The following email was sent to team representatives:
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Dear team representatives,
Greetings! PACE is eager to welcome you to the 2017 National Scholastic Championship at the Hyatt Regency O'Hare next weekend in Chicago.
Please read through the below text carefully, as it contains important information regarding this weekend's logistics. Please feel free to contact Gaurav Kandlikar at
[email protected] with any questions or if your team status or composition has changed.
Before the tournament: Verify team rosters
Please verify your team’s rosters and JV/Small School status at the
PACE NSC 2017 website. Email Gaurav Kandlikar at
[email protected] with any changes ASAP.
Tournament Schedule
An overview schedule of the 2017 PACE NSC is now
available online.
Team Check-in
Teams may check-in on Friday evening 6:00 to 9:00pm, or Saturday morning 7:00 to 7:45am. Check-in will be held in the foyer outside the Rosemont Ballroom, on the Entrance Level.
At check-in, teams will receive an information envelope containing a schedule and other logistical information, and team buzzers will be collected.
Given the short check-in window on Saturday, we encourage teams arriving on Friday to use the Friday window to check-in.
In the event that your team fails to check-in by Saturday 7:45am, please visit the PACE NSC Help Desk in the Lobby Level Atrium for late check-in. Teams that check-in late risk their spot in the field, and may be replaced with a standby team.
PACE is not formally organizing scrimmages on Friday night. Teams should feel free to organize such scrimmages on their own in their hotel rooms.
David Riley Coaches Conference
NSC attendees are also invited to attend the annual David Riley Coaches Conference, which will be held Friday evening 7:00 to 9:00pm in the Hartsfield room. This year’s conference will replicate the success of
the 2016 coaches conference.
Opening meeting
NSC formally kicks off on Saturday at 8:00am with an opening meeting in Rosemont Ballroom. All teams are expected to attend.
The opening meeting will include an overview of the tournament schedule, important rule reminders, and other guidelines.
At the opening meeting, Fred Morlan will be awarded the 2017 Benjamin Cooper Academic Ambassador Award, and Jackie Wu of Downingtown High School East will be awarded the 2017 Benjamin Cooper Young Ambassador Award.
More on this year's Cooper winners and the Cooper Awards is available online.
Game Schedule
All teams are guaranteed at least 15 rounds of gameplay at the PACE NSC. All teams will play 12 rounds (7 prelim + 5 playoff) on Saturday, and at least 3 placement rounds on Sunday. Saturday rounds are projected to end at 6:00pm, and Sunday placement rounds are projected to end at 10:15am.
As in previous years, the 96 teams will be divided into four playoff tiers of 24 teams each.
This year, teams that finish after playoffs at the top of Tier II will have the opportunity to compete against bottom Tier I teams to climb in ranking up to 17th place. Details on tier-crossing will be made available online before the tournament.
All Star Game
We encourage all participants to stay through the All-Star Game, which will feature eight standout players from the tournament competing on questions designed to be challenging and engaging to the players and audience members. The winning All-Star team will earn the opportunity to choose from a list of charities to which PACE will donate $400 on the students’ behalf, and we will donate $100 for the other team’s charity.
Social Media
Share your experience on social media with the hashtag #PACENSC. With the exception of the finals, no question content may be posted on social media out of concerns for question security between concurrent game rooms.
A
liveblog on our Twitter account @PACENSC will follow select games over the course of the tournament. A
livestream on our YouTube channel will broadcast the Cooper Awards ceremony at the opening meeting, select superplayoff games (on a delay), the tournament finals, the all-star game, and the awards ceremony.
Dress code
There is no official dress code for NSC. Teams have historically attended in clothing ranging from everyday clothes to matching team T-shirts to suits.
Ethics
The 2017 PACE NSC will abide by the PACE guidelines on Ethics and Conduct listed here. The PACE membership and leadership encourage students, coaches, and viewers to participate in a spirit of camaraderie and healthy competition.
Emergencies
In the event of an emergency during the tournament or an emergency affecting your attendance at the tournament, please contact tournament director Gaurav Kandlikar at [REDACTED].
Reminders
The 2017 NSC will be operating under the
official PACE ruleset.
According to
Rule A4 of the PACE NSC, a team may include no more than six (6) players on its rosters.