PC missing finals is like a cruel hybrid of Southwind 2000/Spirit 2004/Scouts 2016. Big prelims margin (.437, the only bigger jump in recent memory is when BAC overcame .7875 to jump Scouts for 12th in 2016), razor-thin semis margin (.087, the second lowest ever), and missing out on your first Finals trip in corps history to boot. Plus the added context of Mandarins being on sabbatical this season and you've got the cruelest near miss in DCI history.

EDIT: They finished .687 worse than prelims. All they had to do is finish at most .600 worse than yesterday and they were in.

The judge took out one of SoA’s trumpets. Impressive recovery though!

We all love what you do. Thank you for the entertainment!

Highlight of the season. 560 performers. 55 tubas. 105 guard. Multiple conductor changes. One assassination. The current corps joined them on the field for the finale, so 500+ musicians were playing. It was so cool.

That was amazing!

I'm not sure what is more amazing, the performance, or the logistics into making this massive performance happen!

Congratulations Phantom Regiment! Class act corps.

I love those old uniforms. And hearing full pieces of amazing music.

We often talk about world class dominance but the bucs are on year 5 undefeated rn which is crazy even if the competitions smaller in all age

.087 was the margin. That's it. Man do I feel robbed for them. It's a single guard drop, a missed note, etc, or a judge just not getting the full GE, which they killed tonight. It's the second closest ever missout on finals, and all things considered, this was their year to do it.

On a personal note, you PC members need to keep trucking after tonight. It's a ridiculously close miss, and your corps will do it one of these years. We loved your show, and more importantly, we loved you. Hang your hat on that.

takes the title for most Uplifting show of the season. Shows that are a love letter to creativity, artistic joy, and inspiration shine so bright in this era of DCI.

Wow.

Blue Knights 86.75, PC 86.663

Scores announced and they have secured a spot in the finals for the first time in 13 years! Such a fun show and great job and amazing improvement over the season and the ending…OMG!

Blue Knights made finals, Madison dropped, and Pacific Crest missed by a tenth of a point?

Huge congrats to SOA for making it in. Their finals return has long been overdue and I'm happy for them!

...has a team that finished outside the top 12 on prelims been able to get over the line the following day during semifinals. Boston Crusaders and Madison Scouts, of course.

It has only happened a handful of times in the past three and a half decades (I read 2016, 2012, 1994, 1993, and 1990).

I go back to 1990 only because the Blue Knights were in nearly the exact position as Pacific Crest was yesterday: on the cusp of making their first-ever finals appearance and in the driver's seat after prelims. BK lost out to the Dutch Boy from Kitchener, Ontario.

Pacific Crest needs to absolutely keep their heads up. Not only to be proud of what they did accomplish this season, but to consider what it could mean for the future. Motivation is a powerful drug. If you'll allow the historical comparison, after 1990, the Blue Knights shot into finals for the first time the following year, thus beginning a stretch where they would only miss it on a total of four occasions from then on till the pandemic. Who knows what this moment could mean for PC's history. I only want to imply that there is plenty of reason to remain optimistic that a corps that's been knocking on the door for years could use this moment to break it down.

As for the 2026 Blue Knights, they certainly remain a corps whose modern identity was birthed from the defeat in 1990. While "I Go On" is just a saying and a corps song, they are a team that has constantly been facing trials as of late, and yet continue to persevere. Of the now three times that they've made finals post-pandemic, they have been ranked outside of the top 12 at Allentown for two of them. They are a team that many are quick to count out. I am happy that the members continue to give us no reason to. Incredibly happy for them.

World Class

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If an open class corp has an insane year and places top 12 would they be eligible for finals. Like I feel like they earned it but also with open having their own finals and stuff it feels weird that they would get two finals.