October 9, 2025
‘I can not, in good conscience and as an educator, settle for this rule of thought for the younger men and women I signify on this band program,’ stated Dr. Donovan V. Wells
Dr. Donovan V. Wells, who’s the director of Bands for Bethune-Cookman College’s Marching Wildcats, has lately voiced his displeasure with the construction of the ESPN Pink Lobster “Band of the 12 months” competitors and has withdrawn from competing.
The band director posted a press release on the Marching Wildcats Fb account concerning the rating system and the way the location of the marching bands is decided, citing higher methods to rank the HBCU bands.
“As Director of Bands, I’ve by no means been a supporter of this competitors idea,” Wells acknowledged within the publish. “There are higher, extra significant methods to showcase and have fun the HBCU marching band artwork kind with out inserting us in direct competitors towards each other. Marching band isn’t a sport — it’s an instructional entity.”
Wells feels that different organizations, of their rankings and standings of bands, sometimes attain out to band administrators and embody them when making their determinations relating to marching bands. Their inclusion may be very essential to the method by which HBCUs obtain correct rankings.
He additionally acknowledged that he has tried a number of instances to have the Marching Wildcats excluded from the competitors, however has been largely ignored. He feels that the college is “being compelled into participation.”
“Regardless of my repeated requests to exclude the Marching Wildcats, for the reason that occasion’s inception, my requests have been ignored. As an alternative, it feels as if we’re being compelled into participation. I can not, in good conscience and as an educator, settle for this rule of thought for the younger men and women I signify on this band program.”
This isn’t the primary time that an HBCU band director has taken to social media to voice concern concerning the “Band of the 12 months” competitors.
HBCU Sports activities reported that Jackson State College’s band director made the same criticism after it withdrew its band from the competitors. They’ve additionally acknowledged that they tried to be excluded from the competitors however had been ignored as nicely.
“We absolutely respect the choice of different applications to take part, in addition to the keenness of followers who observe the competitors,” Dr. Roderick Little wrote. “At Jackson State, our college students work tirelessly and are evaluated by a unique set of requirements—these that target private progress, musical excellence, and cultural impression. We take immense delight within the integrity, resilience, and life achievements of our members, each on and off the sector.”
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