IF YOU'RE REGISTERING FOR THE NATIONAL ACADEMIC CHAMPIONSHIP AND WISH TO PAY BY CHECK, DO NOT SEND IT TO OUR OLD ADDRESS, AS IT PROBABLY WON'T REACH US.
THE ADDRESS FOR QUESTION ORDERS REMAINS THE SAME, BUT THE NEW ADDRESS FOR THE NATIONAL ACADEMIC CHAMPIONSHIP IS
National Academic Association
10688 S. Dimple Dell Dr.
Sandy, UT 84092
38th ANNUAL NATIONAL ACADEMIC CHAMPIONSHIP
Each team may choose one of these two phases: Prelims May 23 – 25 (Sat. – Mon.), OR May 29 – 31 (Fri. – Sun),
Playoffs, June 5 – 7 (Fri. – Sun)
June 5, JV & Middle School & Elementary
June 6 - 7, Varsity
We now offer four competitive levels at each venue:
High School Varsity ... High School JV ... Middle School/Junior High …
Elementary School (in every venue except New Orleans)
The venue will be Google Meet which is free and easy-to-use. During the prelims,
your team will be connecting for two two-hour blocs of your choice,
3 games per bloc on either of the preliminary weekends.
Clarification: You may not choose one bloc the first weekend and another the second.
Both blocs must be on the same weekend. Team members may join from school
if schools are back in session or join from their own homes in order to stay safe.
As you can see from the above, we offer four competitive levels each weekend:
High School Varsity ... High School JV ... Middle School/Junior High … Elementary School
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 a given time frame may simply select another date.
At the expense of Questions Unlimited ($500 max. air fare per person, although we’re usually able to arrange for convenient flight times for less than $350), the winners of the New Orleans and D.C. and Chicago phases of the high school varsity tournament (four players and a coach) will be transported to Atlanta and provided with two hotel rooms, for up to two nights, to compete in the final rounds of the fourth (June 14) phase of the competition.
Six Guaranteed Matches
Each team will compete in at least six official tournament matches. Advancement to the final-day 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. Also, for scheduling purposes, it will be useful for us to know whether you like to have the two (or more) teams scheduled at the same time – which would maximize sightseeing opportunities – or at different times – so the coach(es) can see everybody’s game.
Consider Also Bringing Your Farm Team
Several years ago we predicted that the contending high school teams of the future will be those that have developed solid farm systems on the lower grade levels. The best example.
is Daviess County (KY), which won the JV title in 2015 and returned with the same players in 2016 and won the Varsity title.
Junior Varsity Tournament
At each venue we plan to run discrete JV tournaments. JV teams will be limited by the "Rule of 42. " That is, the total grade numbers of the four players at any given time shall not exceed 42. For example, 10 + 10 + 11 + 12 = 43, and that's too much! 9 + 10 + 11 + 12 = 42, and that's fine. Etc. etc. JV teams will be fielding the same questions as Varsity teams. Graduating seniors are allowed to participate on a JV team only if the school is also bringing a Varsity team as well as JV.
Small School Champion
We 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 nonselective admissions policy). We do so after all four phases are finished, selecting the highest-ranking team.
Teams
Your team contingent should include four starters and one or more coaches. Every year we seem to have two or three 3-person teams, and that’s fine. Alternate(s) are allowed, but must remain on mute until they are in play.
Who Wants to Be a Game Show Host?
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 2020 Nationals.
How to Qualify
Your team contingent should include four starters and one or more coaches. Every year we seem to have two or three 3-person teams, and that’s fine. 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. A high 3-2-1 score also qualifies. 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 NAC1983@comcast.net with a one or two paragraph summary of your tournament finishes during the school year.
Academic Emphasis
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 hold ourselves to the highest standards of question quality and academic relevance. Contests follow the superb four-quarter format created by Questions Unlimited, and adapted for the buzzerless “virtual” environment.
Commitment to Excellence
We call the National Academic Championship “the finest in academic competition” because we boast the best questions and a highly professional officiating staff.
Officials
Our superb team of moderators includes:
-
Charles Beall
Executive Director of the National Academic Association and President of Questions Unlimited -
Brick Barrientos
Creator of the long-running Maryland Classic tournament. -
Ernie Anderson
Creator and Host of the High-Q TV program (Huntington, West Virginia)
-
Chris Hunter
host of the South Louisiana Quiz Bowl, a production of KWBJ-TV in Morgan City. -
Arjun Plakkat
Winner of 2007 "Who Wants to Be a Game Show Host?" contest. With 3D Systems, he works on 3D printers as a "Stereolithography Process Development Engineer." -
Rob Grierson
Project Manager for Chicagoland Habitat for Humanity.
-
Sierra Mannie
is a freelance journalist and Reveal Fellow with the Center for Investigative Reporting. -
Caitlin O’Neill
is the only “Who Wants to Be a Game Show Host” winner to also have played on a national championship team. -
Les Roby
former coach of the White Plains HS team; the winningest coach in the history of our tournament, qualifying 28 consecutive years; Creator and Director of two Westchester County tournaments: has hosted over 150 tournaments since 1991.
Pictures and descriptions of our unsurpassed staff of moderators and judges.
Fair Warning
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. We fully expect to be “sold-out” in all three venues, as we were by late March/early April 2019. (Note that we will run out of on-site room lodgings 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 at the competition venue, or possibly missing out altogether, please don't wait until the last minute to send in your entry fees!
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. Should we accept any last-minute registrations after May 15, the fee in that case is $800 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 NAC1983@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.
Make your check payable to NATIONAL ACADEMIC ASSOCIATION, send to our new address: NAA, 10688 S. Dimple Dell Dr. Sandy, UT 84092.
Do not send your entry fee to the Questions Unlimited address in Tennessee!
All fees must be received by May 15, 2020.
ENTRY FEES AND COMPETITION VENUES
New Orleans
Memorial Day Weekend June 5 – 7 (Fri. – Sun) (Saturday - Monday),
Hampton Inn & Suites New Orleans Convention Center Hotel.
Competition will start on the morning of May 23. The final match will officially take place no later than 3:00 Monday, although we’re usually done by 1:30. Hampton Inn will be the site of all competitions. Staying at Hampton Inn is recommended, but not required, for participation in the National Academic Championship. 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. The special group discount rate of $127 per room applies for 1-4 people per room. A hot breakfast is provided at no additional charge.
Call 1-800-292-0653 and request to make a reservation under the National Academic Association room block, coded NAA in their system. Or you can do it online: HERE Please make your reservations as early as possible, by April 21, 2020 at the latest.
Update: We expect to run out of sleeping rooms at the Hampton Inn (but not room to accommodate teams in the tournament itself) sometime the first week in April. Fortunately, we have an "overflow" hotel nearby at nearly the same rate:
Hilton Garden Inn New Orleans Convention
1001 S Peters Street
New Orleans LA 70130
Phone-1-877-782-9444
(request the National Academic Association rate of $129.00 per night)
or register
Website
here
Washington, D.C., Area
JV & Middle School & Elementary (Friday - Sunday),
Hilton Alexandria Mark Center Hotel, 5000 Seminary Rd, Alexandria, VA 22311
Competition will start on the morning of May 29. The final match will take place no later than 3:00 Sunday, although we usually wrap it up by 1:30.
The Hilton Alexandria Mark Center will be the site of all competitions. Staying at this hotel is recommended, but not required, for participation in the National Academic Championship. They do offer a free shuttle ride from Reagan National Airport. The special group discount rate of $127 per room applies for 1-4 people per room.
There are of course countless things to do in DC, and you may wish to arrive a day early or leave a day late in order to enjoy some tourist activities; the $127 room rate will apply if you choose to do so. The toll free number to make reservations is 877-783-8258 and you must request Group Code – NAC20. If you prefer,
you can make your reservation online,
Update: We expect to run out of sleeping rooms at the Hilton (but not room to accommodate teams in the tournament itself) sometime the first week in May. Fortunately, we have an "overflow" hotel nearby at nearly the same rate. Here is the reservation link you can use to make online reservations:
Here
As for the special group rate:
- Courtyard Alexandria Pentagon South for 135 USD per night
- Complimentary shuttle service to and from Hilton Mark Center
- Complimentary shuttle service to and from our hotel (Courtyard Marriott)
- Discounted parking $12.00 per day
Chicago
(Saturday - Monday),
Sheraton Four Points at O'Hare
Competition will start on the morning of June 6. The final match will take place no later than 3:00 Monday, although we usually wrap it up by 1:30.
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 $120 room rate will apply if you choose to do so. Make reservations online at this special website the hotel has created for us,
HERE
or you may call 847-671-6000 and ask for the National Academic Championship special group discount rate of $120 per room, which applies for 1-4 people per room. No meals are provided.
Update: king rooms are still available, but we’re sold out of rooms with two beds at the Sheraton Four Points Hotel. We have contracted with the nearby Crown Plaza O'Hare for the room rate of $129.
By providing the name "National Academic Championship" or the group code “NJG” you may make reservations Here
You may also make reservations by calling 1-877-337-5793.
Reservations must be made on or before the cutoff date of May 17th, 2019 in order to be eligible for the group rate.
Atlanta
Varsity (Friday - Sunday),
DoubleTree Atlanta Airport
Competition will start on the morning of June 12. The final match will finish no later than 3:30 Sunday.
DoubleTree Atlanta Airport will be the site of all competitions. Staying at this hotel is recommended, but not required, for participation in the National Academic Championship. Needless to say, there are countless things to do in Atlanta, and you may wish to arrive a day early or leave a day late in order to enjoy some tourist activities; the $129 room rate will apply if you choose to do so.
Make reservations online at this special website the hotel has created for us, and use Group Code NAA, HERE
Reservations may be made by calling the hotel directly at (800) 514-4296 , identifying yourself as being with the National Academic Association and the reservations agent will take it from there.
Update: king rooms are still available, but we’re sold out of rooms with two beds at the Sheraton Four Points Hotel. We have contracted with the nearby Comfort Suites O'Hare Airport Chicago for the room rate of $110. These rooms include a free hot breakfast. To book rooms, call 847-233-9000
Early Bird Gets Scheduling Preference
We are not enforcing the longstanding no-refund policy this year. Also, for the first time in 38 years, we are not requiring pre-payment. Pre-payment does carry the advantage that your team is more likely to get the time slots of your preference.
Entry Fees.
Half-price this year! Register on or before the May 15 deadline at the flat entry fee of $300 per team.
You may pay online or you can make your check payable to NATIONAL ACADEMIC ASSOCIATION,
send to our new address: NAA, 10688 S. Dimple Dell Dr. Sandy, UT 84092.
Do not send your entry fee to the Questions Unlimited address in Tennessee!
Training
A tutorial on using the videoconferencing program relative to the tournament will be sent to all coaches in time for them to practice with their teams. We recommend a trial Meeting of at least a few minutes before each of your time blocs. Our tech coordinator will be available to answer all questions ahead of time and will be available by phone for all matches.
Orientation.
We do plan to have an orientation session relative to the game format at 8 p.m. the evening before the competition starts, for those who are arriving the day before. This is offered for your convenience, and is not required.
How to Raise Money for your Team to Attend Nationals.
Name Plates.
It’s not necessary to bring a buzzer system for our use, but name plates are required. We like to recognize by name each contestant as they ring in to answer a question. For this purpose, please bring name plates for all contestants and for the team. Printed names must be large enough to be visible from 30 feet. Here are a couple of examples of acceptable name plates (although these examples lack the team name plate) … …
FINAL FOUR
The Final Four, featuring varsity winners of each venue, will be double-elimination, using the same game length as during the preliminaries: double-elimination, because we'd like to give the winners of New Orleans, DC, and Chicago at least two Final Four games; abbreviated, so that Sunday playoffs in Orlando need not go past 4:00 p.m.
QUESTIONS?
Contact the National Academic Association Phone:801-699-3424, Chip Beall, Director