YSU Academic Challenge

. In 2008 academic challenge changed its appearance but kept its old rules.

Original format

When it premiered, the show was taped at Bliss Hall on the campus of Youngstown State University. Two teams of four students representing different high schools across the WYTV viewing area compete in a game similar to that of the format of College Bowl.

In the first season, questions were restricted to ten categories announced by the host at the start of the show (e.g. Social Science, Sports and Leisure). One team was given a category and a question. A correct answer was worth 10 points, and the right to answer more questions until the team missed one. Upon an incorrect answer, the other team could attempt that same question, but its value was halved.

Towards the end of the match, the teams could wager any part of or all of their points to answer one final question, a la Final Jeopardy! on Jeopardy! A correct answer added the wagered points, while an incorrect answer deducted them. The team with the most points won the game and advanced through further rounds of an elimination tournament to determine the champion.

Current format

Prior to the start of the second season, production moved to the studio at the station. The format was also changed.

Two teams of four still competed. The first round is called the Buzz-In round. A special category is announced by the host prior to the start of the match, and is in play throughout the game. In the Buzz-In Round, all players have buzzers in hand. A question is asked, and the first team to ring in gets to answer the question. A correct answer is worth 10 points. In the Buzz-In round only, 10 points are deducted for an incorrect answer. Only the team that buzzed in first gets to answer a question (no capitalizing on an opposing team's miss in this round).

Round two originally was the Lightning Round (more on this round below), but is currently the Volleyball Round. The team that is trailing starts the round. Each team takes turns answering questions. A correct answer is once again worth 10 points. If an incorrect answer is given, the other team gets the opportunity to attempt that same question, along with one of their own. No team can control the board for more than two questions. The special category is again in play. (In an earlier version of the Volleyball Round, a team kept control as long as they answered questions correctly.)

Round three originally was the Volleyball Round, but is currently the Lightning Round. In the Lightning Round, the team that is trailing starts the round by selecting a packet of questions from the call letters of the station. The team will have 3 minutes to answer as many questions as they can. Correct answers are worth 10 points. A team can also elect to pass on a question if they do not know the answer. The special category is in play for this round. The process then repeats for the other team.

Round four is the Final Challenge Round, with buzzers. Correct answers are worth 10 points, but an incorrect answer gives the other team the opportunity to steal the points with a correct answer. The team with the most points wins the game and advances through further rounds of an elimination tournament to determine the champion. In the event of a tie at the end of the Final Challenge Round, an additional question is asked, following the rules of the Final Challenge Round. This "one-question playoff" was used during the game between Springfield and Lakeview on April 12 2008. Lakeview buzzed in and answered the question correctly to win the game.

Throughout the school year, the teams competing are high school teams. A middle school tournament is also held during the summer.

Criticisms

Many teams complain of the low quality questions and the general attitude of host Stan Boney toward question challenges.

Bracket for 2007-2008 season

The following is the bracket for the most recent high school competition, which ended on June 14 2008. Cardinal Mooney won the tournament by defeating Canfield in the final game with a score of 360-230. Note that, to accommodate 40 teams as opposed to the usual 32, a "play-in" round was necessary.

64TeamBracket
RD1=Play-in Round
RD2=1st Round
RD3=2nd Round

RD1-team03=Sharon
RD1-team04=Bloomfield
RD1-team05=Austintown
RD1-team06=Niles
RD1-team19=Columbiana
RD1-team20=West Middlesex
RD1-team21=Campbell
RD1-team22=Girard
RD1-team35=Canfield
RD1-team36=United
RD1-team37=Lowellville
RD1-team38=Farrell
RD1-team51=Sebring
RD1-team52=Jackson Milton
RD1-team53=South Range
RD1-team54=Southern Local

RD2-team01=Lordstown
RD2-team02=Sharon
RD2-team03=Niles
RD2-team04=East Palestine
RD2-team05=Salem
RD2-team06=Champion
RD2-team07=Bristol
RD2-team08=Boardman
RD2-team09=Beaver Local
RD2-team10=Columbiana
RD2-team11=Girard
RD2-team12=Mooney
RD2-team13=Brookfield
RD2-team14=Kennedy Catholic
RD2-team15=Reynolds
RD2-team16=Poland
RD2-team17=Laurel
RD2-team18=Canfield
RD2-team19=Lowellville
RD2-team20=LaBrae
RD2-team21=Springfield
RD2-team22=Lisbon
RD2-team23=Mohawk
RD2-team24=Lakeview
RD2-team25=Ursuline
RD2-team26=Jackson Milton
RD2-team27=Southern Local
RD2-team28=Howland
RD2-team29=Warren JFK
RD2-team30=Western Reserve
RD2-team31=Hickory
RD2-team32=Liberty

RD3-team01=Lordstown
RD3-team02=Niles
RD3-team03=Salem
RD3-team04=Boardman
RD3-team05=Beaver Local
RD3-team06=Mooney
RD3-team07=Brookfield
RD3-team08=Poland
RD3-team09=Canfield
RD3-team10=LaBrae
RD3-team11=Springfield
RD3-team12=Lakeview
RD3-team13=Ursuline
RD3-team14=Howland
RD3-team15=Warren JFK
RD3-team16=Liberty

RD4-team01=Niles
RD4-team02=Boardman
RD4-team03=Mooney
RD4-team04=Poland
RD4-team05=Canfield
RD4-team06=Lakeview
RD4-team07=Howland
RD4-team08=Liberty

RD5-team01=Boardman
RD5-team02=Mooney
RD5-team03=Canfield
RD5-team04=Howland

RD6-team01=Mooney
RD6-team02=Canfield

High School Champions

External links

* [http://www.wytv.com/links/15274401.html Academic Challenge page on the WYTV website]
* [http://www.ysu.edu Official site of Youngstown State University, the title sponsor of YSU Academic Challenge]