The University of Minnesota College Bowl Club and R. Robert Hentzel are pleased to announce that they are hosting an open quiz bowl tournament on June 28, 2008. This tournament is open to all competitors (high school students, college students, college graduates, etc.). This is a for-fun event; the winners do not qualify for a more prestigious tournament anywhere.
This tournament will use the 2008 NAQT High School National Championship set, so players that will see those packets as staff or competitors are not eligible to compete (though they would be welcome at MASQUE as moderators and/or scorekeepers).
Location:
The tournament will be held at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities campus (East Bank) on the third floor of Coffman Union. A map can be found on the university website.
Schedule:
Teams may check in between 9:30 and 10:00 on Saturday, June 28, on the third floor of Coffman Union in the Mississippi Room. At this time they will pay and receive their schedule. To save costs, printed copies of the rules will not be distributed, but they may be read online on the NAQT website).
At 10:00 there will be an brief meeting in the Mississippi Room to go over the rules, format, and schedule. Players will have an opportunity to ask questions. Teams are also encouraged to ask questions in advance, over e-mail, to make the meeting go as smoothly as possible.
Games will begin immediately after the meeting, hopefully as soon as 10:10. It is expected that most teams at this event will be familiar with quiz bowl and the NAQT rules, but we will happy extend the meeting to accommodate new teams that are trying the activity for the first time.
After the tournament, a large group of players and staff will probably go out to eat together; everyone is welcome to join in, even if he or she is new to the quiz bowl scene. This is by no means required (nor is it covered by the registration fee).
Eligibility and Qualification:
All players who have not previously seen the questions are eligible to compete. Teams are normally limited to three players, but a team that consists entirely of students who just finished grade 12 or lower may have four players. That is, high school teams may have four players, others are limited to three. Teams may bring alternates, of course; this limitation is on how many players may compete at one time.
Staffing:
Teams may be required to assist with staffing, either reading or keeping score, during their byes. This will depend on the size of the field and the availability of staff.
Format:
The format will be determined by the number of teams that register; the most likely result is that there will be a round robin among all the teams that have entered with an advantaged final between the top two. I expect the tournament to last approximately 11 rounds (5.5 hours plus an hour for lunch).
Registration:
E-mail R. Robert Hentzel if you are interested in attending or in receiving updates on the tournament.
The base registration fee is $50. There is a $10 discount for a bringing a working lockout system. You may purchase copies of all 25 packets in the 2008 HSNCT set (the questions used at the tournament) for an additional $25 (the set would cost $40 + shipping if ordered directly from NAQT).
Teams will pay when they check in at the tournament site. Please make checks out to "Robert Hentzel."
Prizes:
There will be no trophies or other awards.
A Final Note:
High schoolers: This tournament is using the 2008 NAQT HSNCT set. These questions are targeted at national-caliber high school teams and may be too difficult for teams with less experience. If you aren't sure that you would have fun playing them, please check out the sample HSNCT packet on NAQT's website. If you do come, I'm not interested in complaints that the questions were too hard (though I am interested in essentially all other feedback).
College players: This tournament is using the 2008 NAQT HSNCT set. These questions are targeted at national-caliber high school teams and may be too easy for strong college teams. If you aren't sure that you'd have fun playing them, please check out the sample HSNCT packet on NAQT's website. If they seem too easy, play solo, come moderate, or find something else to do. If you do come, I'm not interested in complaints that the questions were too easy (though I am interested in essentially all other feedback).
Further Questions:
If you have any further questions, please don't hesitate to contact R. Robert Hentzel by e-mail or phone (952.888.2277).