2022 Preseason GEM Top 25 Poll
Is your band ready?!
Starting with the preseason poll, General Effect Media will rank the Top 25 marching bands each week during the competitive season, after State Marching Contests, and National Championships. GEM writers and contributors from throughout the country vote individually. Bands are given points on a scale: No. 1 gets you 25, No. 2 gets you 24, etc. These ballots are then combined for one GEM Top 25 poll.
All marching bands can earn rankings in the poll.
In 2021 The Pride of Broken Arrow won the Bands of America Grand National Championship. But GEM voters are not obligated to rank the BOA winner No. 1. The Hebron Band won the Bands of America San Antonio Super Regional and the UIL Texas State Marching Contest but did not attend Grand National Championships. A case could be made for voters to rank Hebron No. 1 and The Pride of Broken Arrow No. 2.
The Top 25 poll will release each Wednesday as follows:
21-25 (via social media) at 12:00 pm ET
16-20 (via social media) at 12:30pm ET
11-15 (via social media) at 1:00 pm ET
6-10 (via social media) at 1:30 pm ET
GEM Top 25 Poll (via Substack) at 2:00 pm ET
2022 Preseason GEM Top 25 Marching Band Poll
1. Broken Arrow (OK) (57.2% first-place votes)
2. Avon (IN) (14.3% first-place votes)
3. Hebron (TX) (9.6% first-place votes)
4. Carmel (IN)
5. Flower Mound (TX)
6. Vandegrift (TX) (14.3% first-place votes)
7. Tarpon Springs (FL)
8. Claudia Taylor Johnson (TX)
9. The Woodlands (TX)
10. Marcus (TX)
11. Ronald Reagan (TX) (4.8% first-place votes)
12. Blue Springs (MO)
13. Dobyns-Bennett (TN)
14. William Mason (OH)
15. Vista Ridge (TX)
16. Cedar Ridge (TX)
17. Cedar Park (TX)
18. Leander (TX)
19. Wando (SC)
20. Coppell (TX)
21. Rouse (TX)
22. Castle (IN)
23. Keller (TX)
24. Fishers (IN)
25. Round Rock (TX)
How do you vote?
The percentages of first place votes add up to 105. And we all thought UIL's scoring system was strange!