It seems wild to think about how our last "business as usual" drum corps season was in 2019. After a season off due to the COVID pandemic paired with last year's DCI Celebration season (sans scores), it's incredibly exciting that we get to see our favorite drum corps returning to the competitive field with the goal of winning a gold medal at Lucas Oil Stadium.

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As it's been a few years, let's take a brief look back at the 2019 season and how finals shaped up for everyone:

Finals Scores

Blue Devils came away with gold in 2019 with their show titled 'Ghostlight,' while Bluecoats took home silver, and SCV nabbed the bronze medal over fourth place Carolina Crown. The top half of the field was separated by small margins which only added to the excitement throughout Prelims, Semis, and Finals competition. I think it's safe to say that after a few years off, we're likely to have a similar experience throughout the 2022 season. 

Looking Ahead to 2022

One thing to take into consideration when making ranking predictions this year is that the playing field will look different in terms of participants. Both Spirit of Atlanta and Seattle Cascades have opted out of the 2022 season, which means there's a high likelihood of a shakeup for rankings throughout the season and leading into World Championship Prelims, Semifinals, and possibly even Finals. Here's a breakdown of scores from Semifinals in 2019:

While the absence of Cascades will likely not have a ripple effect on Finals, it is, however, very possible that Spirit's absence can shake up the top 15 placements, possibly even the top 12. The absence of Spirit of Atlanta this year could very well affect two corps: Crossmen and Phantom Regiment.

Crossmen has hovered within the 10th-12th place bubble for the last few seasons and has not finished better than 10th place since 2003. Big changes in both key high-level staff and educational staff may play a role in the on-field performance, which means that we'll have our eyes on the San Antonio-based corps when they debut their 2022 program at the DCI Tour Premiere on June 28th.

Phantom Regiment also has been hovering in the 6th-12th place range since 2013, with their last top-5 finish being 2012's 'Turandot.' With Spirit just barely missing the cutoff for Finals in 2019, it's not improbable to imagine a scenario in which a stellar season from Pacific Crest, Colts, or Madison Scouts could propel a new contender into 12th place. Where will Regiment wind up if that happens? 

Regiment, however, does have more to lose in this scenario as they're currently on a 45-year streak of making Finals, which is absolutely bananas considering DCI is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year.

Where Will Corps Be Making Their 2022 Debut?

It's a mixed bag of when corps will be making their 2022 tour debut this season. Audiences will see most of 2019's top-12 finishers within the first two weeks of competition, while others we won't see until mid-July. Here's a breakdown of when your favorite corps will take the field for the first time this season:

World Class

Open Class

Bold Predictions

1. Crown holds onto the Jim Ott award, but Bluecoats win the overall Music caption

If Avon High School's 2022 WGI season was any indication of how well Crown's brass line is shaping up for this season, they're a shoo-in to, once again, sweep the Brass caption and bring home the Jim Ott. However, I'm predicting that after Bloo's stellar 2019 music showing where they tied Crown for 1st with a score of 29.338, I think Bluecoats will pull ahead in the Percussion caption to secure them the first-place finish in the overall Music caption.

2. Pacific Crest knocks Crossmen out of Finals contention, Phantom Regiment finishes 11th

My money is on Pacific Crest to be this year's big mover and shaker. Over the past few years, including last year's DCI Celebration season, PC has had terrific shows and has made some solid forward progress toward reaching that coveted 12th-place finish after Semis. With Spirit out this season, I think Pacific Crest has a chance to project themselves into 12th over Crossmen, leaving Phantom Regiment to take 11th place. 

3. Blue Devils win their 20th World Class championship

The thing that makes me think BD's got this season in the bag is one thing: consistency. From the membership to key corps staff, Blue Devils haven't had to endure a lot of big changes throughout the organization, and I think that fact paired with their time off from the 2021 Celebration season will result in the perfect storm of scenarios for them to win gold in 2022. With high vet retention and a mind-boggling 68 age-outs this season, I'm thinking that along with celebrating the org's 65th anniversary, they'll be celebrating a historic milestone of 20 World Class wins.