North Carolina A&T claimed the preseason No. 1 spot with 585 points, narrowly edging out Jackson State (573), Norfolk State (570), and Bethune-Cookman (567). FAMU, meanwhile, rounded out the group with 531 points—a ranking critics called a “disrepectful” given its 2024 championship pedigree.
Breaking Down the Scores
The Red Lobster Band of the Year poll evaluated Division I HBCU bands across five categories, revealing razor-thin margins and standout strengths:
Musicality: Norfolk State, NC A&T, and FAMU tied with 122 points each.
Drill and Design: FAMU led with Bethune-Cookman and Southern, praised for “precision and creativity.”
Percussion: Norfolk State (123) edged Bethune-Cookman (122) and FAMU (121).
Drum Majors: Jackson State and NC A&T tied at 123, while Bethune-Cookman and Norfolk State trailed closely.
Auxiliaries: NC A&T dominated (121), with Southern and Alabama State following.
Outrage and resolve
The poll results sparked immediate backlash from FAMU supporters, who noted the Marching 100 outperformed NC A&T head-to-head in 2024. “This feels like disrespect,” said one fan on social media. “How do you crown a champion, then act like they’re an underdog?”
While FAMU band leaders declined to comment publicly, insiders suggest the ranking has galvanized the band. “We’ll let our performances do the talking,” said one band member on social media. “Preseason polls don’t hand out trophies.”
The road to redemption
With less than a a few days before bands take the field for start of the 2025 season "band heads' are expecting this season to be a barnburner. The top five programs are separated by just 54 points—a gap that could vanish after a single standout show. FAMU, meanwhile, faces a high-stakes schedule, including marquee appearances at the US Open, National Battle of the Bands, and Orange Blossom Classic in just the first week alone.
“This poll lit a fire under us,” said a Marching 100 section leader. “We’re hungrier than ever.”
As the bands fine-tune their shows, one thing is clear: Atlanta’s championship stage won’t be decided by predictions. For FAMU, the mission is simple—prove the doubters wrong, one downbeat at a time.
The full 2025 Red Lobster/ESPN Preseason poll:
