East Texas Sends A Strong Contingent To UIL State Military Marching Band Championships
WACO, Texas (TXAN 24) — East Texas high school marching bands will take center stage this week as the 2026 University Interscholastic League State Military Class Marching Band Championships arrive at McLane Stadium on the campus of Baylor University.
The two-day competition, scheduled for October 27-28, will bring bands from across Texas to Waco to compete for state honors across four classifications: 1A/2A, 3A, 4A and 5A/6A.
East Texas schools make up a substantial portion of the field, with approximately 37 to 38 regional representatives identified from the UIL’s published participant list, depending on how the region’s boundaries are defined. The UIL does not publish an official East Texas regional count.
Among the schools representing the region are Beckville, Garrison, Gladewater Union Grove, Harleton, Hemphill, Ore City, Overton, Carlisle, Shelbyville, Timpson, DeKalb, New Diana, Diboll, Gilmer Harmony, Gladewater, Sabine, New Boston, West Rusk, Troup, White Oak, Athens, Brownsboro, Bullard, Carthage, Center, Gilmer, Henderson, Kilgore, Lindale, Spring Hill, Pittsburg, Van, Hallsville, Longview, Lufkin, Nacogdoches and Whitehouse.
Tuesday’s competition begins with 1A/2A preliminary performances at 9 a.m., followed by 4A preliminaries at 12:45 p.m. The 1A/2A finals are scheduled for 6:45 p.m., with 4A finals beginning at 8:30 p.m.
Wednesday opens with 3A preliminaries at 10 a.m. The 5A/6A preliminary round follows at 2 p.m. Finals are scheduled for 6:45 p.m. for 3A and 8:30 p.m. for 5A/6A.
Admission costs $22 for preliminaries and $22 for finals, with a combined ticket available for $38. Tickets can be purchased online or on-site using a credit or debit card, according to UIL information.
Fans unable to attend in person can watch a free live video feed provided through KGAS and Tatum Music Company.
The championships offer East Texas communities an opportunity to support student musicians whose performances reflect months of preparation, discipline and teamwork.
For schedules, participant information and competition results, visit the UIL Music website at uiltexas.org/music/state-military-marching-band-contest.
TXAN 24 News will continue covering Texas high school activities and the communities behind them.
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