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New Orleans, May 29 - 31 OR
Washington, D.C., June 4 - 6 OR
Chicago, June 12-14
We now offer three competitive levels at each venue: Varsity ... JV ... Middle School/Junior High
We provide six guaranteed preliminary round matches for every team. With an option of locales, teams can choose a place that's fun to visit. With a choice of dates, schools with a conflict (e.g. graduation) in one time frame may simply select another date.
At the expense of Questions Unlimited, the winners of the New Orleans and D.C. phases of the high school varsity tournament (four players and a coach) will be transported to Chicago and provided with two hotel rooms, to compete in the final rounds of the third (June 12-14) phase of the competition.
Each team will compete in at least six official tournament matches.
Advancement to the Single Elimination Round will be determined by performance in the six preliminary games. All 6-0, 5-1, and 4-2 teams will make the playoffs.
Bringing Two Teams.
Some schools choose to bring two or more teams. If you're considering this, be aware that players may not shift between teams.
Ninth graders are welcome, as always, to play on your high school team. But if your high school includes grades 9-12, you might want to consider putting some ninth graders on the team of the middle school they graduated from, and bringing that team to compete in Junior Nationals, along with your high school team, to compete in high school Nationals. For details, read about Junior Nationals on this web site. It may well be that the contending high school teams of the future will be those that have developed solid farm systems on the middle-grade level.
Junior Varsity Tournament
At each venue we plan to run discrete JV tournaments. JV teams will be limited by the "Rule of 41." That is, the total grade numbers of the four players at any given time shall not exceed 41. For example, 9 + 10 + 11 + 12 = 42, and that's too much! 9 + 9 + 10 + 11 = 39, and that's within the limit of 41. 9 + 10 + 10 + 12 = 41 and that's fine. Etc. etc. JV teams will be fielding the same questions as Varsity teams, but will only face each other; i.e. JV will not play against Varsity.
We now crown a champion from among the "small schools" that come to Nationals (defined as any school with 500 or fewer students in grades 10-12 and a non-selective admissions policy). We do so after all three phases are finished, selecting the highest ranking team. In 2009, 14 such teams competed. Ticonderoga (NY) was the only one to make the playoffs, thus capturing the small-school title.
We again plan to conduct our popular reality show at each site, the winner of which will be invited to join us as a moderator for 2011 Nationals.
Special thanks to Mr. Richard Vilmure, President and CEO of the Muller Foundation, San Diego, for providing a $2,000 scholarship award which we again plan to divide between the top two teams.
Your team contingent must include four starters and one or more coaches. Alternate(s) are recommended but not required. Each team must win an academic competition (local or regional) of at least 8 teams or finish in the top 15% of any tournament. The winning team from any preliminary round match in the Questions Unlimited QuizNet online tournament qualifies, as well as any team acing any one of Questions Unlimited's monthly "20 Questions" quiz online. Any school making the playoffs at last year's National Academic Championship automatically qualifies.
Wild card entry may be offered to teams that wish to apply to compete at the National Academic Championship. Teams from areas without easy-to-reach tournaments, and teams who seem always to finish just under the qualification guidelines in areas with a number of qualifying teams are advised to apply for wild-card entry. To apply for wild card entry into the field at the National Academic Championship, email us at QUnlimited@comcast.net with a one or two paragraph summary of your tournament finishes during the school year.
The competition focuses on academic information - "significa" rather than "trivia" - and the questions are supplied by Questions Unlimited. Our emphasis is light on popular culture and heavy on the academic. We claim a lower percentage of pop culture questions than any other tournament. We hold ourselves to the highest standards of question quality and academic relevance. Contests follow the superb four-quarter format created by Questions Unlimited.
We call the National Academic Championship "the finest in academic competition" because since 1983 we have boasted the best questions and a highly professional officiating staff.
Our superb team of moderators includes:
* Chip Beall, Executive Director of the National Academic Association and President of Questions Unlimited
* Mike Mastandrea, Dallas, President, M.A.A.
* Brick Barrientos, Creator of the long-running Maryland Classic tournament.
* Ernie Anderson, Creator and Host of the High-Q TV program (Huntington, West Virginia)
* Jason Russell, Chief Editor, Questions Unlimited; Show Run Manager, Sight and Sound Theatre in Branson, MO.
* Doug Joubert, host of the Louisiana LAAC state championship.
* Dave Madden, Vienna, Austria; at the end of his 20-game run on Jeopardy! he found himself $430,400 richer.
* Jay Gorgia, Herndon, VA; Math teacher in Fairfax County Public Schools.
Meet the Pros Pictures and descriptions of
our unsurpassed staff of moderators and judges.
Although we always ask you to send no money until you're certain your team is going to compete, we also strongly advise early enrollment. Indeed, in 2008 and 2009 we were "sold-out" in DC. (Note that we will run out of on-site room lodgings well before we run out of space to accommodate you in the tournament itself.) To avoid the higher entry fees assessed after April 15, and to avoid having to arrange your own off-site accommodations in the event that we run out of space on campus or hotel, or possibly missing out altogether, please don't wait until the last minute to register!
Deadlines
Register on or before April 15 at the flat entry fee of $600 per team. After April 15, the fee increases to $700 per team.
When the entry fee is received, a place for your team will be reserved and registration materials emailed to you. (You are advised to "white-list" our email address QUnlimited@comcast.net, otherwise this email with attachments might be caught in your spam filter.) Purchase orders will not reserve a spot for any team. After April 15, you must send either a cashier's check or a school check, and should use overnight mail. THERE ARE NO REFUNDS (unless, of course, we run out of space and have to turn you away), so please send no money until you are certain that your team will be participating. All fees are due by May 15.
Mail your check, along with the registration form, to N.A.A., 1540 Siesta Dr., Sandy, UT 84093. All fees must be received by May 15, 2010.
Make your check payable to NATIONAL ACADEMIC CHAMPIONSHIP.
New Orleans,
Memorial Day Weekend May 29 - 31 (Saturday - Monday),
Loyola University.
Competition will start on the morning of May 29. The final match will take place at 3:00 Monday.
Loyola University will be the site of all competitions. Staying at Loyola is recommended, but not required, for participation in the National Academic Championship. The campus is located on the streetcar line, should you desire convenient access to the cool New Orleans sites. Your competition schedule will allow some time for exploring. There are countless things to do in the New Orleans area, and you may wish to arrive a day early or leave a day late (or both) in order to enjoy some tourist activities. Some of our participants last year enjoyed staying at the Spring Hill Suites. If you'd like to stay there instead of at the University, make reservations online by manually typing www.marriott.com/msysh in the address bar and input "naanaaa" to book king suite sleeping rooms or "naanaab" to book queen suite sleeping rooms. Alternatively, you may call (800) 321-2211 and ask for the National Academic Association rate, which is $99 (1-2 people per room) or $106 (3-4 people per room). These rates are good through April 30, 2010. A free breakfast is provided. We are not holding the competitions this time at Spring Hill Suites, so we will run out of lodgings at the hotel, because they've given us a more limited number of blocked rooms. Note: Spring Hill Suites is approx. 25-minute on foot from the French Quarter. If you stay at the hotel, you'll probably need your own transportation, as it's too far to walk from hotel to University, and you'll probably want to request, on your registration form, a custom game schedule for your team; e.g. 3 games Saturday morning and 3 games Sunday afternoon; that way you won't be spending all of your time commuting between hotel and University.
Washington, D.C., Area,
June 4 - 6 (Friday - Sunday),
Marymount University
Competition will start on the morning of June 4. The final match will take place at 3:00 Sunday.
Marymount University (Arlington, Virginia) will be the site of all competitions. The campus is located conveniently, near the Ballston Metro, allowing for easy access to Washington proper. You may wish to arrive a day early or leave a day late (or both) in order to enjoy some tourist activities.
How to get from the airport to Marymount University without renting a vehicle.
Chicago,
June 12-14 (Saturday - Monday),
Sheraton Four Points at O'Hare
Competition will start on the morning of June 12. The final match will take place at 3:00 Monday.
Sheraton Four Points Hotel will be the site of all competitions. They offer a free shuttle from O'Hare. Staying at this hotel is recommended, but not required, for participation in the National Academic Championship. There are countless things to do in Chicago, and you may wish to arrive a day early or leave a day late in order to enjoy some tourist activities; the $99 room rate will apply if you choose to do so. Make reservations online at this special website the hotel has created for us, ttp://www.starwoodmeeting.com/StarGroupsWeb/res?id=0910079522&key=50F9B
or yo may call 800-323-1239 and ask for the National Academic Championship special group discount rate of $99 per room, which applies for 1-4 people per room. No meals are provided.
Each team staying on campus at Loyola or Marymount must pay a $50 security deposit in a separate check which will be refunded in full if there is no damage by our group to any university or association property. (Full refunds have been given the last five years.) NOTE: This is $50 per team, not per individual. The security deposit is not required if you're coming to Chicago .
Regardless of venue, the entry fee is $600 per team before April 15 and $700 per team after April 15.
Staying with us at the competition venue in each city is recommended but not required.
Here are the accommodations offered, along with costs, in each city . . .
New Orleans: Lodging (dorm style) and meals are all-inclusive; Loyola University will not allow us to arrange for lodging without a meal package. You may choose either of these two options:
A. Three nights (May 28, 29, 30) and eight meals (Friday dinner through Monday breakfast) for $190 per person double occupancy or $225 per person single occupancy. Add an additional $35 per person if you wish to stay a fourth night (Monday night), but keep in mind that meal service ends with Monday breakfast. Note: We do plan to have an orientation session relative to the game format Friday at 8 p.m. for those that arrive on Friday. This is offered for your convenience, and is not required.
D.C.
Entry Fees.
or
B. Two nights (May 29, 30) and six meals (Saturday lunch through Monday breakfast) for $150 per person double occupancy or $175 per person single occupancy.
| Room1 rate for the first 6 people per team |
$41 per person per night |
| Room1rate for the 7th, 8th, etc. person per team |
$51 per person per night |
| Meals2 |
$11 per meal per person |
2 - Meals are cafeteria-style. The all-you-can-eat meals at Marymount are typically outstanding.
Chicago: Sheraton Four Points Hotel - see above for room rates and information on making reservations.
Contact the National Academic Association (801) 947-8448. Chip Beall, Director.
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