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RANKINGS

Performances are judged on an individual basis, with judges giving scores for specific areas only. Bands are encouraged to submit a performance to be judged monthly. The committee is co-chaired by Jackson State Director of Bands Emeritus, Professor Dowell Taylor, and Dr. Julian E. White, FAMU Director of Bands Emeritus.

The next update will come in late October as the top 15 will be reduced to the top 10 overall in each division. The November ranking will list the top five in each division. The final ranking will award the top two teams in each division a shot at the ESPN Band of The Year title, which will be determined Dec. 13 in the Mercedes-Benz Dome in Atlanta, GA with the show starting at 7 PM EST. It will be simulcast on ESPN3 and ESPN Plus. 

 

Rankings Release Dates:

September Rankings: October 3, 2024
November Rankings: TBD
Final Cumulative Ranking: TBD

October 2024

 

Category Highest Score by Category
Musicality 80
Pictures, Drill, and Design 80
Percussion 70
Drum Majors 50
Auxiliaries (See Below) 50
Dance, Flags, Majorettes = Mean/Average of all 3 individual scores (If Applicable)
Highest Possible Points Per Band 330

 

Top 15 Division I HBCU Bands
(and Positions in each category)

  Division I “TOP 15” Overall  

Points

Drum Major Percussion Musicality Pic. Drill & Design Auxiliary
1 North Carolina A&T University 330 3 1 2 1 1
2 Florida A&M University 317 1 4 1 3 11
3 Jackson State University 314 2 6 4 2 12
4 Bethune Cookman University 307.5 6 7 5 4 8
5 Norfolk State University 306 10 3 10 7 8
6 Southern University 305 7 10 9 6 2
7 Tennessee State University 304 14 9 6 8 3
8 Alabama A&M University 300.5 8 5 3 10 10
9 Alabama State University 290.5 4 12 7 11 5
10 Grambling State University 286.5 9 17 11 8 7
11 Texas Southern University 285.5 13 16 14 5 9
12 Prairie View A&M University 282.5 12 13 8 12 6
13 Alcorn State University 277.5 5 2 12 13 19
14 Hampton University 260.6 16 8 13 21 4
15 Mississippi Valley State University 253 11 11 18 15 15
           
  Drum Major Top 10   Percussion Top 10   Musicality Top 10
1 Florida A&M University 1 North Carolina A&T University 1 Florida A&M University
2 Jackson State University 2 Alcorn State University 2 North Carolina A&T University
3 North Carolina A&T University 3 Norfolk State University 3 Alabama A&M University
4 Alabama State University 4 Florida A&M University 4 Jackson State University
5 Alcorn State University 5 Alabama A&M University 5 Bethune- Cookman University
6 Bethune- Cookman University 6 Jackson State University 6 Tennessee State University 
7 Southern University 7 Bethune- Cookman University 7 Alabama State University
8 Alabama A&M University 8 Hampton University 8 Prairie View A&M University
9 Grambling State University 9 Tennessee State University 9 Southern University
10 Norfolk State University 10 Southern University 10 Norfolk State University
           
  Pics. Drill & Design Top 10   Dance Top 10   Flag Top 10
1 North Carolina A&T University 1 Alabama State University 1 North Carolina A&T University
2 Jackson State University 2 North Carolina A&T University 2 Norfolk State University
3 Florida A&M University 3 Prairie View A&M University 3 Hampton University (Independent)
4 Bethune- Cookman University 4 Southern University 4 Alabama State University
5 Texas Southern University 5 Tennessee State University (Independent) 5 Alabama A&M University
6 Southern University 6 Hampton University (Independent) 6 Prairie View A&M University
7 Norfolk State University 7 Texas Southern University 7 Texas Southern University
8 Tennessee State University 8 Alcorn State University 8 Florida A&M University
9 Grambling State University 9 Grambling State University 9 North Carolina Central University
10 Alabama A&M University 10 South Carolina University 10 University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff
           
  Majorette Top 5        
1 North Carolina A&T University        
2 Hampton University (independent)        
3 Grambling State University        
4 Howard University        
5 South Carolina State University        

 

 

Top 15 Division II HBCU Bands
(and Positions in each category)

 

  Division II Overall Top 15 Total Points Drum Major Percussion Musicality Pic. Drill & Design Auxiliary
1 Virginia State University 313.3 4 2 1 1 2
2 Florida Memorial 309 2 4 5 3 1
3 Savannah State 293.5 1 8 6 5 7
4 Langston University (Independent) 291.5 6 5 2 2 10
5 Winston- Salem State University 288.5 12 13 3 4 5
6 Miles College 282 3 17 4 6 8
7 Tuskegee College 280.5 16 11 7 8 4
8 Edward Waters College (Independent) 280 13 1 12 12 17
9 Fayetteville State University 277 8 10 10 9 16
10 Elizabeth City State University 272.5 15 6 13 7 11
11 Fort Valley State University 266 18 9 14 17 6
12 Shaw University 265.5 9 18 8 11 20
13 Bowie State University 265.5 11 7 15 13 13
14 Clark Atlanta 252 7 20 17 16 21
15 Albany State University 251.5 10 16 20 10 15
 
  Major Top 10   Percussion Top 10   Musicality Top 10
1 Savannah State 1 Edward Waters College (Independent) 1 Virginia State University
2 Florida Memorial 2 Virginia State University 2 Langston University (Independent)
3 Miles College 3 Central State University 3 Winston Salem State University
4 Virginia State University 4 Florida Memorial 4 Miles College
5 Allen University (Independent) 5 Langston University (Independent) 5 Florida Memorial
6 Langston University (Independent) 6 Elizabeth City State University 6 Savannah State
7 Clark Atlanta University 7 Bowie State University 7 Tuskegee College
8 Fayetteville State University 8 Savannah State 8 Shaw University
9 Shaw University 9 Fort Valley State University 9 Central State University
10 Albany State University 10 Fayetteville State University 10 Fayetteville State University
           
  Pic. Drill and Design Top 10   Dance Top 10   Flag Top 10
1 Virginia State University 1 Florida Memorial 1 Florida Memorial
2 Langston University (Independent) 2 Virginia State University 2 Morehouse College
3 Florida Memorial 3 Morehouse College 3 Virginia State University
4 Winston Salem State University 4 Tuskegee College 4 Tuskegee College
5 Savannah State 5 Winston Salem State University 5 Winston Salem State University
6 Miles College 6 Fort Valley State University 6 Savannah State
7 Elizabeth City State University 7 Bowie State University 7 Allen University
8 Tuskegee College 8 Fayetteville State University 8 Fayetteville State University
9 Fayetteville State University 9 Miles College 9 Elizabeth City State University
10 Albany State University 10 Savannah State 10 Miles College
           
  Majorette Top 4        
1 Florida Memorial        
2 Virginia State University        
3 Clark Atlanta University        
4 Fayetteville State University        

 

September 2024

 

Category Highest Score by Category
Musicality 80
Pictures, Drill, and Design 80
Percussion 70
Drum Majors 50
Auxiliaries (See Below) 50
Dance, Flags, Majorettes = Mean/Average of all 3 individual scores (If Applicable)
Highest Possible Points Per Band 330

 

Top 15 Division I HBCU Bands
(and Positions in each category)

  Division I “TOP 15” Overall  

Points

Drum Major Percussion Musicality Drill and Design  Auxiliary 
1 North Carolina A&T University 323.5 10 1 4 4 3
2 Southern University 321 12 4 5 6 1
3 Norfolk State University 319 5 3 1 4 9
4 Jackson State University 313 4 8 3 5 11
5 Bethune Cookman University 309.5 2 7 9 1 16
6 Florida A&M University 309 16 2 2 2 17
7 Texas Southern University 305.5 1 17 8 7 7
8 Prairie View A&M University 298 11 9 11 12 5
9 Alabama State University 297.5 8 10 7 8 18
10 Tennessee State University 295 7 15 6 13 6
11 Alcorn State University 289 15 11 10 11 14
12 Alabama A&M University 287.5 14 5 13 17 4
13 University of Arkansas Pine Bluff 278.5 6 19 20 9 13
14 Grambling State University 278 20 18 15 10 2
15 North Carolina Central University 278 3 14 17 18 10
           
  Drum Major Top 10   Percussion Top 10   Musicality Top 10
1 Texas Southern University 1 North Carolina A&T University 1 Norfolk State University
2 Bethune Cookman University 2 Florida A&M University 2 Florida A&M University
3 North Carolina Central University 3 Norfolk State University 3 Jackson State University
4 Jackson State University 4 Southern University 4 North Carolina A&T University
5 Norfolk State University 5 Alabama A&M University 5 Southern University
6 University of Arkansas Pine Bluff 6 South Carolina State University 6 Tennessee State University (Independent)
7 Tennessee State University 7 Bethune- Cookman University 7 Alabama State University
8 Alabama State University 8 Jackson State University 8 Texas Southern University
9 Howard University 9 Prairie View A&M University 9 Bethune- Cookman University
10 North Carolina A&T University 10 Alabama State University 10 Alcorn State University
           
  Pics. Drill & Design Top 10   Dance Top 10   Flag Top 10
1 Bethune- Cookman University 1 Texas Southern University 1 North Carolina A&T University
2 Florida A&M University 2 Southern University 2 Norfolk State University
3 Norfolk State University 3 Grambling State University 3 North Carolina Central University
4 North Carolina A&T University 4 Alabama A&M University 4 South Carolina State University
5 Jackson State University 5 North Carolina A&T University 5 Alabama A&M University
6 Southern University 6 Prairie View A&M University 6 Prairie View A&M University
7 Texas Southern University 7 Howard University 7 Hampton University (Independent)
8 Alabama State University 8 University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff 8 Howard University
9 University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff 9 Tennessee State University (Independent) 9 Morgan State University
10 Grambling State University 10 Alabama State University 10 Alcorn State University
           
  Majorette Top 3        
1 Hampton University (Independent)        
2 Howard University        
3 South Carolina State University        

 

 

Top 15 Division II HBCU Bands
(and Positions in each category)

 

  Division II Overall Top 15 Total Points Drum Major Percussion Musicality Pic. Drill & Design Auxiliary
1 Miles College 293 1 1 4 2 12
2 Florida Memorial 286 2 2 8 1 5
3 Virginia State University 284.6 16 4 1 10 3
4 Winston- Salem State University 269.5 10 14 2 12 8
5 Tuskegee College 267 12 7 3 21 2
6 Albany State University 258 11 12 7 5 7
7 Langston University (Independent) 256 4 16 9 3 11
8 Talladega College (Independent) 251 6 6 17 8 13
9 Central State University 249 3 9 21 6 10
10 Morehouse College 248.5 9 15 10 11 1
11 Fayetteville State University 245 13 3 14 9 17
12 Savannah State 244.5 5 20 11 4 16
13 Elizabeth City State University 239.5 7 17 18 7 4
14 Benedict College 238.5 8 11 6 14 20
15 Edward Waters College (Independent) 233.5 21 13 5 15 14
 
  Major Top 10   Percussion Top 10   Musicality Top 10
1 Miles College 1 Miles College 1 Virginia State University
2 Florida Memorial 2 Florida Memorial 2 Winston Salem State University
3 Central State University 3 Fayetteville State University 3 Tuskegee College
4 Langston University (Independent) 4 Virginia State University 4 Miles College
5 Savannah State 5 Lincoln University 5 Edward Waters College (Independent)
6 Talladega College (Independent) 6 Talladega College (Independent) 6 Benedict College
7 Elizabeth City State University 7 Tuskegee College 7 Albany State University
8 Benedict College 8 Shaw University 8 Florida Memorial
9 Morehouse College 9 Central State University 9 Langston University (Independent)
10 Winston- Salem State University 10 Bowie State University 10 Morehouse College
           
  Pic. Drill and Design Top 10   Dance Top 10   Flag Top 10
1 Florida Memorial 1 Morehouse College 1 Virginia State University
2 Miles College 2 Tuskegee College 2 Florida Memorial
3 Langston University 3 Elizabeth City State University 3 Morehouse College
4 Savannah State 4 Albany State University 4 Elizabeth City State University
5 Albany State University 5 Fort Valley State University 5 Tuskegee College
6 Central State University 6 Central State University 6 Winston Salem State University
7 Elizabeth City State University 7 Florida Memorial 7 Bowie State University
8 Talladega 8 Bowie State University 8 Shaw University
9 Fayetteville State University 9 Langston University 9 Albany State University
10 Virginia State University 10 Winston Salem State University 10 Miles College
           
  Majorette Top 2        
1 Virginia State University        
2 Florida Memorial