Drum Corps International will award five champions at the 2001 World Championships. As in the past few championships, awards will be given to Division III, Division II, and the International Division. This year there will be a champion recognized at the Friday evening event now titled the Division I Championship and the event on Saturday evening will be for the World Class Championship.
At the 2001 Annual DCI Board of Directors meeting it was determined that what is traditionally known as Semifinals will now be the Division I Finals and World Class Semifinals. The move was based largely on the purpose of recognizing corps traditionally placing 9th through 17th at Semifinals and to appropriately acknowledge the significant level of performance they achieve. During the board discussions there was the initial fear that this may be perceived as a consolation division. Eventually, it was agreed that in fact this will enhance the performers recognition at a level of achievement worthy of its own distinction.
The top 17 scoring corps will advance from Thursday’s Quarterfinals as in the past several championships. Corps scoring 9th through 17th will move to Friday’s competition as DCI Division I World Championships Finalists and will perform in reverse order of finish beginning at 4:45 pm. After the last Division I Finalist performance the nine finalists will participate in a full finale including the awarding of gold, silver, bronze and finalist medallions, high caption awards and the en masse performance of “America/O’Canada”. There will not be a victory concert because the top 4 scoring corps in the Division I Finals will advance to the World Class Finals on Saturday evening. Following the Division I World Championships Finals finale the top 8 scoring corps from Thursday’s Quarterfinals will perform in the World Class Semifinals. The same judging panel will be utilized all evening. The scores of the top 4 Division I finalist corps and the 8 corps in the World Class Semifinals will determine the order of appearance for the Saturday World Class Finals.
Those corps participating in the new Division I Finals will have the honor and distinction of achieving the title of DCI World Championships Division I Finalist and will share a long overdue spotlight for their efforts.
Monday
- Division III Prelims - 30 corps expected to compete with 7 advancing to Division III Finals on Wednesday.
Tuesday
- Division II Prelims - 15 corps expected to compete with 5 advancing to Division II Finals on Wednesday. Corps competing within the International Division will compete among the Division II or III corps depending on size.
Wednesday
- Individual & Ensemble competition - downtown Buffalo.
- Opening Ceremony - All corps and all divisions will participate in a pass in review and age out ceremony along with an en masse performance of America/O'Canada. Individual & Ensemble Showcase of Champions will be integrated throughout the evening.
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Division II & III Championship Finals - With full finale.
The top five scoring corps regardless of division will advance to Quarterfinals on Thursday.
Thursday
- Quarterfinals - The 18 touring corps and 5 corps advancing from Division II & III Finals. The top 8 scoring corps will advance to World Class Semifinals and the next 9 highest scoring corps will compete in Division I Finals.
Friday
- Division I Finals - 9 corps advancing from Quarterfinals with a full finale to follow.
- World Class Semifinals - The top 8 scoring corps from Quarterfinals. Special guest performance
Saturday
- Senior Showcase - A DCA sanctioned senior corps competition.
- DCI Champions in Exhibition - Including Division III Champion, Division II Champion, International Champion, Senior Showcase Champion, and Marine Drum & Bugle Corps.
- World Class Finals - Top 4 scoring corps from Division I Finals and the 8 World Class Semifinalist corps. Full finale followed by an encore performance by the World Class Champion.
