The 2026 Red Lobster/ESPN Band of The Year

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The Red Lobster Band of the Year competition is heading into its fourth year, and the 2026 HBCU marching band season begins with a familiar name at the top of the Division I preseason rankings.

The North Carolina A&T State University Blue and Gold Marching Machine is ranked No. 1 in the 2026 Red Lobster Band of the Year Division I preseason media poll.

For the second consecutive year, media outlets that cover HBCUs and HBCU marching bands voted on a preseason poll ahead of the season. Twenty-two media outlets participated, ranking bands overall and across five categories: musicality; pictures, drill and design; percussion; drum majors; and auxiliaries.

North Carolina A&T has plenty of history with the competition. The Blue and Gold Marching Machine won the inaugural Division I Red Lobster Band of the Year championship in 2023. A&T returned to the championship in 2024, finishing as runner-up to the Florida A&M University Marching “100.”

The Southern University Human Jukebox enters 2026 as the reigning champion after capturing the 2025 Division I title.

2026 Red Lobster Band of the Year Division I Preseason Top 10​

1. North Carolina A&T State University — Blue and Gold Marching Machine
2. Jackson State University — Sonic Boom of the South
3. Norfolk State University — Spartan Legion
4. Southern University — Human Jukebox
5. Bethune-Cookman University — Marching Wildcats
6. Florida A&M University — Marching “100”
7. Texas Southern University — Ocean of Soul
8. Alabama State University — Mighty Marching Hornets
9. South Carolina State University — Marching 101
10. Tennessee State University — Aristocrat of Bands

HBCU media poll: Red Lobster Band of The Year (D1) 2026

Explore the 2026 HBCU marching band season and see why North Carolina A&T is ranked No. 1 in the Red Lobster Band of the Year.

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HBCU band legends lead Red Lobster Band of The Year committee​

The Red Lobster Band of the Year competition has named its committee leadership ahead of the 2026 championship, bringing prominent figures from several prominent HBCU bands to key roles.

ESPN Events announced Friday that Professor Dowell Taylor will return as a committee co-chair. Taylor is the director of bands emeritus at Jackson State University.

Dr. Kenneth Ruff, director of bands emeritus at North Carolina A&T State University, will join Taylor as co-chair. ESPN Events elevated Ruff after his previous service on the Band of the Year committee.

Florida A&M University will also have a respected former band director helping guide the competition. ESPN Events named Dr. Julian White, a Hall of Fame member and FAMU’s director of bands emeritus, as strategic advisor. White will provide counsel on the competition’s direction, evaluation standards and future development.

Dr. James Oliver, director of bands emeritus at Alabama State University, will lead the Metro Atlanta High School BOTY committee.

“Professor Dowell Taylor, Dr. Kenneth Ruff, Dr. Julian White and James Oliver are highly respected leaders who have made lasting contributions to music education and the marching-band community,” John Grant, executive director of Red Lobster Band of The Year, said in a statement.

HBCU band legends lead Red Lobster Band of The Year committee

Explore the role of HBCU representatives in the Red Lobster Band of the Year competition for 2026 with esteemed committee leadership.

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HBCU Division I Red Lobster Band of The Year rankings: Sept. ’26

HBCU bands in Division I have opened the 2026 Red Lobster Band of The Year race with almost no daylight between the leaders. Norfolk State University’s Spartan Legion earned 304.6 points in September, edging North Carolina A&T’s Blue and Gold Marching Machine by one-tenth of a point.

Bethune-Cookman and Florida A&M sit within striking distance. Just 1.2 points separate the entire top four, turning the first rankings into an early warning: the Division I path to the championship is wide open.

Division I Top 15 for September​

1. Norfolk State University — Spartan Legion (304.6)
2. North Carolina A&T State University — Blue and Gold Marching Machine (304.5)
3. Bethune-Cookman University — Marching Wildcats (303.5)
4. Florida A&M University — Marching “100” (303.4)
5. Jackson State University — Sonic Boom of the South (301.5)
6. Prairie View A&M University — Marching Storm (295.7)
7. Texas Southern University — Ocean of Soul (294.5)
8. Southern University — Human Jukebox (291.8)
9. Alabama A&M University — Marching Maroon and White (290.5)
10. Tennessee State University — Aristocrat of Bands (283.5)
11. Alabama State University — Mighty Marching Hornets (279.5)
12. South Carolina State University — Marching 101 (279.5)
13. Grambling State University — World Famed Tiger Marching Band (278)
14. North Carolina Central University — Sound Machine (274.5)
15. Alcorn State University — Sounds of Dyn-O-Mite (269.5)

HBCU Division I Red Lobster Band of The Year rankings: Sept. ’26

Explore the current HBCU bands rankings as the 2026 Red Lobster Band of The Year race heats up with close competition.

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HBCU Division II Red Lobster Band of The Year rankings: Sept. ’26​

HBCU bands in Division II have opened a new Red Lobster Band of The Year race, and Virginia State University’s Trojan Explosion has established the early standard. VSU earned 299.3 points in the September 2026 rankings, placing it comfortably ahead of Fayetteville State University and a crowded group fighting for position.

The first rankings reward complete performances across musicality, pictures, drill and design, marching maneuvers, percussion, drum majors and auxiliaries. They also provide the first snapshot of a season that will narrow the field as HBCU bands continue toward the national championship.

Division II Top 15 for September​

1. Virginia State University — Trojan Explosion (299.3)
2. Fayetteville State University — Marching Bronco eXpress (273.25)
3. Miles College — Purple Marching Machine (264.2)
4. Winston-Salem State University — Red Sea of Sound (264.15)
5. Tuskegee University — Marching Crimson Pipers (261.1)
6. Savannah State University — Powerhouse of the South (259.55)
7. Langston University — Marching Pride (258.6)
8. Albany State University — Marching Rams Show Band (245.85)
9. Fort Valley State University — Blue Machine Marching Band (245.4)
10. Talladega College — Great Tornado Band (242.45)
11. Benedict College — Band of Distinction (237.4)
12. Elizabeth City State University — Sound of Class (233.4)
13. Florida Memorial University — The ROAR Marching Band (224.4)
14. Morehouse College — House of Funk (223.2)
15. Bowie State University — Symphony of Soul (220.6)

HBCU Division II Red Lobster Band of The Year rankings: Sept. ’26

Discover the latest HBCU band rankings for Division II. Virginia State University's Trojan Explosion sets the early standard in 2026.

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Red Lobster Band of the Year is changing the way HBCU bands prepare​

HBCU marching bands have always competed for bragging rights, crowd reactions and cultural prestige. But the Red Lobster Band of the Year competition is increasingly giving programs something more concrete to prepare for: a national standard.

Now in its fourth year, the competition has evolved into more than a December championship event. For some programs, the judging criteria and monthly evaluations are becoming part of how directors structure rehearsals, evaluate individual units and plan performances throughout the season.

Former North Carolina A&T Director of Bands Dr. Kenneth Ruff knows that process from experience.

Ruff, now a co-chair for the Red Lobster Band of the Year, said the competition became a major part of how the Blue and Gold Marching Machine approached its season while he led the program.

“It was a major factor in what we did at A&T while I was there,” Ruff said. “I would sit down with staff at the very beginning of the year. I’d say, ‘Here’s the categories. Here’s what we need to do.’”

The work started before the first football game.

“Day one of band camp, I’m like, ‘Okay, Band of the Year is coming up,’” Ruff said. “You all want to participate, that means that we have to work.”

Red Lobster Band of the Year is changing the way HBCU bands prepare

Learn how the Red Lobster Band of the Year competition impacts HBCU marching bands, shaping their rehearsals and performances.

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Red Lobster Band of the Year demands complete performances​

The competition is also pushing HBCU bands to think beyond one signature strength.

Red Lobster Band of the Year co-chair Professor Dowell Taylor said bands can no longer depend solely on the one area for which they are traditionally known.

Some programs may be known for power and volume. Others may have reputations built around musical finesse or marching precision.

Under the Band of the Year format, those areas are evaluated separately before being combined into an overall score.

“You have to kind of balance off your approach to the entire show,” Taylor said.

That emphasis appears to be affecting the field.

Taylor specifically pointed to Grambling State, Alcorn State and Miles College as programs that have elevated their performances since the competition began in 2023.

“They’ve upped the ante on what they’re presenting,” Taylor said, adding that programs are becoming more particular about every aspect of their performances.

Red Lobster Band of the Year is changing the way HBCU bands prepare

Learn how the Red Lobster Band of the Year competition impacts HBCU marching bands, shaping their rehearsals and performances.

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