October 9, 2025
‘I cannot, in good conscience and as an educator, accept this rule of thought for the young women and men I represent in this band program,’ said Dr. Donovan V. Wells
Dr. Donovan V. Wells, who is the director of Bands for Bethune-Cookman University’s Marching Wildcats, has recently voiced his displeasure with the structure of the ESPN Red Lobster “Band of the Year” competition and has withdrawn from competing.
The band director posted a statement on the Marching Wildcats Facebook account about the ranking system and how the placement of the marching bands is determined, citing better ways to rank the HBCU bands.
“As Director of Bands, I have never been a supporter of this competition concept,” Wells stated in the post. “There are better, more meaningful ways to showcase and celebrate the HBCU marching band art form without placing us in direct competition against one another. Marching band is not a sport — it is an academic entity.”
Wells feels that other organizations, in their rankings and standings of bands, typically reach out to band directors and include them when making their determinations regarding marching bands. Their inclusion is very important to the process by which HBCUs receive proper ratings.
He also stated that he has tried several times to have the Marching Wildcats excluded from the competition, but has been mostly ignored. He feels that the school is “being forced into participation.”
“Despite my repeated requests to exclude the Marching Wildcats, since the event’s inception, my requests have been ignored. Instead, it feels as though we are being forced into participation. I cannot, in good conscience and as an educator, accept this rule of thought for the young women and men I represent in this band program.”
This is not the first time that an HBCU band director has taken to social media to voice concern about the “Band of the Year” competition.
HBCU Sports reported that Jackson State University’s band director made a similar complaint after it withdrew its band from the competition. They have also stated that they tried to be excluded from the competition but were ignored as well.
“We fully respect the decision of other programs to participate, as well as the enthusiasm of fans who follow the competition,” Dr. Roderick Little wrote. “At Jackson State, our students work tirelessly and are evaluated by a different set of standards—those that focus on personal growth, musical excellence, and cultural impact. We take immense pride in the integrity, resilience, and life achievements of our members, both on and off the field.”
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