2024 Middle School National Championship Tournament Logistics Information
The 2024 Middle School National Championship Tournament (MSNCT) was held at in Rosemont, Illinois (near Chicago), on May 10–12, 2024.
Contents
Tournament Date
May 10–12, 2024 (Friday–Sunday). This is Mother’s Day weekend.
Participants will check in on Friday, May 10 and have the opportunity to meet each other and play scrimmage games.
The tournament’s preliminary games will take place on Saturday, and the playoff games will take place on Sunday. Teams may arrive earlier or stay later to explore the Chicago area at the discounted hotel rates negotiated by ÎÞÓǶÌÊÓƵ. Teams that cannot arrive on Friday night will have a chance to check in on Saturday morning.
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.
Schedule
This schedule is final.
All times are listed in Central time.
Friday Evening
| Time | Event | Location | Area |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5:00 – 9:00 p.m. | Staff check-in | Hartsfield | Lobby Level |
| 5:30 – 6:00 p.m. | Scrimmage staff meeting | Rosemont Ballroom B | Entry Level |
| 6:00 – 9:00 p.m. | Team check-in | Conference Center foyer | Lobby Level |
| 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. | Scrimmage games (optional) | Conference Center foyer | Entry Level |
Saturday
| Time | Event | Location | Area |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7:30 – 8:30 a.m. | Late-arrival team check-in | Grand Ballroom Registration Desk | Entry Level |
| 8:30 – 9:00 a.m. | Players' and coaches' meeting | Grand Ballroom | Entry Level |
| 8:15 – 8:45 a.m. | Staff check-in | Rosemont Ballroom B | Entry Level |
| 8:45 – 9:15 a.m. | Staff meeting | Rosemont Ballroom B | Entry Level |
| 9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. | Preliminary rounds 1–6 | Throughout the hotel | |
| 12:30 – 2:00 p.m. | Lunch (on your own) | ||
| 2:00 – 6:00 p.m. | Preliminary rounds 7–13 | Throughout the hotel | |
| 6:00 – 9:00 p.m. | Consolation sign-up | Online | |
Sunday
| Time | Event | Location | Area |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7:30 – 8:15 a.m. | Playoff cards distributed | Conference Center foyer | Lobby Level |
| 8:00 – 8:25 a.m. | Playoff staff meeting | Rosemont Ballroom B | Entry Level |
| 8:00 – 8:25 a.m. | Consolation staff meeting | L.A.X. | Entry Level |
| 8:30 a.m. – 12:00 noon | Playoff rounds 14–19 | Throughout the hotel | |
| 8:45 – 11:30 a.m. | Consolation rounds (optional) | Throughout the hotel | |
| 12:00 noon – 1:00 p.m. | Lunch (on your own) | ||
| 1:00 – 2:30 p.m. | Playoff rounds 20–21 | Ballrooms | |
| 1:00 – 4:00 p.m. | Buzzer return | Grand Ballroom Registration Desk | Entry Level |
| 2:30 p.m. (or earlier if ready) | Finals (round 22 and maybe 23) | Grand Ballroom | Entry Level |
| After finals | Awards | Grand Ballroom | Entry Level |
Frequently Asked Questions
ÎÞÓǶÌÊÓƵ has prepared answers to frequently asked questions about its national championships.
Information Desk
Starting Friday evening, ÎÞÓǶÌÊÓƵ will operate an Information Desk in the Lobby Level Atrium. 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 (“ÎÞÓǶÌÊÓƵ”) with questions if it is inconvenient for them to get to the Information Desk. 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 ÎÞÓǶÌÊÓƵ Rules. Player eligibility is governed by the Middle School Eligibility Rules.
Qualification
Schools qualify to send teams to the MSNCT through their performance at tournaments using ÎÞÓǶÌÊÓƵ questions throughout the year.
Registration has closed.
The field has historically filled. Receiving an invitation to the tournament does not guarantee a spot in the field; it merely allows your team to register for a spot if one is available. Once you have qualified, you should register as soon as you can to ensure your team a spot in the tournament. Last year, the field filled around February 21 (though some teams were promoted from the waitlist after that).
Field
These teams attended the tournament.
Format
Preliminary Rounds (Saturday)
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. In the preliminary rounds, each team will play eight games and have several byes. Because of this system, it is not possible to know each team’s opponents in advance.
Playoff Rounds (Sunday)
Teams with a winning record in their preliminary games will compete in double-elimination playoffs. The playoff bracket will be seeded by preliminary win-loss record followed by points per tossup heard. Some teams will have byes in some rounds of the playoffs.
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.
General Note
Situations not covered above will be addressed at the discretion of ÎÞÓǶÌÊÓƵ. ÎÞÓǶÌÊÓƵ may revise this format slightly prior to the tournament.
Fees and Payment
Registration has closed.
The registration fee is $710 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 ÎÞÓǶÌÊÓƵ’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 ÎÞÓǶÌÊÓƵ, no team may receive more than four buzzer-system discounts.
Timing
ÎÞÓǶÌÊÓƵ will only award the discount for buzzer systems that it receives by 9:00 p.m. Friday and may keep until 1:00 p.m. Sunday; if you cannot commit to those times, do not register to bring a buzzer system!
Buzzer Return
ÎÞÓǶÌÊÓƵ will begin returning team-provided buzzer systems at 1:00 p.m. on Sunday (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 4:00 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.
Payment
For teams registered by a verified official school coach, payment is generally due by the start of the tournament and will be accepted at check-in, though we strongly prefer earlier payment. ÎÞÓǶÌÊÓƵ reserves the right to require earlier payment in specific cases.
For teams not registered by a verified official school coach, payment—or confirmation of payment plans from such a coach or from a school administrator—is required within one week of registration.
To request an invoice, once you have entered all the information that can affect costs (but not necessarily entered your roster or other information that doesn’t affect cost), 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.
ÎÞÓǶÌÊÓƵ accepts checks, but those paying by check must be mindful of the payment timing requirement mentioned above. Checks should be made payable to “ÎÞÓǶÌÊÓƵ” and should be sent to
ÎÞÓǶÌÊÓƵ, LLC
11521 W 69th St
Shawnee, KS 66203–3749
Please send questions about billing to [email protected].
Cancellation
Starting on March 1, teams who cancel their registration will owe a cancellation fee of $355 (half of the registration fee). Teams who cancel their registration on or after April 12, or who fail to show up to the tournament, will owe a cancellation fee of $710 (the full amount 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 ÎÞÓǶÌÊÓƵ’s discretion.
Cancellation due to COVID-19
ÎÞÓǶÌÊÓƵ 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.
ÎÞÓǶÌÊÓƵ will waive cancellation fees for any team whose chaperone or any player is unable to participate due to following such recommendations, though ÎÞÓǶÌÊÓƵ 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 ÎÞÓǶÌÊÓƵ 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
Players, coaches, and chaperones must sign a participation agreement covering expectations, media coverage, etc. All agreements must be submitted to [email protected] by Friday, April 26, 2024.
For players’ agreements, both the player and their parent/guardian must sign.
The signature(s) on the participation agreement must be handwritten, not typed. The agreement may be submitted by sending a scan or photo to [email protected]. 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 one official chaperone, subject to the following rules:
- The chaperone must be at least 21 years old.
- The chaperone must be reachable by text message (at a number provided to ÎÞÓǶÌÊÓƵ) 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 and downtime. If the chaperone is not with the team, ÎÞÓǶÌÊÓƵ is not obligated to contact the chaperone in situations short of an emergency. In particular, ÎÞÓǶÌÊÓƵ will not contact absent chaperones regarding protests.
- The chaperone must be with the team during travel. If the team is traveling in multiple groups, all groups must be chaperoned during travel by a person who is at least 21 years old.
- The chaperone must always be near enough to the team to (physically) reach them in less than ten minutes.
- Each team must have a separate chaperone as just described; the same person may not be the chaperone for multiple teams.
- 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 ÎÞÓǶÌÊÓƵ at [email protected] well in advance of the tournament to discuss their situation.
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, May 10. During this period ÎÞÓǶÌÊÓƵ will distribute information folders, answer questions, process payments, verify rosters, and take care of other administrative matters. There will be a late check-in period on Saturday, but ÎÞÓǶÌÊÓƵ prefers 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.
Teams that don’t arrive at the hotel until after check-in closes on Friday may check in early Saturday morning. Teams that checked in on Friday do not need to check in again on Saturday.
Scrimmages
Between 6:00 and 8:00 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.
Teams that want to participate in the scrimmages should go to the Conference Center foyer, Entry Level. A team does not need to have checked in to be allowed to scrimmage.
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.
Depending on how many teams want to play scrimmage games, it may be necessary to limit how many games each team can play, but all teams who want to will be able to play at least one game.
Awards
Teams finishing in 21st place and higher will receive trophies, and the players on those teams will receive medals (up to six per team).
The top 25 individual scorers (determined by points per tossup heard in the preliminary rounds) will receive All-Star awards. The top eight non-eighth-graders who are not All-Stars will receive Rising Star awards.
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 Sunday morning 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 8:45 a.m., but 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 are strongly encouraged to fly into (ORD), which is extremely close to the hotel. They may also fly into (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 (lowest 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 ’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 at the Information Desk 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 . (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 (plus applicable taxes and fees). To receive the group rate, rooms must be by Thursday, April 25, 2024 at 7:00 p.m. Central time (and before the block fills). It is also possible to book by calling 800-544-9288 and mentioning the group code “MMST,” but hold times are often long.
Between the MSNCT and the other events scheduled to take place at the hotel, it is expected that the hotel will run out of rooms. ÎÞÓǶÌÊÓƵ 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, , subsection b.4 of the Illinois Administrative Code; see also )
Food
The hotel will operate food stands for lunch on both days 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 mall at 5220 Fashion Outlets Way. To get to the Fashion Outlets from the hotel, 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 . These are more suited for evening meals and are a away.
Participants can also order carry-out or delivery from local restaurants.
Advocate Program
Because ÎÞÓǶÌÊÓƵ 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 ÎÞÓǶÌÊÓƵ by email ([email protected]) 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 ÎÞÓǶÌÊÓƵ’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 ÎÞÓǶÌÊÓƵ’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 ÎÞÓǶÌÊÓƵ’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).
No registration or tickets are required for spectators.
Sightseeing
Companion Mobile App
ÎÞÓǶÌÊÓƵ has created a companion mobile app for attendees. The app includes the tournament schedule (with the ability to set reminders for various events), links to results, maps of the venue, help reaching the Information Desk, connections to social media, and other important documents related to the tournament.
Further Questions
To ask specific questions about the MSNCT, write to [email protected].
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 msnct; 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 ÎÞÓǶÌÊÓƵ’s social media.