The energy of HBCU culture is alive and well, and the first Division I Red Lobster Band of The Year (BOTY) rankings, presented by Cricket, prove it. North Carolina A&T University’s Blue and Gold Marching Machine sits at the top with a score of 305.70, edging out Southern University’s Human Jukebox and Bethune-Cookman’s Marching Wildcats. Florida A&M’s famed Marching “100,” last year’s BOTY champion, holds fourth place, while Norfolk State’s Spartan Legion rounds out the top five. For HBCU fans, the rankings spotlight the pageantry and precision that make halftime as important as kickoff.According to the BOTY committee, the first Division I HBCU band rankings for September are:North Carolina A&T University – Blue and Gold Marching Machine(305.70)Southern University – Human Jukebox (299.70)Bethune-Cookman University – Marching Wildcats (293.25)Florida A&M University – Marching “100” (286.55)Norfolk State University – Spartan Legion (284.00)Texas Southern University – Ocean of Soul (280.55)Prairie View A&M University – Marching Storm (278.65)Jackson State University – Sonic Boom of the South (273.60)Alabama State University – Mighty Marching Hornets(264.35)Grambling State University – World Famed Tiger Marching Band (259.50)Tennessee State University – Aristocrat of Bands (258.80) Alabama A&M – Marching Maroon and White (257.5)Alcorn State University – Sounds of Dyn-O-Mite (257.75)South Carolina State – Marching 101 (251)Arkansas-Pine Bluff – Marching Musical Machine of the Mid-South (247.5)Each program is evaluated in categories such as musicality, drill and design, percussion, auxiliaries, and drum majors.
