The Partnership for Academic Competition Excellence (PACE) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit, volunteer alliance of advocates for high school quizbowl competition across the United States.
We run the National Scholastic Championship (NSC), an annual national high school quizbowl tournament. Additionally, PACE awards the Morgan Costa-Rhodes Memorial Scholarship for graduating seniors, the Benjamin Cooper Academic Ambassador Awards for impactful members of the quizbowl community.
PACE is a 501c(3) non-profit. Your donations help us fund the NSC, college scholarships, outreach, the HSQuizbowl forums, and many other projects.
2026 National Scholastic Championship
The 2026 NSC will be held at the Hyatt Regency O’Hare in Rosemont, IL on June 6-7, 2026. More details will be announced in the Fall.
2025 National Scholastic Championship
Congratulations to Strake Jesuit High School of Houston, champions of the 2025 NSC! They defeated Lexington High School (MA) 440-220 in a one-game final after both teams went 6-1 in the Championship Bracket. Audrain County Academic Team (MO) rounded out the top three thanks to a 4-3 record in Sunday play.
Complete tournament statistics can be found here.
Latest News
- Winter 2025 PACE Membership Nominations/ApplicationsHappy almost-2025! The Partnership for Academic Competition Excellence is currently seeking nominations and applications for our winter 2025 new member class! The deadline to apply or submit a nomination is Friday, January 3rd, 2025 at 11:59 PM Eastern time. Please submit nominations and applications through this form. PACE is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and completely… Read more: Winter 2025 PACE Membership Nominations/Applications
- PACE NSC Registration is open to qualified teamsBeginning today, November 1, NSC registration is open to all teams that have qualified. To claim a spot for the national championship, please fill out this form and send a $100 deposit. More information about registration, including fees, can be found at our NSC page.
- Welcome PACE’s Summer 2024 New Member Class!The Partnership for Academic Competition Excellence welcomes four new members this summer! Joy An (they/them) is a rising sophomore at Harvard studying chemistry and comparative literature, and the president of Harvard’s quizbowl club. They are an avid writer and appreciator of any category that’s not history, and some will claim they are a “literature” and… Read more: Welcome PACE’s Summer 2024 New Member Class!
- Stories of the NSC: Lindbergh High Schoolby Colin McNamara Lindbergh is in their third year playing quiz bowl. While this is their first time coming to the NSC, this is not their first national championship tournament. After just competing in two local tournaments their first year of existence, they qualified two teams for the HSNCT their second year, with both teams… Read more: Stories of the NSC: Lindbergh High School
- Stories of the NSC: Hastings High Schoolby Colin McNamara Hastings is a small school with big aspirations. Their dominating title run in NAQT’s Small School National Championship Tournament was followed by a disappointing finish in the larger NAQT High School National Championship Tournament. That mellowed their expectations for the NSC, but they’re still hoping for a top 8 finish. This is… Read more: Stories of the NSC: Hastings High School