SCHOOL PROGRAMS
National Collegiate Jazz Championship
The 2026 National Collegiate Jazz Championship brought together ensembles from ten of the nation’s most renowned university jazz programs for an electrifying weekend of competition and collaboration. We celebrated the next generation of jazz artists through big band and combo performances, plus unforgettable mentorship moments with members of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra.
Congratulations to all 2026 National Collegiate Jazz Championship participants!
1st Place Big Band
Temple University Jazz Band
Temple University (Philadelphia, PA)
2nd Place Big Band
Michigan State University Jazz Orchestra I (Be-Bop Spartans)
Michigan State University (East Lansing, MI)
3rd Place Big Band
Huston-Tillotson University Jazz Orchestra
Huston-Tillotson University (Austin, TX)
Outstanding Combo
Temple Sextet
Temple University (Philadelphia, PA)
Runner Up Combo
Eastman Jazz Combo
Eastman School of Music, University of Rochester (Rochester, NY)
For more information and a complete list of award recipients, please visit our Press Room.
2026 Participating Programs
Eastman School of Music (Rochester, NY)
Huston-Tillotson University (Austin, TX)
Michigan State University (East Lansing, MI)
North Carolina Central University (Durham, NC)
Northwestern University (Evanston, IL)
The Ohio State University (Columbus, OH)
Temple University (Philadelphia, PA)
University of Central Florida (Orlando, FL)
University of South Carolina (Columbia, SC)
University of Texas at Austin (Austin, TX)