The NCCU Jazz Ensemble 1 will return to Jazz @ Lincoln Center in New York City to defend our "National Championship" (Jack Rudin Collegiate Jazz Championship). The competition (now called the National Collegiate Jazz Championship) will be held on January 17 and 18, 2026.
We made history in 2020 by being the only HBCU that was invited to compete in this national 10 school competition. All schools that were invited were considered the top jazz programs in the country. Again, we made history in 2022 by finishing in the top three of all schools competing (Michigan St.-1, Temple Univ.-2, NCCU-3). We continued to let all of the collegiate jazz world know that we were a top jazz school by finishing in first place in 2023 (NCCU-1, Temple Univ.-2, Michigan St.-3)!
You can learn more about the competition, purchase tickets, and tune in to watch the competition live.