UIL State Marching Band Contest Results: 3A and 5A, 2026

Nov 5, 2026 | News

UIL State Marching Band Contest Results: 3A and 5A, 2026

Argyle won the 5A State Championship, its ninth state title, and Mineola won 3A for the third year in a row at the UIL State Marching Band Contest this week at the Alamodome in San Antonio. Harlingen South and Reedy made the 12-band 5A finals, and Orange Grove made the 10-band 3A finals. Weiss, Long Creek, C.C. Winn and Hondo also marched State. Here are the UIL State Marching Band Contest results for all nine of my bands.

5A State: Nov 2 and 3

Thirty-nine bands marched 5A prelims on Monday and twelve made Tuesday’s finals. Argyle was 2nd in prelims and won finals.

It’s Argyle’s ninth UIL state marching title and its first in 5A, after winning in 2A (2003 and 2005), 3A (2008, 2010 and 2012) and 4A (2014, 2020 and 2021). Nine titles ties Argyle with Cedar Park, where I taught for nine years, and Sundown for the most in UIL State Marching Band Contest history.

Harlingen South and Reedy both made the top twelve, with Harlingen South moving up from 10th in prelims to 9th in finals. Weiss isn’t done yet: it marches the Bands of America San Antonio Super Regional on Friday.

3A State: Nov 4

Mineola won 3A prelims and finals on Wednesday, the same sweep it had at 3A Area C. That makes three 3A state titles in a row for Mineola (2024, 2025 and 2026) and six overall, after 2017, 2019 and 2021. Orange Grove made the 10-band finals after finishing 6th of 25 in prelims.

What’s next

The 2A, 4A and 6A bands march UIL State at the Alamodome Nov 9 to 11, and Bands of America is in San Antonio this weekend. I’ll keep posting marching band contest results as they come in.

If your season just wrapped, here’s how I’d run your season debrief.

Already thinking about next fall? Browse the 2026 show catalog, see my full list of marching band shows, or start sketching your own with the Build Your Show tool. When you’re ready to talk, reach out here.

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FAQ

How does the UIL State Marching Band Contest work? Bands earn a spot at State through their UIL Area contest. State runs in two weeks at the Alamodome: 1A, 3A and 5A first, then 2A, 4A and 6A. Each conference marches prelims, and the top bands come back for finals that night or the next day.

Why are there no scores in these results? UIL State is judged by ranks. Each judge ranks every band, the ranks are added up, and the lowest total wins. The official results show those ranks and placements, not scores.

Can an adaptable show win a state title? Yes. Mineola won 3A State this year with a mix of selections from my catalog, adjusted to the band before they started learning it. See how adaptable shows work.

About the author

I’m Evan VanDoren, a composer and arranger based in Austin. I spent nine years as band director at Cedar Park High School, where we won three UIL State Championships, and I now write for Santa Clara Vanguard. My work is published through RWS Music and Alfred Music, and I write adaptable and custom marching band shows for programs across the country.

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