The members of Nevada High School Scholar Bowl welcome your team to join others from across Western Missouri and beyond at our inaugural March Academic Invitational in Nevada (MAIN), scheduled for March 23rd, 2024. MAIN will consist of a minimum of eight games for all high school teams in a modified NAQT/national format:
- Each game shall consist of two halves of ten tossups each, with each correct tossup followed by a three-part bonus. There are no math computation questions.
- Correct tossup answers are ten points each. Tossups are powermarked, and correct responses given before the mark will receive an additional five points. We will not assess a five-point penalty for interrupting the moderator during the tossup with an incorrect answer.
- All tossups and bonus parts receive five seconds. The moderator will prompt the captain on the bonus after four seconds.
- Each incorrect bonus part will immediately rebound, with the rebounding team expected to provide an answer within three seconds. Unless otherwise specified in a bonus set, each bonus part shall be ten points each.
- In the event a game is tied after regulation, additional tossups shall be read until the next change in score.
- Each team shall have one 30 second timeout per half. Substitutions, scorechecks, and team conferences may occur at the half, prior to overtime, or during any timeout called by either team. Teams must use their timeout to request a scorecheck other than at halftime or the end of regulation.
- Team rosters shall be limited to seven players; schools are encouraged to bring multiple teams to compete. Teams may play with fewer than four players, but should have at least two players. Rosters shall be submitted in advance and finalized at registration the morning of the tournament. Players may not change teams during the tournament.
We presently have a field size of 36, with the potential to expand further if additional staff is secured. Once the field fills, additional teams will be placed on a waitlist and contacted should an opening occur, with preference given to teams able to commit tournament staff. We anticipate MAIN serving as a qualifier for the PACE National Scholastic Championship in Reston, Virginia.
Teams from outside Missouri are welcome to register; however, in order to meet the MSHSAA sanctioning deadline, registration will be restricted to Missouri teams after February 19th.
Teams will play five morning rounds, break for lunch, then return for at least three afternoon games. This setup is subject to change, depending on the number of teams signed up. We plan to start the team meeting at 8:30 a.m., with the first round set for 8:50 a.m. and afternoon rounds slated to begin at 1:30 p.m. With the exception of any playoff games for trophies, we anticipate the last game ending around 4 p.m.
In addition to awards for the top three teams, we plan to give an award to the top small school team, which we will tentatively define as being from a public school with no more than 300 students in grades 9-11. The exact threshold is subject to change.
Fee structure is as follows, per school:
- Each team: $75
- Discount for travelling more than 100 miles each way (determined by Google Maps): $10
- Discount for providing a working buzzer set: $5
- Discount for providing a competent scorekeeper: $10
- Discount for providing a competent moderator: $20
Nevada High School is located at 800 W Hickory, in the western part of the city. Most lunch options will be along U.S. Route 54 and Business Loop 49.
The tournament is under the direction of Nevada High School Coach Bryan Townsend and veteran scholar bowl moderator Kyle Hill of the Missouri Quizbowl Alliance, an organization dedicated to promoting quality scholar bowl tournaments around the state. We anticipate receiving certification and assistance from their membership.
To register for this tournament, please visit http://www.MAINtournament.org/. (If the website does not load, click here for a direct link to the registration form.) Questions concerning the tournament may be directed to either Bryan Townsend at [email protected] or Kyle Hill at [email protected]. Please include “2024 MAIN” in the subject line.
We look forward to seeing you at Nevada High School on March 23rd!