New details about ESPN's Band of the Year competition have been revealed. John Grant, the executive director of the MEAC/SWAC Challenge and the Celebration Bowl, joined the BCSN Sports Wrap and gave more information.

“We've been working on the ‘Band of the Year' concept since 2017,” he said at the start of the interview. “It started with the idea that we would produce and conduct an objective HBCU band ranking process that was at the time posted and worked in conjunction with The Undefeated always with the intent that it would ultimately end up with an event that would actually crown a national champion.”

Andscape, formerly known as The Undefeated, has released band rankings and they've been a huge topic of discussion in the HBCU community. The rankings are based on auxiliary, drum major performance, musicality, percussion, pictures, design and drill.

Grant emphasized that Band of the Year is indeed a competition and not a traditional battle or showcase.

“This is not an invitation. You can’t be invited. It’s not a showcase. It’s not just to have you there to exhibit. You’re there to compete. And you’re there to win. This is a band of the year competition,” Grant said. “You have to earn your way here.”

To qualify, Division I and Division II HBCU bands will be judged on an unspecified number of performances throughout the season. Grant says that a schedule will be put out of which band performances will be judged.

“We’re going to actually put out a schedule — just like a football schedule. So people will know and be able to follow. Fans will be able to follow which of these performances are a part of the schedule and the adjudication process.”

One piece of scheduling information that has been revealed is that performances for bands in the SWAC Championship and Bayou Classic will not be judged. By late-November when these two events occur the judging will be closed and the bands selected will be able to prepare for the competition.

A significant talking point amongst the HBCU community surrounding the band competition is the money that will be given to the competition bands. Prominent HBCU Twitter commentator and GCAC media personality LaShanda Love spoke out after the announcement of the competition.

“As much as I like the idea of the ‘Band of the Year' competition I can’t help but *feel* like it’s a manipulation tactic by ESPN (to keep paying us less) now that there is more competition in the marketplace for HBCU content,” she tweeted.

Grant spoke about compensation for the bands as well as the pursing of sponsors for the event. He said that the competing band will be paid but did not specify a number.

“Based on how these conversations we’re having with sponsors that are interested, that number could even be enhanced, based on what some of them are wanting to do. So I’d rather not say that at this point until it’s all worked out. And when we give a number, it’s a number everyone will know that they can count on.”

Also, the competition isn't only limited to HBCU bands in traditional black college sports conferences. This allows the CAA's North Carolina A&T and Hampton University, the OVC's Tennessee State University as well as the Southern States Athletic Conference's Talladega College. Talladega is set to transfer to NCAA Division II and submitted their application this year.

Grant says he wants the competition to be inclusionary.

“We all are a part of a connected network. And that network includes whether you are a MEAC, SWAC or CIAA and SIAC and others that are in those categories. It was always our intent to make sure that we were bringing everyone together around a form of championship for something that’s common to all of us, and that’s music.”

The ESPN Band of the Year competition is set to take place on Friday, December 15th during Celebration Bowl Weekend. The competition will be broadcasted on a currently unspecified ESPN television channel and streamed on the ESPN app.