HBCU marching bands now have a framework to determine a TRUE competitive pecking order for the craft. Will it go far enough?
Hello, and welcome to another edition of View From The Sidelines! There’s a lot going on in the world of HBCU Bandom this month, but there may be nothing bigger than news dropping an official road and framework to determining a 1st REAL National Champion (or Band Of The Year, per ESPN) in the annals of the craft. Check it out:
Of course, the attempt to put a competitive face to our version of halftime artistry isn’t a new endeavor. The concept of having a “Battle Of The Bands’ (or presenting our performance art with a competitive edge) is almost as old as the craft itself. In fact, it’s that offshoot of athletic competitive engagement that makes the HBCU Fall Sports gameday one of the most unique fan experiences in all of sports. If you’ve ever been to an HBCU Football game where two high-powered and tradition-laiden band programs happen to be in attendance, you know that leaving your seat for ANY extended period of time could mean missing something special. In that spirit, VFTS will take a closer look at WHY this is a huge step one in turning one of the best shows imaginable on football turf, into a competitive ecosystem that will not only push the craft, but bring the tradition and paegentry of HBCU Marching Bands to an entirely NEW generation of audiences.
The Format
ESPN Events has tabbed Dr. Don Roberts (of ESPN’s Undefeated HBCU Band Poll fame) to head the creation of the adjudication and competition rubric for this competition. On the surface, the nuts and bolts of the evaluation process for programs competing in the National Championship chase mirrors the concept of how those venerable Undefeated polls were conducted, though there’s sure to be more detail on the evaluation/adjudication processes released as we get closer to the beginning of the fall collegiate football season.
There will be two divisions for programs to compete in. D1 for HBCU programs attached to D1/FCS institutions (i.e. The SWAC, MEAC, OVC, and CAA), and D2 schools (i.e. The CIAA, The SIAC, and other NAIA or non-affiliated HBCU Band programs). Both will have there own respective weekly rankings and polling system, with the universal medium being evaluated is probably the biggest staple for the craft, halftime. The top two bands from those respective divisions will meet on Celebration Bowl weekend to crown an National Champion for Division 1 and Division 2. While this is indeed an exciting first step toward establishing a separate platform for HBCU showband competition, There are some aspects of the craft that are glaringly omitted from the early existing evaluation formula. Aspects of the culture, like stand performances and the 5th quarter (a de-facto post-game musical face-off between bands from the stands), won’t be factored into evaluation. Those omissions will inevitably have hardcore fan audiences, and bandheads alike, inquiring on whether this first foray into creating a competition is actually going far enough.
The Future?
This inaugural event is going to be a watershed moment for how folks within the culture, view what HBCU bands are. Can they stand alone for their individual entertainment value for fans? If the veritable success of entities like the Honda Battle Of The Bands, The Pepsi National Battle Of The Bands, or the veritable smorgasbord of regional and municipal events that draws tens of thousands, even hundreds of thousands of fans during the fall, then that answer is a definite YES. There’s a larger question to be asked, though; Will these other events be brought into the fold of a larger competitive framework? Will the full spectrum of HBCU Bandom eventually be included in competition structures like this one? More importantly, how will these events translate to funding and POSITIVE publicity for HBCU institutions that participate? Will we see sponsorships and dollar amounts for band programs and schools that participate?
There are definitely open-ended questions about an official competitive marching band ecosystem that will be answered with time. In the meantime, I get the feeling that this first national event is going to be a doozy for participants and audiences alike. It might be best to just sit back, enjoy the build-up, enjoy the ride until the end of the season.
That’s it for this edition of View From The Sidelines! VFTS will also be getting into the game of polls this fall, with a weekly HBCU Bandom Top 10, running the full course of the HBCU Band and Football season. Follow the VFTS platform for insight, Band and show breakdowns, and other exciting content covering the craft. Until next entry:
#VFTS #PreserveTheHistory #ProtectTheCraft