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)
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.

The venue will be Google Meet which is free and easy-to-use. During the prelims, your team will be connecting for two 90-minute blocs of your choice, 3 games per bloc on any of the preliminary weekends. Clarification: 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

Each team will compete in at least six official tournament matches. Advancement to the playoff weekend (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.

• First in the Nation ........ $1,500
• Second in the Nation ........ $1,000
• Third in the Nation ........ $500

Some schools choose to bring two or more teams. If you're considering this, be aware that players may not shift between teams.

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. Middle Schools are encouraged to consider bringing a team from the elementary school that feeds into your school – or bring a 6th grade team from your school to compete in the Elementary division.

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. We have only one qualification: your belief that your team will be competitive on a national level, having enjoyed a measure of success this school year on a local, regional, or state level.

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.

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:

• 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.

• 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.

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 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!

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.

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.

The entry fee is $400 per team, due by May 15.
You may pay online or you can make your check payable to NATIONAL ACADEMIC ASSOCIATION. The address: NAA, 10688 S. Dimple Dell Dr. Sandy, UT 84092. Do not send your entry fee to the Questions Unlimited address in Tennessee!

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.

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.

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)...

NATIONAL ACADEMIC CHAMPIONSHIP RULES AND REGULATIONS.

Contact the National Academic Association Phone:801-699-3424, Chip Beall, Director, Tech support: Pat Jewell, Phone:440-487-8781