2022 High School National Championship Tournament Logistics Information
The 2022 High School National Championship Tournament (HSNCT) was held at the Atlanta Marriott Marquis in Atlanta, Georgia, on May 27–29, 2022. The tournament will also partly take place at the Hilton Atlanta, which is connected to the Atlanta Marriott Marquis by a short skybridge. NAQT has guest room blocks in both hotels.
The HSNCT is NAQT’s overall high school championship event. NAQT also runs a Small School National Championship Tournament for small high schools. Make sure you are looking at information for the correct tournament. (Qualified Small Schools are welcome to attend the HSNCT, even if they also attend the SSNCT!)
Contents
Date
May 27–29, 2022 (Friday–Sunday). This is Memorial Day weekend.
Participants will check in on Friday, May 27 and have the opportunity to meet each other and play scrimmage games.
The tournament’s preliminary games will take place throughout Saturday and on Sunday morning, and the playoff games will take place on Sunday afternoon and evening. Teams may arrive earlier or stay later to explore Atlanta at the discounted hotel rates negotiated by NAQT. Teams that cannot arrive on Friday night will have a chance to check in on Saturday.
Location
The Atlanta Marriott Marquis hotel in Atlanta, Georgia.
The Atlanta Marriott Marquis contains many of the competition rooms; other competition rooms will be in the Hilton Atlanta, which is connected to the Marriott by a short skybridge.
COVID-19 Safety
To protect all participants and their communities, NAQT has established the following policies pertaining to COVID-19 safety:
Vaccination Requirement
All participants must be fully vaccinated for COVID-19.
- This applies to everyone attending the championship in person—players, coaches, chaperones, staff, and spectators.
- “Fully vaccinated” means, as of the beginning of the tournament, being vaccinated in accordance with the definition of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (If the CDC changes its definition after March 1, 2022, the definition from March 1 will be used.)
- Participants are furthermore very strongly encouraged to receive booster doses if eligible.
- The vaccine must be one approved or authorized for emergency use in the United States (Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, or Johnson & Johnson/Janssen) or an approved multiple-dose mix thereof. Prospective participants who have received a different COVID-19 vaccine should discuss their situation with NAQT.
NAQT has prepared responses to frequent questions and comments about this policy as well as suggestions for coaches with challenges navigating this policy in the context of their school.
Implementation of Vaccination Requirement
Before the tournament, all participants must sign a participation agreement covering several topics, including an attestation that the participant meets the above requirements. For participants who are minors, the minor’s parent/guardian must also sign, and for high school students who have attained the age of majority, the student’s parent/guardian is still strongly encouraged to sign. This agreement includes specific penalties for misrepresentation of vaccination status. Participation agreements must be submitted electronically by Friday, May 13, 2022.
At the tournament, staff will examine each participant’s proof of vaccination (official vaccination card) and photo identification, verifying vaccination status and that the photo identification matches both the person presenting it and the person identified on the proof of vaccination. Photographs of proof of vaccination are acceptable, but other electronic “passes” are not, nor are documents other than official vaccination cards.
Once a participant’s documents have been checked, staff will place a wristband on the participant as evidence of completion of the verification process. The wristband must be worn throughout the tournament; no one without such a wristband (other than hotel staff) will be permitted in tournament areas. If a wristband must be removed, there will be a procedure for replacing it (including re-checking of documents), but it is expected that players should keep the same wristband throughout the weekend; wristbands will be safe to shower with.
Participants must complete the above steps (proving vaccination status and receiving a wristband) before partaking in any other tournament activities, such as scrimmages, or otherwise being in any other space used by the tournament.
If a participant is unable or unwilling to provide the requisite documents (participation agreement in advance; proof of vaccination and photo identification on-site), they will not be permitted to attend. If they are already on-site, they will not be permitted in areas of the hotel used by the tournament.
Mask Requirement
All participants must wear well-fitted masks that fully cover their nostrils and mouth at all times when in indoor spaces used by the tournament. The sole exception is when a participant is actively eating or drinking. Participants should not eat or drink during games or when in close proximity to others.
Tournament staff will be understanding of momentary, inadvertent lapses due to masks falling, with reminders issued as necessary. However, participants should be aware of their mask situation and adjust the mask promptly if it falls, without having to be reminded. (A well-fitted mask should not fall often.)
Players may want to wear the type of mask they plan to use in advance of the tournament to ensure it is comfortable, well-fitting, and easy to speak through. (Reusable masks should be laundered before use at the tournament if previously worn.)
Frequent or prolonged lapses in mask-wearing, or the failure to make a good-faith effort to comply with the mask requirement, will not be tolerated.
NAQT recommends N95, KN95, KF94, or similar masks. Surgical and cloth masks are acceptable but not preferred. Vented masks, bandannas, or other items not designed for the purpose of proper masking are not acceptable. Face shields are not acceptable on their own (but may be used in addition to a mask). Participants are expected to provide their own masks.
Other
NAQT will be able to support contact tracing with its records of what teams (and players and other participants) are involved with games at what times and with what other people, including scrimmage and consolation games. NAQT is not able to track locations and interactions that are not part of these records, such as specific paths of inter-game travel, people not being with their team, and informal interactions.
NAQT will adapt its ordinary procedures, such as opening meetings, to avoid the need for large, close gatherings.
All participants are encouraged to wash their hands frequently, cough or sneeze into their elbow, and maintain other standard hygienic practices.
Changes
NAQT reserves the right to modify these plans as conditions change closer to the tournament. However, in the interest of allowing for participants to plan with confidence, NAQT is unlikely to make changes unless absolutely necessary.
Schedule
The general schedule for the tournament will consist of vaccination status checks on Friday afternoon and evening, overall check-in and (optional) scrimmage games on Friday night, preliminary games on Saturday and Sunday morning, and playoffs on Sunday afternoon and evening.
For Saturday, teams will be assigned to either the Morning Session or the Afternoon Session of games. Each team will play seven games in exactly one session and will be free during the other session. Each will play three additional preliminary games on Sunday morning.
This schedule is final.
All times are listed in Eastern time.
Friday Evening
Time | Event | Location | Area |
---|---|---|---|
4:00 – 9:30 p.m. | Vaccination status verification and buzzer intake | Imperial Ballroom Foyer | Marriott, Marquis Level |
5:00 – 9:30 p.m. | Staff check-in | Imperial Ballroom A | Marriott, Marquis Level |
6:00 – 9:30 p.m. | Team check-in | Marquis Ballroom Foyer | Marriott, Marquis Level |
6:00 – 6:15 p.m. | Scrimmage staff meeting | Marquis Ballroom B | Marriott, Marquis Level |
6:30 – 8:30 p.m. | Scrimmage rounds (optional) | Imperial Registration Desk | Marriott, Marquis Level |
Saturday: Morning Session
Time | Event | Location | Area |
---|---|---|---|
7:00 – 8:00 a.m. | Late-arrival vaccination status verification | Imperial Ballroom Foyer | Marriott, Marquis Level |
7:00 – 8:00 a.m. | Late-arrival team check-in | Marquis Ballroom Foyer | Marriott, Marquis Level |
7:00 – 7:45 a.m. | Staff check-in | Marquis Ballroom B | Marriott, Marquis Level |
7:45 – 8:15 a.m. | Staff meeting | Marquis Ballroom B | Marriott, Marquis Level |
8:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. | Morning Session (Rounds 1–7) | Throughout the hotels | |
12:00 noon – 1:30 p.m. | Late-arrival vaccination status verification and team check-in (Afternoon Session teams only) | Marquis Ballroom Foyer | Marriott, Marquis Level |
1:00 – 2:30 p.m. | Lunch | On your own |
Saturday: Afternoon Session
Time | Event | Location | Area |
---|---|---|---|
12:00 noon – 1:30 p.m. | Late-arrival vaccination status verification and team check-in (Afternoon Session teams only) | Marquis Ballroom Foyer | Marriott, Marquis Level |
2:30 – 7:00 p.m. | Afternoon Session (Rounds 8–14) | Throughout the hotels |
Sunday
Time | Event | Location | Area |
---|---|---|---|
8:00 – 11:30 a.m. | Last preliminary games (Rounds 15–20) | Throughout the hotels | |
11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. | Consolation signup | Online | |
11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. | Lunch | On your own | |
1:15 – 1:30 p.m. | Individual award ceremony | Marquis Ballroom ABC | Marriott, Marquis Level |
1:15 p.m. | Playoff staff check-in | Imperial Ballroom A | Marriott, Marquis Level |
1:15 p.m. | Consolation staff check-in | Imperial Ballroom B | Marriott, Marquis Level |
1:30 p.m. | Playoff pairings posted | Online | |
1:30 – 2:00 p.m. | Playoff card pickup | Marquis Ballroom Foyer | Marriott, Marquis Level |
2:00 – 6:00 p.m. | Playoffs (Rounds 21–27) | Throughout the hotels | |
2:00 – 6:00 p.m. | Consolation rounds | Throughout the hotels | |
6:00 – 7:00 p.m. | Dinner | On your own | |
7:00 – 8:15 p.m. | Playoffs (Rounds 28–29) | Ballrooms | |
7:00 – 9:30 p.m. | Buzzer return | Imperial Registration Desk | Marriott, Marquis Level |
8:15 p.m. | Finals (one or two games) | Marquis Ballroom ABC | Marriott, Marquis Level |
After finals | Awards | Marquis Ballroom ABC | Marriott, Marquis Level |
Frequently Asked Questions
NAQT has prepared answers to frequently asked questions about its national championships.
Information Desk
Starting Friday evening, NAQT will operate an Information Desk at the Marquis Registration Desk on the Marquis Level in the Marriott. The Information Desk should be the first destination for any questions about or issues with the tournament (other than protests, which must be lodged within the game room).
Participants may also text 213‑279‑6278 (“NAQT”) with questions if it is inconvenient for them to get to the Information Desk (standard messaging rates apply). Tournament staff will answer incoming messages as quickly as they can.
In general, lost-and-found items will be taken to the Information Desk during the tournament. We will notify owners to the extent we can identify them. At the end of the tournament, any unclaimed items will be brought to the hotel’s general lost-and-found.
Rules and Eligibility
Gameplay will follow the Official NAQT Rules. Player eligibility is governed by the High School Eligibility Rules.
Qualification and Registration
Registration is limited to invited teams through Monday, February 28, 2022. Beginning Tuesday, March 1 at midnight Central time, any high school may register, with a limit of two teams per school. Beginning Tuesday, March 15 at midnight Central time, the two-teams-per-school limit will be lifted and any high school may register any number of teams (subject to a cap on the total field size).
Because of the open registration window, there is no wildcard process for this tournament. Teams who do not receive invitations based on their performance may register on or after March 1.
Field
These teams attended the tournament.
Format
Saturday Preliminary Rounds (1–14)
The preliminary rounds will take place using power-matching, also known as “the card system.” That is, each team’s opponents (after their first game) will depend on their performance in previous rounds, and teams will always face opponents with the same record or as near to the same record as possible. Because of this system, it is not possible to know each team’s opponents in advance.
On Saturday, each team will play seven games in either the Morning Session (rounds 1–7) or the Afternoon Session (rounds 8–14) and be free during the other session.
Sunday Preliminary Rounds (15–20)
On Sunday morning, every team will play three more games (still according to the same power-matching scheme) and have three byes. Each team will begin using the same card they finished Saturday with, so teams must not lose their cards overnight.
Playoff Rounds (21–31)
Teams who won six or more of their preliminary games will compete in double-elimination playoffs, except that teams who went exactly 6–4 will begin in the elimination bracket (i.e., as if they had already lost one playoff game). The playoff bracket will be seeded by preliminary win-loss record followed by points per tossup heard. Depending on how many teams make the playoffs, some teams may receive byes.
For the finals, there are two possible cases depending on the results of the semifinal round. In the semifinal round, the last team who has not lost in the playoffs will play a team who has taken one loss in the playoffs, while the other game will involve two teams who have each taken one loss in the playoffs. If the team who has not lost in the playoffs wins its semifinal game, then it will have the advantage in a final against the winner of the other semifinal game, that is, the former team need only win one of two games to claim the championship, while the latter team must win two games to claim the championship; meanwhile, the teams who lost the semifinal games will play for third place. If the team who had not yet lost in the playoffs loses its semifinal game, then the final will be a three-team, two-game procedure: the two semifinal winners will play each other, and the winner of that game will play the team who had not lost before the semifinals in a one-game final, while the team eliminated in the semifinal round will finish in fourth place.
All teams eliminated in the same round of the playoffs will be considered tied. Teams who did not make the playoffs will be ranked (behind teams who made the playoffs) by win-loss record followed by points per tossup heard.
Fees and Payment
Registration has closed.
The registration fee is $715 per team.
The registration fee only covers participation in the tournament. It does not cover transportation, lodging, food or other expenses.
Buzzer Discounts
Teams who bring a working buzzer system to the tournament will be eligible for a $20 discount on the registration fee if it meets NAQT’s national-championship standards. There may be some surprises in that policy! Please read it in advance to make sure your system qualifies.
Unless otherwise approved by NAQT, no team may receive more than two buzzer-system discounts.
Timing
NAQT will only award the discount for buzzer systems that it receives by 9:30 p.m. Friday and may keep until 7:00 p.m. Sunday; if you cannot commit to those times, do not register to bring a buzzer system!
Buzzer Return
NAQT will begin returning team-provided buzzer systems at 7:00 p.m. on Sunday at the Imperial Registration Desk (Marriott, Marquis Level) (and not before, except in emergencies). As mentioned above, this might make it impractical for teams planning to leave as soon as they are eliminated to receive buzzer-system discounts (as their systems will not have been returned at that point). Buzzer return will stay open until 9:30 p.m. on Sunday. If a team knows in advance they will be unable to pick up their buzzer system in time, they should make special arrangements at check-in; barring other arrangements, unclaimed buzzer systems will be left with the hotel bell desk.
Other Discounts
Teams attending both the HSNCT and the SSNCT will receive a $100 discount on their HSNCT registration fee.
Payment
Payment is due by the beginning of the tournament. NAQT strongly prefers payment prior to tournament check-in but also accepts payments at check-in. Schools that will be unable to pay by this time (typically for reasons related to school bureaucracies) should discuss their situation with NAQT well in advance.
NAQT may specify earlier payment deadlines for specific teams, especially those for which the school is not paying.
NAQT will send invoices well in advance of the tournament. If you would like to pay or request an invoice earlier, once you have entered all the information that can affect costs (but not necessarily entered your roster), at the bottom of your registration page, click “View Cost.” Verify that the listed information is correct, and if so, follow the instructions to request an invoice so that we have the proper billing information. You will also be offered the opportunity to pay by credit card.
Checks, payable to “NAQT,” should be sent to
National Academic Quiz Tournaments, LLC
11521 W 69th St
Shawnee, KS 66203–3749
Please send questions about billing to billing@naqt.com.
Cancellation
Teams who cancel their registration between April 1 and April 30 (inclusive) will owe a cancellation fee of $71.50 (10% of the registration fee). Teams who cancel their registration between May 1 and May 19 (inclusive) will owe a cancellation fee of $357.50 (half of the registration fee). Teams who cancel their registration on or after May 20, or who fail to show up to the tournament, will owe a cancellation fee of $536.25 (75% of the registration fee). These deadlines notwithstanding, teams will always have a seven-day grace period after registering during which they can cancel without incurring a fee.
Failure to submit participation agreements on time may be treated as a cancellation, including incurring a cancellation fee, at NAQT’s discretion.
Cancellation due to COVID-19
NAQT expects all prospective participants to follow the recommendations of the CDC (and any other applicable health agencies) with regard to isolation, quarantine, not traveling, etc., based on testing positive for COVID-19, having symptoms thereof, or having been exposed to people who are symptomatic or who have tested positive, etc.—even if that means they are unable to participate in the tournament.
NAQT will waive cancellation fees for any team whose chaperone or any player is unable to participate due to following such recommendations, though NAQT strongly prefers affected teams to play shorthanded or find an alternative chaperone if at all possible. For a cancellation fee waiver, notice should be given to NAQT as early as possible, supporting documentation or information may be required, and the offer is only available to teams who are in full compliance with other requirements pertaining to payment, submission of participation agreements, etc.
Participation Agreements
Every person attending the tournament—including players, coaches, chaperones, and spectators—must sign a participation agreement covering expectations, the vaccination requirement, media coverage, etc. All agreements must be submitted to participate@naqt.com by Friday, May 13, 2022.
For players who are under age 18, both the player and their parent/guardian must sign the agreement. For players who have reached age 18, NAQT strongly recommends and requests that the parent/guardian sign in addition to the player.
The signature(s) on the participation agreement must be handwritten, not typed. The agreement may be submitted by sending a scan or photo to participate@naqt.com. Only the last page is required unless the participant is indicating a preference not to be recorded (in which case the page with the checkbox to indicate that preference must be included).
Chaperones
Every team must have a chaperone, subject to the following rules:
- The chaperone must be a legal adult.
- The chaperone must be reachable by text message (at a number provided to NAQT) throughout the tournament, to the maximum extent possible given availability of cellular networks.
- The chaperone must be with the team at most times during the tournament, traveling, and downtime. If the chaperone is not with the team, NAQT is not obligated to contact the chaperone in situations short of an emergency. In particular, NAQT will not contact absent chaperones regarding protests.
- The chaperone must always be near enough to the team to (physically) reach them in less than ten minutes.
- The chaperone may also be the chaperone for other teams at the tournament, thus potentially reducing their regular proximity to the team (but without nullifying any of these requirements).
- The chaperone must comply with the COVID-19 safety policies, including the requirement to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 and prove that status before participating.
- The chaperone must complete a participation agreement.
- The chaperone must be the same person for the entire tournament.
All players’ parents/guardians must affirm (via the participation agreement) that they accept their child’s team’s chaperone and the chaperone’s role of responsibility.
Teams who wish to request a variance from the chaperone policy should write to NAQT at hsnct@naqt.com well in advance of the tournament to discuss their situation.
Session Assignments
There will be two sessions of play on Saturday. Each team will be assigned to either the Morning Session or the Afternoon Session; this determines whether it plays its first seven preliminary games on Saturday morning (8:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.) or the afternoon (2:30 –7:00 p.m.). The two groups will be merged for each team’s last three preliminary games on Sunday morning.
Each team may request a specific session. Session requests made by 5:00 p.m. Central time on Thursday, May 12 will be guaranteed, provided that neither session is requested by more than 128 teams. If more than 128 teams request a session, NAQT will randomly choose which requests for that session to fulfill.
Checking In
There are two parts of check-in, which need not be completed at the same time.
Everyone (players, coaches, chaperones, and spectators) must prove their vaccination status and receive a wristband before participating in any other aspect of the tournament (including, but not limited to, scrimmages and the remainder of the check-in process) or being in other space used by the tournament. This process will be available starting early Friday afternoon. All participants will need their official vaccination card (or photograph thereof) and a photo ID for this step. The remainder of this section covers the “traditional” tournament check-in process, for which only one person per team is required.
The primary check-in period will be from 6:00 to 9:30 p.m. in the Marquis Ballroom Foyer (Marriott, Marquis Level) on Friday, May 27. During this period NAQT will distribute information folders, answer questions, process payments, verify rosters, and take care of other administrative matters. There is a “late” check-in period on Saturday, but NAQT would prefer that as many teams as possible check in on Friday night.
To check in, each team should send only one coach or chaperone to the check-in area. That person will be given the team’s information folder. Others should not enter the check-in area.
In past years there has been a long line just after check-in opens, so we encourage teams to keep an eye on the line and send one person to check in when the line is short. There is no need to check in immediately. In particular, it is not necessary to check in before playing scrimmage games (but it is necessary to have completed the vaccination-proof step).
Teams that don’t arrive at the hotel until after 9:30 p.m. on Friday may check in between 7:00 and 8:00 a.m. Saturday in the Imperial Ballroom Foyer (for vaccination status verification) and then in the Marquis Ballroom Foyer (to receive their team folder and other information); both locations are in the Marriott, on the Marquis Level. Teams that checked in on Friday do not need to check in again on Saturday.
Scrimmages
Between 6:30 and 8:30 p.m. on Friday night, game rooms will be set up for teams to scrimmage against each other on questions from previous championships and/or the regular season. This scrimmaging is free and will be moderated by tournament staff.
Before playing scrimmage games, every person with a team (players, coaches, chaperones, and spectators) must verify their vaccination status. It is not necessary to complete the remainder of the check-in process first. Teams should then go to the Imperial Registration Desk (Marriott, Marquis Level) for scrimmages.
Scrimmages will be organized by means of “scrimmage tickets”: When a team shows up to the scrimmage desk, it will be given a ticket listing a room and a time; that team should go to that room and be prepared to play at that time. The majority of tickets will be for games that start within 5 to 15 minutes, but it is possible that there could be a 30-to-45-minute wait during the busiest periods. If a team wants to play another game, it should return to the scrimmage desk to get another ticket after its game finishes.
Scrimmages are open to all players, including alternates and standby teams.
Teams will be offered up to two scrimmage games.
Awards
The teams finishing tied for 24th place and higher (which is the top 38 teams) will each receive a team trophy, and the members of those teams will receive individual awards (up to five per team).
The top 32 individual scorers will receive All-Star awards, the top eight freshmen who are not All-Stars will receive Rising Star Awards, and the top eight sophomores who are not All-Stars will receive Rising Star Awards. These awards will be determined by points per tossup heard, in the preliminary rounds only, among players who heard at least 120 tossups (approximately six games’ worth). Players in eighth grade and below are not eligible for Rising Star awards.
Trophies for teams (and their players) that finished tied for 7th place or below will be handed out immediately following the game in which the team is eliminated (in the game room, by the moderators). The trophies for the top six teams will be given out at the Awards Ceremony.
The All-Star and Rising Star awards will be given out at a separate ceremony at 1:15 p.m. on Sunday.
If a team needs to leave prior to the awards ceremony, it can go to the Information Desk to get its trophy and any individual awards earned by its members.
Consolation Games
Teams who do not qualify for the playoffs are encouraged to return at the beginning of the playoffs to play consolation games.
Signup has closed.
Consolation games will consist of two-, three-, and four-round mini-tournaments. Teams can specify their preference when signing up; they will not be assigned a longer mini-tournament than they request, though depending on supply and demand, they may be assigned a shorter one. Signing up for consolation mini-tournaments is the only way to participate in consolation games; there are no ad hoc games.
Most consolation mini-tournaments will start at 2:15 p.m. on Sunday. Some may start later.
Consolation games have no effect on a team’s final rank in the tournament. They are played solely for fun. They will use the same questions as are being used in the playoffs.
Transportation
Flights
Participants should fly into Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport (airport code ATL).
Ground Transportation
The hotels do not operate a shuttle to or from the airport.
NAQT recommends that participants take the MARTA train to reach the tournament. It is safe and convenient; there are also taxi and shuttle options, but MARTA will probably be the easiest and cheapest way to travel. It is approximately a 20-minute trip. The fare is $2.50 each way for tickets purchased on MARTA’s Breeze Mobile A app (available for iOS and Android) or with a reusable Breeze card (new cards for $2); the fare is $6 for a two-trip paper ticket.
To reach the Marriott Marquis, take a northbound Red Line or Gold Line train (it doesn’t matter which one) from the airport to Peachtree Center Station (one stop north of the Five Points transfer station). After getting off the train, take the escalator labeled “John Portman Blvd.” to the mezzanine, then follow the signs to “Peachtree Street East” after walking through the fare gate. At street level, turn right (north) on Peachtree Street then right (east) on John Portman Boulevard. The hotel is one block down at the intersection of John Portman Boulevard and Peachtree Center Avenue. Here is a map of the walking directions. Between roughly 8 a.m. and 6 p.m., you can also walk through the Peachtree Center mall and cross the skyway to the Marriott Marquis. The Hilton is through a further walkway after crossing the Marriott Marquis.
Driving Directions
The Atlanta Marriott Marquis’s address is 265 Peachtree Center Avenue Northeast, Atlanta, Georgia.
The Hilton Atlanta’s address is 255 Courtland Street Northeast, Atlanta, Georgia.
Parking
Parking standard vehicles at the Hilton Atlanta is $27/day (without in-and-out privileges) for overnight guests who book in NAQT’s block; it is $32/day (without in-and-out privileges) for people not staying at the hotel.
Parking standard vehicles at the Atlanta Marriott Marquis is $16/day, including in-and-out privileges. The hotel only offers valet parking, so participants should be prepared to hand over their keys in exchange for a valet ticket when they reach the hotel. Parked cars will not be easily accessible, so participants should remove everything they will need before leaving their car and allow extra time for retrieving their car when leaving.
Overflow parking is available at Truist Plaza (303 Peachtree Street NE) for $15/day (with a coupon from the Information Desk, and without in-and-out privileges) or $25 overnight. There is also a surface lot across the street.
Groups with large vehicles (vans, buses) should contact their hotel to discuss options for parking. They will likely have to park off-site.
Hotel
The official hotels for the tournament are the Atlanta Marriott Marquis and the Hilton Atlanta. Quadruple-occupancy rooms (with two double beds) are available for $123 per night. There are several hotels with similar names in the Atlanta area; make sure you are reserving rooms at one of the correct, downtown hotels!
To receive the group rate at the Hilton Atlanta, book online. To receive the group rate at the Atlanta Marriott Marquis, book online (preferred) or call 866-469-5475 and mention “NAQTChampionships2022.” The last day to reserve rooms at our rate is May 11.
There is little difference between the hotels’ accommodations; teams should book in either.
Between the HSNCT and the other events scheduled to be held at the hotels, it is expected that the hotels will run out of rooms. NAQT strongly recommends that teams book their rooms as early as possible, particularly if they want quadruple-occupancy rooms (with two double beds).
We have room blocks that are calculated to cover the entire tournament, but we encourage teams to reserve their rooms as early as possible; if we end up needing more space, we would like as much time as possible to negotiate that!
As part of the contracts negotiated by NAQT, the hotels will offer complimentary guest room Internet access to tournament participants and their families. This only applies to rooms booked using the NAQT group codes.
The standard checkout time at both hotels is 11:00 a.m. Teams that are not staying Sunday night should make sure to check out of their rooms before their Sunday-morning games.
Food
The hotel is connected by skyway to a food court at Peachtree Center with about two dozen restaurants offering a variety of affordable meals (sandwiches, Thai food, pizza, Chinese food, cheesesteaks, etc.). There are also restaurants in the hotel itself, and more within walking distance, that should satisfy any combination of appetite and price range.
To get to the food court…
- Go to the Atrium Level of the Atlanta Marriott Marquis.
- Go toward the side that Rooms A701–A708 are on (the opposite side from the Hilton Atlanta).
- Take the walkway to Marquis Tower II and the Hyatt Regency Atlanta, just past the men’s restroom and before Room A708.
- Turn left and cross the skybridge to the Hyatt Regency Atlanta.
- Once inside the Hyatt’s atrium, turn left. Follow the signs to Radius Tower and Peachtree Center.
- Cross the skybridge to Peachtree Center.
- Explore the food court. There are more parts of it than might first be apparent!
Advocate Program
Because NAQT believes that quiz bowl is an activity for everybody, and in which all participants should feel welcome and respected, we have established the Advocate Program to make sure select tournament staff are available to hear reports about problematic behavior and comments by anyone at the tournament.
Staff wearing blue ribbons that say “Advocate” have been specifically selected to receive reports about inappropriate behavior (as opposed to run-of-the-mill questions about the quiz bowl aspects of the tournament). At least one such staff member will generally be available at the Information Desk during tournament hours; if no such person is available (e.g., due to being on a break), the other Information Desk staff can be asked to have a senior tournament official come to the Information Desk to hear the report. Additional Advocate Program staff will be available in many places around the tournament site.
Feedback about problematic behavior can, of course, always be sent to NAQT by email (advocate@naqt.com) or other channels such as the Misconduct Reporting Form, but the Advocate Program is intended to allow for in-person reporting of sensitive complaints on-site so they can be handled immediately.
Reports are confidential to the extent permitted by law and NAQT’s agreements to share critical information with other quiz bowl organizations.
Practice Material
Participants may be interested in practicing on questions from previous years to prepare for the event. All of NAQT’s past regular-season sets are available, as are the sets from previous championships.
Participants may also want to study frequency lists, Power Up study guides, and/or Thumbs Up! question anthologies. These are also available on our practice materials page.
Finally, participants may want to look at the information contained in NAQT’s free You Gotta Know articles before the tournament. These detail the most frequently asked-about question topics in a wide variety of areas.
Spectators
Spectators are welcome to attend any part of the tournament (though some areas may have limited capacity).
Spectators are required to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19, including the requirement to complete a participation agreement and submit it before the tournament, and to prove their vaccination status before spectating.
Sightseeing
The hotel is downtown and within walking distance (10–15 minutes) of many of Atlanta’s major attractions, including the Georgia Aquarium, the High Museum, Centennial Olympic Park, the World of Coca-Cola, the National Center for Civil and Human Rights, and the College Football Hall of Fame.
Companion Mobile App
NAQT has created a companion mobile app for attendees. The app includes the tournament schedule (with the ability to set reminders for various events, on iOS), links to results, maps of the venue, help reaching the Information Desk, connections to social media, and other important documents related to the tournament.
Relationship to the SSNCT
Small schools are eligible and welcome to attend the HSNCT (if qualified), regardless of whether they attend the Small School National Championship Tournament. The SSNCT and HSNCT will use different question sets, and a school that attends both will receive a $100 discount on its HSNCT registration fee.
Further Questions
To ask specific questions about the HSNCT, write to hsnct@naqt.com.
We look forward to answering any and all questions, no matter how expansive or trivial, in the hopes of eliminating any possible confusion or mistakes in participants’ plans. If something’s not clear, let us know!
Social Media
The official hashtag for the tournament is hsnct; please use this tag for all posts about the tournament.
Remember that question content for the championship cannot be posted online (or shared through other channels)! This means that players, coaches, spectators, and moderators should not discuss clues, answers, or even overall themes (e.g., “Lots of opera”) with people on other teams (even those from the same school).
We will post highlights from the tournament on NAQT’s social media, especially Twitter (@NAQTLive) and Instagram (@NAQTqb).