ESPN/The Undefeated HBCU Band Rankings

Two new bands top the HBCU Band Rankings: Tennessee State and Elizabeth City State

N.C. A&T moves to No. 2 in Division I, and there’s more of a shake-up in Division II

DI_Tennessee

It’s October, and we have two new bands to listen to atop the third ESPN/The Undefeated HBCU Band Rankings this season.

Tennessee State University’s Aristocrats of Bands moved ahead of previous No. 1, North Carolina A&T State University, by a very slim margin. And the new Division II leader is Elizabeth City State University, which entered the rankings at No. 1 this week.

Tennessee State, ranked No. 4 in the September poll, moved to No. 1 because of top finishes in all categories, including No. 1 in drum major. Elizabeth City State, on the strength of No. 1 category finishes in musicality and drill and design, made its debut a momentous one. Miles College was the top band in the September rankings.

The rankings, conducted by two six-person panels of current and retired band directors and choreographers from historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs), evaluate bands on musicality, drill and design, percussion, auxiliary corps and drum majors.

“What makes the ESPN/Undefeated rankings so great and unique is that a band can be totally unranked for one poll and could actually be No. 1 in the next poll. All of our rankings are based on individual shows,” said Don P. Roberts, executive consultant for the ESPN/The Undefeated HBCU Band Rankings.

“What makes our rankings even better is that fact that we bring greater exposure to the sections and components of the band such as the dancers/auxiliary corps, the drumline and the drum majors,” said Roberts. “Most rankings only evaluate the musicality, drill and design, and general effect of band show. Our rankings are far more objective, which is why most band directors respect our process, even though they don’t always agree with the rankings.”

The rankings divide bands from NCAA Division I and Division II schools, which include the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, Southwestern Athletic Conference, Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association and Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.

Other bands creating some buzz in Division I include Grambling State under first-year band director Nikole Roebuck. It made the top 10 at No. 9, with top-10 finishes in four out of five categories. Central State also moved up significantly to No. 3 in the Division II rankings, placing in four out of five categories.

“The poll includes bands all across America, bands of different sizes and styles. It gives directors, students and administrators a peek into what’s going on at other institutions,” said Ramon Key, director of bands at Central State. “I think if we take a step back and not look so much at the competition but take a moment to compare, you can see the bright spots of each and every program whether small or large, funded or unfunded.”

Top 10 HBCU Division I Bands

Overall Rank Drum Major Drill Design Musicality Percussion Auxiliary
1. +3 Tennessee State 1. 5. 4. 8. 3.
2. -1 North Carolina A&T 3. 10. 2. 5. 1.
3. -1 Prairie View A&M 4. 3. 7. 2. 4.
4. +4 Jackson State 2. 1. 3. 11. 22.
5. +1 Southern 5. 4. 10. 14. 2.
6. -3 Bethune-Cookman 7. 11. 1. 9. 5.
7. -2 Norfolk State 6. 2. 8. 3. 17.
8. +1 Florida A&M 11. 12. 5. 13. 6.
9. Grambling State 8. 7. 13. 7. 9.
10. Arkansas at Pine Bluff 14. 8. 6. 15. 19.

Drum Major

  1. Tennessee State
  2. Jackson State
  3. North Carolina A&T
  4. Prairie View A&M
  5. Southern

Drill and Design

  1. Jackson State
  2. Norfolk State
  3. Prairie View A&M
  4. Southern
  5. Tennessee State

Musicality

  1. Bethune-Cookman
  2. North Carolina A&T
  3. Jackson State
  4. Tennessee State
  5. Florida A&M

Percussion

  1. Hampton
  2. Prairie View A&M
  3. Norfolk State
  4. North Carolina Central
  5. North Carolina A&T

Auxiliaries

  1. North Carolina A&T
  2. Southern
  3. Tennessee State
  4. Prairie View A&M
  5. Bethune-Cookman

Tennessee State

Bethune-Cookman

Hampton

Top 10 HBCU Division II Bands

Overall Rank Drum Major Drill Design Musicality Percussion Auxiliary
1. Elizabeth City State 8. 1. 1. 3. 15.
2. Benedict 2. 4. 6. 1. 17.
3. Central State 6. 11. 2. 8. 1.
4. +2 Kentucky State 1. 5. 3. 13. 12.
5. -4 Miles 3. 3. 7. 10. 8.
6. +4 Fort Valley State 7. 6. 4. 7. 16.
7. +1 Tuskegee 5. 10. 5. 11. 6.
8. -3 Winston-Salem State 16. 2. 8. 6. 14.
9. -5 Albany State 9. 14. 11. 15. 2.
10. Shaw 4. 12. 14. 5. 9.

Drum Major

  1. Kentucky State
  2. Benedict
  3. Miles
  4. Shaw
  5. Tuskegee

Drill and Design

  1. Elizabeth City State
  2. Winston-Salem State
  3. Miles
  4. Benedict
  5. Kentucky State

Musicality

  1. Elizabeth City State
  2. Central State
  3. Kentucky State
  4. Fort Valley State
  5. Tuskegee

Percussion

  1. Benedict
  2. Talladega
  3. Elizabeth City State
  4. Virginia Union
  5. Shaw

Auxiliaries

  1. Central State
  2. Albany State
  3. Morehouse
  4. Talladega
  5. Allen

Elizabeth City State

Kentucky State

Central State

Band judging criteria

Drum Major: Conducting, baton carriage, utilization of space, marching technique, accuracy and definition, style and discipline.

Drill and Design: Intervals and spacing, creativity, marching style, precision in timing, definition of patterns, showmanship, instrument carriage and showmanship.

Musicality: Tone, intonation, balance, technique, consistency of style, interpretation and musical effect.

Percussion: Rudimental excellence, general appearance, showmanship, technique/stick control, drill execution, style consistency and discipline.

Auxiliaries: Dance/flag routine, baton/flag carriage, utilization of space, marching/strut technique, uniform, style and more.

This Story Tagged: Tennessee State Tigers North Carolina A&T Aggies Central State Marauders ESPN/The Undefeated HBCU Band Rankings Elizabeth City State Vikings