HBCU bands have a new Division I No. 1 in the Red Lobster Band of the Year rankings, presented by Cricket. Southern University’s Human Jukebox leads October, but the latest standings also introduce a significant change to the scoring rubric.
Leadership says the adjustment reflects the bands’ growth. Musicality and Pictures, Drill and Design each now carry 120 possible points, up from 80.
Dr. Kenneth Ruff, BOTY co-chair and North Carolina A&T director of bands emeritus, explained the change in a statement supplied to HBCU Gameday.
“The goal and mission of the BOTY Committee is to foster the overall improvement of all HBCU Marching Bands, which leads us to continually tweak the adjudication process. The committee increased the scores in the areas of Musicality and Pictures, Drill and Design because many of the bands have exceeded the previous rubric with their monthly outstanding performances. Taylor stated the increase from 80 to 120 points in both categories will give the HBCU Bands even higher goals to shoot for.”
The expanded scoring range gives October’s totals a different scale from September. Higher raw scores alone therefore do not establish how much a program improved.
John T. Grant, executive director of the Red Lobster Band of the Year, connected that change to the competition’s larger purpose.
“We want it to evolve,” Grant told HBCU Gameday.
For leadership, continued adjustments would reflect continued growth among HBCU bands. The immediate goal for contenders remains reaching November’s final top five.
October HBCU Division I Band of the Year Top 15
| Rank | School — Band | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Southern — Human Jukebox | 398.4 |
| 2 | Bethune-Cookman — Marching Wildcats | 392.75 |
| 3 | Florida A&M — Marching 100 | 392.5 |
| 4 | Jackson State — Sonic Boom of the South | 388.35 |
| 5 | North Carolina A&T — Blue and Gold Marching Machine | 372.6 |
| 6 | Norfolk State — Spartan Legion | 367.75 |
| 7 | Alabama A&M — Marching Maroon and White | 366.25 |
| 8 | Texas Southern — Ocean of Soul | 358.5 |
| 9 | Tennessee State — Aristocrat of Bands | 356 |
| 10 | South Carolina State — Marching 101 | 342 |
| 11 | Alabama State — Mighty Marching Hornets | 340.7 |
| 12 | Grambling State — World Famed Tiger Marching Band | 338.75 |
| 13 | Prairie View A&M — Marching Storm | 337.5 |
| 14 | Arkansas-Pine Bluff — Marching Musical Machine of the Mid-South | 333.65 |
| 15 | Hampton — Marching Force | 325.9 |
Southern leads with 398.4 points, 5.65 ahead of Bethune-Cookman. Florida A&M follows just 0.25 points behind the Marching Wildcats, while Jackson State sits fourth at 388.35.
The Human Jukebox leads two categories: musicality with 113 points and auxiliary with 48.5. Southern also places second in pictures, drill, design and marching maneuvers at 117.9, just one-tenth behind FAMU.
Bethune-Cookman claims percussion with 65.5 points and drum majors with 60. Those category victories help the Marching Wildcats hold second overall despite finishing seventh in picture-and-drill and 11th in auxiliary.
FAMU’s Marching 100 tops picture-and-drill with 118 points. It also finishes second in musicality at 110.5 and third in drum majors at 58.5. The different paths to the leading positions show how multiple sections shape the overall HBCU band standings.
Rotating judges and the November top-five target
The evaluation process also rotates adjudicators across categories during the regular season. Professor Dowell Taylor, BOTY co-chair and Jackson State director of bands emeritus, explained the reasoning.
“Red Lobster’s (BOTY) adjudicators rotate categories throughout the season to prevent bias, introduce fresh perspectives, ensure fairness, and promote growth. This approach also prevents bands from catering to a specific critic’s preferences and encourages them to develop every aspect of their program, including music, drill, percussion, and auxiliaries, to a high and balanced standard.”
That emphasis on complete performances matters throughout the HBCU field. Jackson State finishes second in drum majors and third in both musicality and picture-and-drill. Its fourth-place overall position comes despite ranking 15th in auxiliary.
North Carolina A&T currently holds the fifth spot with 372.6 points. Norfolk State follows at 367.75, leaving a 4.85-point gap at the top-five boundary. Alabama A&M sits another 1.5 points behind the Spartan Legion.
Norfolk State remains competitive across several categories, placing second in percussion and fourth in auxiliary. Alabama A&M finishes third in percussion and fifth in auxiliary. Those strengths give both HBCU programs a foundation as they pursue the final selection pool.
Those positions remain provisional in the larger race. November’s final rankings will establish the top five from which organizers select the Atlanta contestants. All five programs will remain in consideration, so October’s No. 1 ranking does not guarantee an invitation.
For HBCU bands outside that group today, November offers the opportunity to change the selection picture. For those currently inside it, the task is to keep developing every section and secure a place in the final five.
Southern owns October’s lead. The next ranking will determine which programs remain in the pool for Atlanta.