ESPN’s HBCU Band of The Year 2023 Rankings As Of Sept. 30th: Division I And II

ESPN’s HBCU Band of The Year championship takes place on Friday, Dec. 15th. Throughout the season, a panel of experts in marching bands will provide rankings of HBCU band performances based on musicianship, accuracy, drum line, drum majors, dance corps, and other relevant criteria. The top two ranked bands from Division I and Division II conferences will earn the right to compete for the national championship and Band of The Year title. The competition will be part of the Cricket Celebration Bowl weekend events.

Southern University’s Human Jukebox sits atop the HBCU Band Division I rankings after the first month of competition. North Carolina A&T’s Blue and Gold Marching Machine is the team on SU’s heels in the overall rankings, which are determined by a point system adjudicated by a committee of current and legendary band directors on a monthly basis. 

Ironically, both the bands atop the Division II HBCU Band standings are actually schools whose football programs compete at the NAIA level. Langston University turned the initial corner and ranked first, followed by Florida Memorial.

Here’s the first look at the top 15 bands from both Division I and Division II (as of Sept. 30th).

Division I

• 15 UAPB “The Marching Musical Machine of the Mid-South” 
• 14 Howard University “Showtime” 
• 13 Texas Southern “Ocean of Soul” 
• 12 Hampton University “Marching Force” 
• 11 Alabama State “Marching Hornets” 
• 10 South Carolina State “Marching 101” 
• 9 PVAMU “Marching Storm” 8 Grambling State “World Famed” 
• 7 Tennessee State “Aristocrat of Bands” 
• 6 FAMU “Marching 100” 5 Norfolk State University “Spartan Legion” 
• 4 Jackson State University “Sonic Boom of the South” 
• 3 Bethune-Cookman University “Marching Wildcats” 
• 2 NC A&T “Blue and Gold Marching Machine” 
• 1 Southern University “Human Jukebox”

Division II

• 15 Edward Waters
• 14 Albany State
• 13 Clark Atlanta
• 12 Fayetteville State
• 11 Miles College
• 10 Winston-Salem State
• 9 Benedict College 
• 8 Tuskegee University
• 7 Savannah State
• 6 Elizabeth City 
• 5 Central State
• 4 Fort Valley State
• 3 Virginia State
• 2 Florida Memorial 
• 1 Langston University

Auxiliaries (Division I)

• 10 PVAMU “Black Foxes”
  9 Texas Southern “Motion of The Ocean”
  8 Alabama State “Stingettes”
  7 Norfolk State “Hot Ice”
  6 Hampton University “Ebony Fire”
  5 NC A&T “Golden Delight”
  4 Grambling State “Orchesis”
  3 Southern University “Fabulous Dancing Dolls”
  2 Bethune-Cookman “14 Karat Dancers”
  1 Jackson State “Prancing J-Settes”

Auxiliaries (Division II)

• 10 Benedict College
• 9 Albany State
• 8 Miles College
• 7 Tuskegee University
• 6 Fort Valley State
• 5 Florida Memorial
• 4 Elizabeth City State
• 3 Central State
• 2 Virginia State
• 1 Langston University

Drum Majors (Division I)

• 10 Howard
• 9 Jackson State
• 8 Grambling State
• 7 SC State
• 6 PVAMU
• 5 Hampton
• 4 Southern
• 3 NC A&T
• 2 FAMU
• 1 Bethune-Cookman 

Drum Majors (Division II)

• 10 Benedict College
• 9 Bowie State
• 8 Savannah State
• 7 Miles College 
• 6 Fort Valley State
• 5 Elizabeth City State
• 4 Virginia State
• 3 Langston University
• 2 Central State
• 1 Florida Memorial

Musicality (Division I)

• 10 Alabama State
  9 South Carolina State
  8 Morgan State
  7 Howard University
  6 Norfolk State
  5 Tennessee State
  4 Bethune-Cookman
  3 NC A&T
  2 FAMU
  1 Southern

Musicality (Division II)

• 10 Fayetteville State 
• 9 Talladega College
• 8 Virginia State
• 7 Fort Valley State
• 6 Tuskegee University
• 5 Elizabeth City State
• 4 Winston-Salem State
• 3 Langston University 
• 2 Florida Memorial
• 1 Central State

Percussion (Division I)

• 10 Mississippi Valley State
  9 Jackson State
  8 Prairie View A&M
  7 Alabama State
  6 North Carolina Central
  5 Hampton University
  4 Texas Southern
  3 Norfolk State
  2 Bethune-Cookman
  1 NC A&T

Percussion (Division II)

• 10 Miles College 
• 9 Bowie State 
• 8 Albany State 
• 7 Fort Valley State
• 6 Savannah State
• 5 Edward Waters 
• 4 Clark Atlanta
• 3 Benedict College 
• 2 Langston University
• 1 Fayetteville State

Drill/Marching/Maneuvering (Division I)

• 10 Hampton University
  9 Alcorn State
  8 Texas Southern
  7 SC State
  6 NC A&T
  5 Grambling State
  4 FAMU
  3 Tennessee State
  2 Southern University
  1 Jackson State

Drill/Marching/Maneuvering (Division II)

• 10 Albany State
• 9 Fort Valley State
• 8 Winston-Salem State
• 7 Miles College
• 6 Elizabeth City State
• 5 Savannah State
• 4 Virginia State
• 3 Tuskegee University
• 2 Langston University
• 1 Florida Memorial

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 on Dec. 15 in the Mercedes-Benz Dome in Atlanta, GA, with the show starting at 6 PM EST. It will be simulcast on ESPN3 and ESPN Plus. 

This article first appeared on HBCU Gameday