The latest installment of the ESPN HBCU Band of the Year rankings is out, and there has been a shift in the polls at Division I and Division 2 levels.
At Division I, North Carolina A&T is a firm No. 1, followed by Norfolk State, Jackson State, and Texas Southern to round out the top four.
The bottom five include Bethune-Cookman at No. 5, Prairie View is No. 6, Southern is No. 7, Tennessee State is No. 8, Florida A&M is ninth, and Alabama State is No. 10.
The Division II/NAIA rankings presented a bit of a surprise this week.
Winston Salem State is the new No.1 in the rankings. Florida Memorial is No. 2, and Virginia State is third. Central State is No. 4, and Tuskegee is No. 5. The rest of the rankings are made up of Langston, Benedict College, Miles, Kentucky State and Morehouse.
Here are the second band rankings with the top 10 bands from DI & DII/NAIA. pic.twitter.com/WpGjqNaVmt
— Band of the Year (@ESPNBOTY) October 26, 2023
In overall musicianship, Jackson State is ranked No. 1 in the Auxiliaries category for Division I bands. Texas Southern leads among HBCU drum majors, North Carolina A&T is first in percussions and picture/drills and design.
At Division II, Florida Memorial is No.1 in Auxiliaries, Virginia State leads the way in drum majors and Central State is the overall leader in percussions. Winston Salem State is No. 1 in picture/drills and design among D2 bands.
