors, writing the precision drills and formations, rehearsing and conducting the band arrangements & studio sessions, etc. He played a vital role in the making of “Drumline” and its success. Most recently, Mr. Roberts was appointed as a consultant for Beyoncé’s Coachella Performance in California. The Marching Band performers behind Beyonce’ at Coachella were selected by Roberts’ from his company DRUMLine Live and were also featured in her Netflix Movie, “Homecoming.” Roberts also worked as the Chief Band Consultant for Disney’s “Captain America Movie: Winter Soldier.” He also served as the Band Consultant for major motion films, Tyler Perry’s Madea’s “Homecoming, “NBC Universals, “Dear Evan Hansen, in addition to Eddie Murphy’s Candy Cane, by Amazon and more.
