2025 Small School National Championship Tournament Logistics Information
The 2025 Small School National Championship Tournament (SSNCT) will be held at in Rosemont, Illinois (near Chicago), on April 25–27, 2025.
Registration is open.
Contents
Tournament Date
April 25–27, 2025 (Friday–Sunday).
Participants will check in on Friday, April 25 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.
Important Dates
- Registration opens
- Standby registration opens (teams who register in the first 24 hours are put into random order)
- Wildcard requests may be submitted
- Cancellation fee begins at $79
- Cancellation fee increases to $395
- Cancellation fee increases to $790
- Last day to make hotel reservations in our block
- Participation agreements due and rosters must be finalized
- The tournament begins!
Schedule
This schedule is tentative.
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 |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7:00 – 8:00 a.m. | Late-arrival team check-in | Grand Ballroom Registration Desk | Entry Level |
| 7:30 – 8:00 a.m. | Staff check-in | London | International Level |
| 8:00 – 8:30 a.m. | Players' and coaches' meeting | Grand Ballroom | Entry Level |
| 8:00 – 8:45 a.m. | Staff meeting | London | International Level |
| 9:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. | Preliminary rounds 1–7 | Throughout the hotel | |
| 12:30 – 2:00 p.m. | Lunch (on your own) | ||
| 2:00 – 5:30 p.m. | Preliminary rounds 8–13 | Throughout the hotel | |
| 5:30 – 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 | London | International Level |
| 8:00 – 8:25 a.m. | Consolation staff meeting | Hartsfield | Lobby Level |
| 8:30 – 11:30 a.m. | Playoff rounds 14–18 | Throughout the hotel | |
| 8:45 – 11:30 a.m. | Consolation rounds (optional) | Throughout the hotel | |
| 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. | Lunch (on your own) | ||
| 12:30 – 2:30 p.m. | Playoff rounds 19–21 | Meeting rooms and ballrooms | |
| 12:30 – 4:30 p.m. | Buzzer return | Grand Ballroom Registration Desk | Entry Level |
| 2:30 p.m. (or earlier if ready) | Traditional Public Schools Division finals (one or two games) | Grand Ballroom ABCD | Entry Level |
| 2:30 p.m. (or earlier if ready) | Open Division finals (one or two games) | International Ballroom | International Level |
| After finals | Awards | Grand Ballroom ABCD | 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 High School Eligibility Rules.
Furthermore, this tournament is limited to teams from schools that meet ÎÞÓǶÌÊÓƵ’s definition of Small Schools and is separated into two divisions based on the two types of Small Schools.
Qualification
Schools qualify to send teams to the SSNCT through their performance at tournaments using ÎÞÓǶÌÊÓƵ questions throughout the year.
Registration is open.
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 December 22 in the Traditional Public Schools Division and February 21 in the Open Division (though some teams were promoted from the waitlist after that).
Wildcards
Teams who have not qualified as of Thursday, January 2, 2025 will be able to request a wildcard invitation (while also continuing to try to qualify automatically by their tournament performance).
Standby Teams
Teams who don’t receive an invitation may attempt to participate in the tournament on a standby basis. Standby signup begins on Thursday, January 2, 2025. The order of standby teams who sign up in the first 24 hours will be randomized; standby teams who sign up after the first 24 hours will be added to the list in order of signup. Qualified teams may also attend on a standby basis. Standby teams are not guaranteed to participate; they are added to the field if replacement or additional teams are needed.
Field
The field for the Traditional Public Schools Division is currently limited to 77 teams; these teams have registered. ÎÞÓǶÌÊÓƵ may expand the field depending on the level of interest and the availability of resources.
The field for the Open Division is currently limited to 44 teams; these teams have registered. ÎÞÓǶÌÊÓƵ may expand the field depending on the level of interest and the availability of resources.
Format
Teams will play ten preliminary games on Saturday, and teams that finish with a winning record will make playoffs on Sunday. Further details of the format will be determined based on the final field sizes in each division.
Very Small Schools (Traditional Public Schools Division only)
Within the Traditional Public Schools Division, teams from Very Small Schools will be ranked based on their overall finish within the division. However, if there are any ties involving the top three places, additional games will be played according to ÎÞÓǶÌÊÓƵ’s standard tiebreaker schemes to break the tie(s), possibly using full packets rather than fractional packets if resources allow.
Fees and Payment
Registration is open.
The registration fee is $790 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 12:30 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 12:30 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 4:30 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.
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
Teams who cancel their registration between February 1 and February 28 (inclusive) will owe a cancellation fee of $79 (10% of the registration fee). Starting one week after the field first fills or on March 1, whichever comes first, teams who cancel their registration will owe a cancellation fee of $395 (half of the registration fee). Teams who cancel their registration on or after March 28, or who fail to show up to the tournament, will owe a cancellation fee of $790 (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.
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 11, 2025.
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, ÎÞÓǶÌÊÓƵ 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 [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.
- 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 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, April 25. 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 morning, 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
The top teams in each division will receive trophies, and the members of those teams will receive medals. The specific number of teams receiving trophies will depend on the final field sizes and format.
The top individual scorers in each division will receive All-Star medals, and the top freshmen-or-sophomore players will receive Rising Star medals. These will be determined by points per tossup heard in the preliminary rounds among players who played for at least 120 tossups during the preliminary rounds. The numbers of players receiving these awards will depend on the final field sizes.
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.
Teams will be texted at the end of the preliminary rounds with a link to a form by which to sign up for consolation tournaments. Teams who sign up by 9:00 p.m. Saturday are guaranteed a spot; after that, spots depend on supply, demand, and timing of signup.
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 $19/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 $128 per night, and rooms with two double beds are available for $134 per night (plus applicable taxes and fees). To receive the group rate, rooms must be by Friday, April 4, 2025 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 “GZZO,” but hold times are often long.
Between the SSNCT 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 (tentatively, but almost certainly) 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.
Honor Code
ÎÞÓǶÌÊÓƵ works to ensure that quiz bowl is a safe, welcoming, fair, and respectful activity for everyone and expects all participants to do the same.
All tournament participants are bound by the ÎÞÓǶÌÊÓƵ Honor Code to behave responsibly and ethically. Participants should read the entire Honor Code, but as a summary, all participants must…
- Treat all people present with courtesy.
- Avoid action or speech that is hateful or discriminatory toward others.
- Avoid behavior that disrupts the competitive integrity of quiz bowl.
- Abide by all decisions of the tournament staff and honestly report details of game situations to tournament staff.
“Participants” for this purpose includes players, coaches, chaperones, institutional representatives, other people associated with a team, spectators, and tournament staff.
Behavior that is in violation of the honor code must be reported to tournament staff as soon as is practical.
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 SSNCT, 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 ssnct; 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.