2023 Intercollegiate Championship Tournament Logistics Information

The 2023 Intercollegiate Championship Tournament (ICT) was held at the Hyatt Regency O'Hare Chicago in Rosemont, Illinois (near Chicago), on March 31 – April 1, 2023. The 2022 ICT was also held at this site.

Contents

    Date

    March 31 – April 1, 2023 (Friday–Saturday).

    Check-in will occur on Friday, March 31, but all gameplay will be on Saturday, April 1.

    Location

    The tournament will be held at the Hyatt Regency O’Hare Chicago in Rosemont, Illinois (which is adjacent to Chicago and to O’Hare International Airport). A floor plan (PDF) is available.

    There are two Hyatt hotels in Rosemont; the one hosting the tournament is the Hyatt Regency O’Hare Chicago.

    The hotel is twelve stories tall, and games may be held on high floors. Many of the elevators provide a view into the tall atrium.

    COVID-19 Safety

    NAQT very strongly recommends that all participants (including spectators) receive all vaccinations for COVID-19 for which they are medically eligible.

    NAQT strongly recommends that all participants wear a well-fitting N95, KN95, or KF94 mask that properly covers their nostrils and mouth at all times while in tournament spaces. NAQT reserves the right to change this recommendation to a requirement that participants wear masks. Such a requirement might be instituted at any time, including during the tournament, and might apply to everyone present or only to specific people (e.g., in cases of close contact with someone who has tested positive). Such a requirement might include only certain kinds of masks being acceptable. Details such as what types of masks are acceptable, and whether NAQT will provide them or participants must provide their own, will be determined later if necessary.

    Any person showing symptoms of COVID-19 must immediately remove themself from tournament spaces unless and until they can provide proof of them testing negative for COVID-19 within the last 24 hours. NAQT reserves the right to make all judgments necessary for enforcing this policy.

    Schedule

    The general schedule for the tournament will consist of check-in on Friday night and games all day Saturday, going until approximately 7:30 p.m.

    This schedule is final.

    All times are listed in Central time.

    Friday Evening

    Time Event Location Area
    6:00 – 9:00 p.m. Team check-inConference Center foyer Lobby Level
    6:30 – 9:00 p.m. Staff check-inHartsfield Lobby Level

    Saturday Morning

    Time Event Location Area
    7:00 – 8:00 a.m. Secondary team check-inRosemont Ballroom foyer Entry Level
    7:30 – 7:45 a.m. Secondary staff check-inLondon International Level
    7:50 – 8:20 a.m. Staff meetingLondon International Level
    8:00 – 8:20 a.m. Player meetingRosemont Ballroom AB Entry Level

    Saturday Gameplay

    Time Event Location Area
    8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Preliminary rounds (1–7)Throughout the hotel
    12:30 – 2:00 p.m. Lunch (on your own) 
    1:15 – 2:00 p.m. Tiebreakers (Round 8)Throughout the hotel
    1:45 p.m. Playoff schedule pickupRosemont Ballroom foyer Entry Level
    2:00 – 5:30 p.m. Playoff rounds (9–14)Throughout the hotel
    5:30 – 5:45 p.m. Break 
    5:45 – 5:55 p.m. Playoff announcementsBy text message
    5:55 – 7:30 p.m. Tiebreakers and finals (Rounds 15–17)Throughout the hotel
    After finals AwardsRosemont Ballroom AB Entry Level
    6:15 – 9:00 p.m. Buzzer returnRosemont Ballroom foyer Entry Level

    Frequently Asked Questions

    NAQT has prepared answers to frequently asked questions about its national championships.

    Rules and Eligibility

    Gameplay will follow the Official NAQT Rules. Player eligibility is governed by the College Eligibility Rules.

    Teams and players in Division II are additionally subject to the Division II eligibility rules. Teams and players competing for the Undergraduate title in Division I are subject to the Undergraduate eligibility rules.

    Qualification

    Schools qualified to send teams to the ICT through their performances at Sectional Championship Tournaments (SCTs) held in February and at the 2023 Community College Championship Tournament (CCCT). Details about the way in which schools qualify for ICT and which players may represent a school at the ICT may be found on the ICT qualification page, which also details the effects on players’ Division II eligibility of playing in an SCT or qualifying for or playing at an ICT. NAQT has answers for some frequently asked questions about eligibility.

    These teams have been invited to the ICT.

    Invitees have one week from NAQT’s issuance of an invitation to accept or decline, though they may request an extension if additional time is required. The acceptance period may be shortened if invitations are awarded closer to the ICT. To accept an invitation, see below. To decline an invitation, write to decline@naqt.com. (A team may later “un-decline” a declined invitation, in which case it will be placed first on the waitlist.)

    Field

    These teams attended the tournament.

    Format

    The following format will be used (separately in each division).

    Preliminary Rounds (1–7) and Tiebreaker (Round 8)

    Teams will be initially divided into four pools of eight teams, each of which will play a round robin.

    After Round 7, teams will be ranked within their pools by win-loss record. If there is a tie crossing the boundary between second and third place, fourth and fifth place, or sixth and seventh place within a pool, it will be played off according to standard tiebreaker protocols in Round 8. Other ties will not be played off.

    Playoff Rounds (9–14)

    Four playoff pools will be formed. The top pool will consist of the top two teams from each preliminary pool, and so on.

    In the playoffs, teams will play the teams that are in their playoff pool and were in a different preliminary pool. Teams will then be ranked within playoff pools by their record among common opponents (carrying over one game from the preliminary rounds). Tiebreaker games from Round 8 are not considered in this ranking.

    Finals (Rounds 15 and beyond)

    For first place:

    • If there is a single first-place team in the top playoff pool, and it is two or more games ahead of the second-place team(s), it will be declared the champion (without a final). If there is a tie for second place, it will be broken using standard tiebreaker protocols with full games substituted for half-games.
    • If there are distinct first- and second-place teams in the top playoff pool with one win separating them, they will play an advantaged final. That is, the second-place team will need to win two games in a row to claim the championship, but the first-place team will only need to win one game.
    • If two teams are tied for first place in the top playoff pool, they will play a one-game final.
    • If three teams are tied for first place in the top playoff pool, the team with the third-highest points per tossup heard (PPTUH) (in the pool, including the carried-over game) will play one game against the team with the second-highest PPTUH; the loser of that game is the third-place team in the tournament, while the winner of that game will play the team with the highest PPTUH for the division championship.
    • If one team is in first place in the top playoff pool and there is a tie for second place, the second-place tie will be resolved using standard tiebreaker protocols, the winner of which will play an advantaged final against the first-place team.

    If there is a tie for third place in the top playoff pool among teams not involved in the finals, it will be broken using standard tiebreaker protocols with full games substituted for half-games. A third-place game will also be played if there were teams tied for second place whose final order among themselves was implicitly determined by PPTUH in tiebreaker seeding rather than a tiebreaker game.

    Undergraduate Finals (Division I only)

    If exactly one team eligible for the Undergraduate title is involved in a playoff for the overall title, it will be declared the undergraduate champion. If two or more teams eligible for the Undergraduate title are involved in a playoff for the overall title, then the game(s) played to determine the overall ranks will also be used for the Undergraduate ranks.

    Otherwise, if the top Undergraduate team is more than six (overall) places ahead of the second-place Undergraduate team (treating tied teams as having the highest rank for which they are tied), then the top Undergraduate team will be declared the Undergraduate champion.

    Otherwise (i.e., if the top Undergraduate team is not involved in a playoff for the overall title and is six or fewer places ahead of the second-place Undergraduate team), the Undergraduate teams that are tied for second place or higher among Undergraduate teams will play finals according to the same scheme as for the overall finals, ignoring the “two games ahead” case and with the stipulation that teams in a higher playoff pool are always considered to be ranked higher than teams in a lower playoff pool (even if teams in a lower playoff pool have an equal or better record).

    If there is a tie for third place among Undergraduate teams, it will be broken using standard tiebreaker protocols with full games substituted for half-games. A third-place game will also be played if there were teams tied for second place whose final order among themselves was implicitly determined by PPTUH in tiebreaker seeding rather than a tiebreaker game.

    Other Format Matters

    In rare combinations of situations, the above rules may require more than three rounds to determine the top three teams. In such cases, NAQT reserves the right to adjust the finals format so that no more than three rounds are required.

    Teams not involved in finals and third-place games will be ranked by playoff pool and record in the playoffs (including one carried-over game). Ties in record will be left unbroken.

    Situations not covered above will be addressed at the discretion of NAQT.

    Fees and Payment

    Registration has closed.

    The registration fee is $505 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 $30 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 four buzzer-system discounts.

    Timing

    NAQT will only award the discount for buzzer systems that it may keep until the completion of the awards ceremony; if you cannot commit to those times, do not register to bring a buzzer system!

    Cancellation

    Teams who cancel between March 1 and March 19 (inclusive) will owe a cancellation fee equal to 50% of the base registration fee. Teams who cancel on or after March 20 (including no-shows) will owe the entire base registration fee. Those deadlines notwithstanding, teams will always have a one-week grace period after they register in 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 on which any player (or the coach, if applicable) is unable to participate due to following such recommendations, though NAQT strongly prefers affected teams to play without the affected people. 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.

    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.

    Participation Agreements

    Players and coaches must sign a participation agreement covering expectations, media coverage, etc. All agreements must be submitted to participate@naqt.com by Friday, March 17, 2023.

    Download Agreement Form

    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).

    Checking In

    The primary check-in period will be from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. in the Conference Center (Lobby Level) on Friday, March 31. 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 morning, but NAQT would prefer that as many teams as possible check in on Friday night.

    To check in, each team should send only one representative to the check-in area. That person will be given the team’s information folder. Others should not enter the check-in area.

    Teams that don’t arrive at the hotel until after 9:00 p.m. on Friday may check in between 7:00 and 8:00 a.m. Teams that checked in on Friday do not need to check in again on Saturday.

    Awards

    The top three teams in Division I (Overall), Division I (Undergraduate), and Division II (Overall) will each receive team trophies. The top eight individual scorers in Division I, the top eight individual scorers in Division II, and the top four undergraduate scorers in Division I will be given All-Star awards.

    All-Star awards will be based only on the preliminary rounds, not the playoff rounds.

    Transportation

    Flights

    Participants are strongly encouraged to fly into Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD), which is extremely close to the hotel. They may also fly into Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW), but it is much less convenient.

    Ground Transportation

    The hotel runs a free shuttle every 15 or 30 minutes (depending on time of day) to transport people from O’Hare to the hotel (and vice versa). As of 2024, the shuttle pickup location has changed; it is now outside of Door 2A on the Arrivals Level of Terminal 2. There is also a pickup location by Door 5E in Terminal 5, but that is much less convenient for most domestic arrivals.

    There is no such shuttle for Midway. A taxi between Midway and the hotel will cost $35 or more, or you can take the CTA’s Orange and Blue Lines for $3 per person (getting on at the Midway Orange Line station, transferring to the Blue Line downtown, and getting off at the Rosemont Blue Line station, which is about one block from the hotel).

    Driving Directions

    The hotel’s address is 9300 Bryn Mawr Avenue, Rosemont, Illinois.

    Parking

    Parking standard vehicles at the Hyatt Regency O’Hare costs $18/day plus tax, including in-and-out privileges. Participants traveling to the tournament in buses should contact the hotel in advance to discuss parking options.

    To receive the discounted parking rate, participants staying at the Hyatt Regency O’Hare should mention when checking into their guest rooms (not the tournament) that they have parked at the hotel and validate their ticket. Participants not staying at the Hyatt Regency O’Hare should use the manual validator box outside the control room to validate their parking ticket. (Do not use the manual validator box if you are staying overnight at the hotel.)

    Hotel

    The official hotel for the tournament is the Hyatt Regency O’Hare Chicago. (There are two Hyatt hotels in Rosemont; the one hosting the tournament is the Hyatt Regency O’Hare Chicago.)

    Rooms with one king bed are available for $121 per night, and rooms with two double beds are available for $129 per night. To receive the group rate, rooms must be booked using the group reservation link by Thursday, March 16, 2023 (and before the block fills). It is also possible to book by calling 800-544-9288 and mentioning the group code “DOCI,” but hold times are often long.

    Between the ICT and the other events scheduled to take place at the hotel, it is expected that the hotel will run out of rooms. NAQT strongly recommends that teams book their rooms as early as possible, particularly if they want rooms with two double beds.

    Guests with concerns about rooms on high floors should discuss that with the hotel as early as possible. The hotel may be able to assign sleeping rooms on lower floors. However, games may still be held on high floors.

    Under Illinois law, otherwise tax-exempt organizations are still required to pay hotel occupancy taxes. (Title 86, chapter 1, section 480.101, subsection b.4 of the Illinois Administrative Code; see also question and answer on the Illinois Department of Revenue’s website)

    Food

    The hotel will operate food stands for lunch near the Perks coffee shop on the Entry Level. Burgers, sandwiches, salads, pizza, and similar food will be available.

    There is a food court with a variety of typical food-court-style restaurants at the Fashion Outlets of Chicago mall at 5220 Fashion Outlets Way. To get to the Fashion Outlets from the hotel, walk west on Bryn Mawr, turn left onto River Road, then turn right onto Balmoral Avenue until you get to Fashion Outlets Way. The food court is a 15-minute walk from the hotel.

    There are also several restaurants offering more formal dining at the Parkway Bank Park Entertainment District. These are more suited for evening meals and are a twelve-minute walk away.

    Participants can also order carry-out or delivery from local restaurants.

    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). 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.

    Spectators

    Spectators are welcome to attend any part of the tournament (though some areas may have limited capacity).

    No registration or tickets are required for spectators.

    Spectators are required to comply with all COVID-19 safety measures.

    Sightseeing

    Chicago has a variety of world-class attractions that should appeal to anybody, especially to quiz bowlers!

    The easiest way to reach most of Chicago’s downtown attractions is to ride the Chicago Transit Authority’s (CTA’s) ‘L’ trains, for which there is a stop within easy walking distance of the hotel: Exit the hotel and walk west on Bryn Mawr; turn right on River Road and pass under I-190 and the CTA tracks. The entrance to Rosemont station on the CTA Blue Line will be on your right. Board trains bound for “Loop” or “Forest Park” (not for O’Hare!) for the 35-minute ride into downtown Chicago.

    Once you’re downtown, the Art Institute of Chicago (Blue Line to Monroe, walk 1 block south to Adams and 3 blocks east) features dozens of tossup-worthy works, including Nighthawks and American Gothic, and adjoins both Millennium Park and Grant Park, home to Cloud Gate (“The Bean”) and Buckingham Fountain, respectively. Just a bit further south is the Museum Campus (Blue Line to Jackson, walk 1 block east to State Street and Jackson and catch bus 146 toward Museum Campus), which is home to three major institutions: the Shedd Aquarium, the Field Museum of Natural History, and the historic Adler Planetarium, which was the first planetarium in the Americas.

    The Willis Tower (formerly the Sears Tower; Blue Line to Jackson, walk 4 blocks west) offers stunning views of the Chicago skyline; so does 875 North Michigan Avenue (formerly the John Hancock Center; Blue Line to Chicago station, bus 66 toward Navy Pier), located on Michigan Avenue in the heart of famed Magnificent Mile. Further afield are the Lincoln Park Zoo (Blue Line to Western, bus 73 to Clark/North), the Chicago History Museum (5 minutes walk from the zoo), and the Museum of Science and Industry (Blue Line to Jackson, walk 1 block east to State Street and Jackson and catch bus 6 toward 79th/South Shore), which is housed in a structure originally built for the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition.

    Social Media

    The official hashtag for the tournament is ict; 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).

    NAQT Nationals app logo

    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, connections to social media, and other important documents related to the tournament.

    Download on the App Store Get it on Google Play

    Further Questions

    To ask specific questions about the ICT, write to ict@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!

    2023 Intercollegiate Championship Tournament

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