Projection. Order reflects Marching Index rankings as of October 16, 2026; UIL Area contests determine actual advancement.
Projected State slots: 4
Estimated Area field: 23 bands (projection). Basis: 22 bands qualified for this Area in 2025, adjusted to 23 for the 2026–28 UIL realignment; 1 2026 entries posted so far. UIL rule: in 5A, each Area certifies its top 2 bands to State; when 15 or more bands qualify for the Area, one band is certified for each five qualifiers. Bands meeting the UIL judges’ ranking rule also advance (not projected). UIL Marching Band Advancement and Ranking Procedures.
5A Area APartially confirmed
Participating UIL regions: Region 1 (provisional), Region 6 (provisional), Region 7 (provisional), Region 16, Region 22 (provisional).
| # | School | UIL region / status | Verified 2026 results |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Frenship (Wolfforth) | Region 16 · Region pending | BOA West Texas Regional finals 71.55 |
| 2 | J. M. Hanks (El Paso) — Provisional | Region 22 · Region pending | Provisional — based on 2025 UIL results: UIL State prelims, 29th place (2025) |
| 3 | Amarillo (Amarillo) — Provisional | Region 1 · Region pending | Provisional — based on 2025 UIL results: UIL State prelims, 36th place (2025) |
| 4 | Horizon (El Paso) — Provisional | Region 22 · Region pending | Provisional — based on 2025 UIL results: UIL State prelims, 37th place (2025) |
| Projected State advancement line — top 4 (projection) | |||
| 5 | Lubbock (Lubbock) — Provisional | Region 16 · Region pending | Provisional — based on 2025 UIL results: UIL Area A finals, 5th place (2025) |
| 6 | Lubbock-Cooper (Lubbock) | Region 16 · Region pending | BOA West Texas Regional finals 70.9 |
| 7 | El Dorado (El Paso) — Provisional | Region 22 · Region pending | Provisional — based on 2025 UIL results: UIL Area A finals, 6th place (2025) |
| 8 | Frenship Memorial (Lubbock) | Region 16 · Region pending | BOA West Texas Regional finals 70.25 |
| 9 | Del Valle (El Paso) — Provisional | Region 22 · Region pending | Provisional — based on 2025 UIL results: UIL Area A finals, 8th place (2025) |
| 10 | Wylie (Abilene) | Region 6 · Region pending | BOA West Texas Regional prelims 70 |
| 11 | Americas (El Paso) — Provisional | Region 22 · Region pending | Provisional — based on 2025 UIL results: UIL Area A finals, 9th place (2025) |
| 12 | Monterey (Lubbock) | Region 16 · Region pending | BOA West Texas Regional prelims 69 |
| 13 | Palo Duro (Amarillo) | Region 1 · Region pending | BOA West Texas Regional prelims 61.15 |
Sources
- UIL Official Area Marching Contest entries, 2026 and 2025. https://www.texasmusicforms.com/areamarchrptuilpublic.asp
- UIL Area Marching Band Contest Information. uiltexas.org/music/marching-band/area
- UIL advancement procedures. uiltexas.org