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New Orleans, May 26 - 28 OR
Washington, D.C., June 1 - 3 OR
Chicago, June 9-11
We offer three competitive levels at each venue:
High School Varsity ... High School JV ... Middle School/Junior High
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 9-11) 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.
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 non-selective admissions policy). We do so after all three phases are finished, selecting the highest ranking team. In 2011, 30 such teams competed, with Hastings High School (NY) repeating as the small-school champ.
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 2013 Nationals.
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 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 we boast the best questions and a highly professional officiating staff.
Our superb team of moderators includes:
* Charles 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.
* Chris Hunter, host of the South Louisiana Quiz Bowl, a production of KWBJ-TV in Morgan City.
* Brooks Sanders , (Castle Creek, NY) ... Writer and Host of the TC-3 High School Challenge seen on Binghamton Public Television.
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. We fully expect to be "sold-out" in DC. (Note that we will run out of on-site room lodgings before we run out of space to accommodate you in the tournament itself.) By late April 2011, we had run out of rooms at our hotel locations in both DC & Chicago, a situation we expect to be repeated in 2012, and we anticipate having to cap the total number of teams in Chicago at 70. 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 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. 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 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 to N.A.A., 2908 W. Crestwood Dr.Ozark, MO 65721. All fees must be received by May 15, 2012.
Make your check payable to NATIONAL ACADEMIC CHAMPIONSHIP.
New Orleans,
Memorial Day Weekend May 26 - 28 (Saturday - Monday),
Loyola University.
Competition will start on the morning of May 26. 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.
Washington, D.C., Area,
June 1 - 3 (Friday - Sunday),
Westin Alexandria, 400 Courthouse Square, Alexandria, VA 22314
Competition will start on the morning of June 1. The final match will take place at 3:00 Sunday.
The Westin Alexandria will be the site of all competitions. This is an elegant a hotel, located more conveniently than our previous DC venue, in that it’s within walking distance of the Metro, and there are a whole host of things to do within walking distance of the hotel itself. There is no free shuttle ride from Reagan National Airport, but we’re told it’s not inconvenient to take the inexpensive Metro form the airport to within a couple of blocks of the hotel. You may wish to arrive a day early or leave a day late (or both) in order to enjoy some tourist activities. We have not yet run out of space to accommodate more teams in the tournament, but we have run out of sleeping rooms at the Westin, the site of the competition. However, you may book rooms at the Residence Inn Alexandria Old Town South at Carlyle which costs a bit more ($119 per night) but includes a free breakfast as well as a free dinner on Thursday evening only. Residence Inn is only 2 or 3 blocks from the Westin. To book rooms there, call Erin Parnell … 703.310.1175 … and tell her you're with the National Academic Championship.
Chicago,
June 9-11 (Saturday - Monday),
Sheraton Four Points at O'Hare
Competition will start on the morning of June 9. 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. 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 $109 room rate will apply if you choose to do so. Make reservations online at this special website the hotel has created for us, http://www.starwoodmeeting.com/StarGroupsWeb/res?id=1107270659&key=4A1BD or you may call 800-323-1239 and ask for the National Academic Championship special group discount rate of $109 per room, which applies for 1-4 people per room. No meals are provided.
Update: The Sheraton Four Points Hotel no long has any queen double rooms available for our group. There should still be some king rooms available. Otherwise, you may book rooms at the nearby Hampton Inn; the rate is $105, and includes a free breakfast. It is likely that the hotel will provide a free shuttle to the Sheraton. To make reservations, follow this link: http://hamptoninn.hilton.com/en/hp/groups/personalized/C/CHIAPHX-NTL-20120608/index.jhtml?WT.mc_id=POG
Note: if you elect to stay with us at Loyola in New Orleans, you will be sending your fees for accommodations to us, not to the university, with checks made out to "National Academic Championship."
Each team staying on campus at Loyola 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 were given in 2011.) NOTE: This is $50 per team, not per individual. The security deposit is not required if you're coming to Chicago or DC.
Regardless of venue, the entry fee is $600 per team before April 15 and $700 per team after April 15 ($800 per team if we accept your registration after May 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 for students, coaches, chaperones, parents, etc.:
A. Three nights (May 25, 26, 27) 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.
or
B. Two nights (May 26, 27) and six meals (Saturday lunch through Monday breakfast) for $150 per person double occupancy or $175 per person single occupancy.
Accommodations at the university dormitory is double-occupancy with shared bathroom facilities. In some wings, there is a community shower room. Linens (sheets, towel, wash cloth, pillow) are provided.
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.
Westin Alexandria Hotel - see above for room rates and information on making reservations.
Chicago:
Sheraton Four Points Hotel - see above for room rates and information on making reservations.
Contact the National Academic Association 800-868-1518. Charles Beall, Director.
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