2025 BOA Grand National Championships (Nov. 13-15)

[LeanderMomma]

The 2025 BOA Grand National Championships will be held November 13-15 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, IN. 

I will start listing bands who are confirmed throughout the year as we hear about them. (Thank you @yayband for your diligence in this area!).

AS OF 12/21/2024:

1. Anderson County H.S., KY
2. Avon H.S., IN
3. Avon H.S., OH
4. Beechwood H.S., KY
5. Bentonville H.S., AR
6. Brownsburg H.S., IN
7. Carmel H.S., IN
8. Castle H.S., IN
9. Center Grove H.S., IN
10. Centerville H.S., OH
11. Chattahoochee H.S., GA
12. Coppell H.S., TX
13. Edwardsville H.S., IL
14. Farmington H.S., UT
15. Fishers H.S., IN
16. Franklin Community H.S., IN
17. Goshen H.S., IN
18. Greendale H.S., WI
19. Jenison H.S., MI
20. Lambert H.S., GA
21. Lawrence Township, IN
22. Miamisburg H.S., OH
23. Nation Ford H.S., SC
24. Noblesville H.S., IN
25. O'Fallon Township H.S., IL
26. Plymouth-Canton E.P., MI
27. Ronald Reagan H.S., TX
28. Round Rock H.S., TX
29. Russell Independent H.S., KY
30. South Forsyth H.S., GA
31. Southmoore H.S., OK
32. Sparkman H.S., AL
33. The Woodlands H.S., TX
34. Wando H.S., SC
35. William Mason H.S., OH
36. Worthington Kilbourne H.S., OH
37. Yukon H.S., OK

[LeanderMomma]

Also, thanks @lost 🤗

[LeanderMomma]

Also hearing rumors that Coppell may make their first trip ever to GN next year!  😍😍

[BigTrombone]

Sounds like Coppell is making the trip to Indy next year. Heard it was announced at the 25th anniversary celebration of their 1999 4A State Championship. As for other Texas groups I've heard that are rumored to be attending.

Marcus - 2025 is a rotation year for Marcus. Highly expect them to be in attendance.

Flower Mound - Again, 2025 is a rotation year for Flower Mound. I'm a bit more skeptical on them attending since they're performing at the Macy's Parade next week.

Claudia Taylor Johnson - Would be a Grand Nats year for them based on the current rotation. However, considering Lipman's departure & CTJ's recent struggles, I wonder of they might put a pause on attending Grand Nats.

Vandegrift - Again, I've only heard rumors but nothing concrete. If they were to attend, they would easily be in contention for the eagle.

Timber Creek - I've also heard rumors about these guys attending. Would easily be a semifinalist if they were to attend

[LeanderMomma]

6 hours ago, BigTrombone said:

Vandegrift - Again, I've only heard rumors but nothing concrete. If they were to attend, they would easily be in contention for the eagle.

I’m going to say something a little controversial but I feel that as long as Texas bands are having to create UIL focused shows every single year, it will be quite difficult for any of them to take home the eagle. 

I would love to be proven wrong about this. 

[cheeto2401]

3 team texas confirmed!!! cant wait

[MidwestBest]

5 hours ago, LeanderMomma said:

I’m going to say something a little controversial but I feel that as long as Texas bands are having to create UIL focused shows every single year, it will be quite difficult for any of them to take home the eagle. 

I would love to be proven wrong about this. 

I agree. Show designs targeted towards UIL rubrics and the limitations of practice vs non-Texas bands are two of the main reasons why we don't see Team Texas win Grand Nats as often. At least that's what I think.

[bk_bobb]

Next year sounds exciting already!  
 

*im considering going as a first time spectator to Grand Nats next year.   
 

Does anyone have any tips and tricks on best viewing seats, where to stay, etc..  

[BlastFromThePast]

8 hours ago, MidwestBest said:

I agree. Show designs targeted towards UIL rubrics and the limitations of practice vs non-Texas bands are two of the main reasons why we don't see Team Texas win Grand Nats as often. At least that's what I think.

The UIL rubrics have changed a lot in just the past few years, and have been split into separate branches: Open Class and Military Class. So, UIL Open Class is much more aligned with BOA rubrics now. Perhaps that will eventually play out with TX bands taking home the Eagle more often. In general, TX bands do seem to be getting more competitive: The BOA San Antonio Super Regional and UIL State contests are very high level, arguably the highest nationwide as a whole. There just seem to be the few perennial exceptional bands (Avon, Carmel, Broken Arrow) that manage to stay on top at GN, though TX bands did break through in 2007, 2013, and 2019 (seems TX is due in 2025 )

As for "limitations of practice" -- I cannot imagine H.S. bands practicing any more than they already do! How would that even be possible and still get other things done such as, oh, class work ? What more do those consistent GN top placement bands actually do that don't have these limitations? Or are there other factors? But I suppose this is a discussion for another place.

 

[personofaperson]

We need to go back in time to the first Covid to make UIL stay the same way it always was.
THATS RIGHT,
We need to go back in time to the first Covid to make UIL stay the same way it ALWAYS was.

[packwick]

i just want whichever band wins BOA-SA next season to be one of the ones attending Nats. it's been waaaay too long since that's happened.

[utee94]

Better yet, I'd love for Avon and Carmel to come on down to San Antonio in the same year, and see how they measure up against ALL the top Texas bands.

 

[packwick]

36 minutes ago, utee94 said:

Better yet, I'd love for Avon and Carmel to come on down to San Antonio in the same year, and see how they measure up against ALL the top Texas bands.

 

i still don't understand why neither comes down at least once every 4 yrs. it could be their equivalent of a fun out-of-state Nats trip! winning BOA-SA is a huge accomplishment, only maybe slightly edged out by winning Nationals. even just making finals at SA is huge. do they really just spend all that money on designers?? are theirs just that much more expensive?! je ne comprends pas!

[utee94]

28 minutes ago, packwick said:

i still don't understand why neither comes down at least once every 4 yrs. it could be their equivalent of a fun out-of-state Nats trip! winning BOA-SA is a huge accomplishment, only maybe slightly edged out by winning Nationals. even just making finals at SA is huge. do they really just spend all that money on designers?? are theirs just that much more expensive?! je ne comprends pas!

I don't know how much their shows cost, but I do know it costs a decent-sized Texas band $500,000 or more to make the trip to Indianapolis.  That's a half a million dollars.  It's jaw-dropping.

That's why I find the somewhat dismissive and cavalier attitude often seen on hornrank from the midwest homers regarding the incredible difficulty and expense of such a trip, to be irritatingly condescending.

[cheeto2401]

cannot wait to see Bentonville next year!!!

[cheeto2401]

16 hours ago, utee94 said:

Better yet, I'd love for Avon and Carmel to come on down to San Antonio in the same year, and see how they measure up against ALL the top Texas bands.

 

agreed

[braddddd]

avon and Carmel would not win lmao 

[LeanderMomma]

40 minutes ago, braddddd said:

avon and Carmel would not win lmao 

They absolutely could. Especially with Texas bands doing 8 minute UIL shows, just sayin. 

[braddddd]

yea ik I would just love to see them get like 3rd or 4th

[utee94]

1 hour ago, LeanderMomma said:

They absolutely could. Especially with Texas bands doing 8 minute UIL shows, just sayin. 

They could definitely win.  Or they might not.  Sure would be fun to be able to watch it actually happen, and find out for real!

[braddddd]

I would finally love to see a BOA San Antonio winner finally face off against vs Carmel and avon at grand nats too.  

I think the last time the BOA San antonio winner attended at Grand nats was 2013 (Woodlands). They ended up winning nats, hmm?? 🤔

I wish we could see the very best band from Texas vs Avon, carmel, and BA every year!

[zxrzxz]

On 11/21/2024 at 6:51 PM, utee94 said:

I don't know how much their shows cost, but I do know it costs a decent-sized Texas band $500,000 or more to make the trip to Indianapolis.  That's a half a million dollars.  It's jaw-dropping.

That's why I find the somewhat dismissive and cavalier attitude often seen on hornrank from the midwest homers regarding the incredible difficulty and expense of such a trip, to be irritatingly condescending.

I feel like people definitely don’t give texas bands enough credit when stacked up against other bands outside of the state at grand nats. For one, non texas schools rehearse much more due to them not having a UIL 8 hour limit. And for indiana, and other midwest states, it costs much less for them to go to grand nats, than a texas school. So they pretty much go every year, meaning they’ve had so much experience in grand nats. But the fact texas schools are still able to rank as high as they do just makes it even more insane. 

[zxrzxz]

Also even though it is a dis-advantage in grand nats, I for one am glad for an 8 hour limit because that’s definitely enough, and to have like 18 hours weekly like some schools would just kill me.

[utee94]

4 hours ago, zxrzxz said:

Also even though it is a dis-advantage in grand nats, I for one am glad for an 8 hour limit because that’s definitely enough, and to have like 18 hours weekly like some schools would just kill me.

Agree, as a parent of two high school marching band kids in Texas, the 8-hour rule keeps at least some sanity in the equation.  

I'll leave it to others to debate whether or not it puts Texas at a disadvantage vis a vis bands from states that have no such rules, I really don't care about that.

[cheeto2401]

6 hours ago, zxrzxz said:

Also even though it is a dis-advantage in grand nats, I for one am glad for an 8 hour limit because that’s definitely enough, and to have like 18 hours weekly like some schools would just kill me.

look, if i'm doing marching band rehearsal for like 3 hours everyday, i better love the instrument i play or whatever im doing, or else im quitting, like i am not finna do allat