THE MAYFLOWER CUP RETURNS
The Official Massachusetts State Championships
DATES AND LOCATIONS ARE FINALIZED
REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN
How it Works
Last season, we held our inaugural Mayflower Cup for Massachusetts teams. The highest-ranking team at that tournament won the Mayflower Cup; the winner, Belmont High School, was the official State Champion.
Due to the incredible interest in more Massachusetts tournaments last season, we’re hosting two Mayflower Cup tournaments this season, following the model of our marquee tournament, the Island Cup.
For more details on how to win the cup and how we determine the winner, follow this link.
Location and Dates
The first tournament will be held on October 21, 2023, at Hopkinton High School in Hopkinton, Massachusetts.
The second tournament will be held on March 16, 2024, at Advanced Math and Science Academy in Marlborough, Massachusetts.
Each tournament will take place from 8:30 AM to approximately 5:00 PM.
Questions/Format
The Mayflower Cup will use NAQT sets IS-223A in October and IS-228 in March. The first is of Easy difficulty and the second is of Moderate difficulty. We will be using the twenty tossups/twenty bonus format and NAQT rules, but there will be no game clock. There will be no computational math tossups; there will, however, be computational math bonuses.
Teams will be fairly placed into preliminary brackets before being re-seeded for playoffs. Teams will be guaranteed a minimum of 10 games; teams will be expected to play all 10 rounds, even if you are not in contention for the championship.
Teams
There are a maximum of 6 players per team, four of whom may play at once. If you wish to bring more players than that, please register additional teams. There are no exceptions to this rule. Teams may play short, with one player as a minimum. Nobody may switch teams during the tournament, such as from “A” to “B” or otherwise.
The field is capped at 48 teams for each tournament. You will be placed onto a waitlist if you miss the cutoff and will enter the field as teams drop or the field expands (if there is enough interest, we guarantee that the field will expand).
We are happy to allow pseudonymous teams and teams not directly sponsored by their district to register. However, we do have certain requirements for these teams, so please contact us via phone or email prior to registration and we will be happy to work with you.
It is not mandatory for a coach, parent, or adult to attend with their team; our team provides adequate supervision for all.
Readers
Each school is required to bring one reader for every two teams attending a tournament. Schools that cannot bring readers will be charged a $50 fee per team. Keep in mind this does not have to be a coach! It can be a player who would rather read, an extra player, a parent, an alumnus, someone’s friend, sibling, or third cousin twice removed, or anyone else that can read and scorekeep.
Buzzer discounts and paper question sets are no longer being offered. Question sets can now be accessed for free after the tournament on NAQT.com.
Prizes
Trophies will be awarded to the top 3 teams after each tournament and the very best individual with the highest average Points per Game overall. The eight or so high scorers at each tournament will be awarded book prizes. The champion of the Mayflower Cup will be awarded a traveling trophy. We may add additional prizes at our discretion.
Fees
The fee structure is as follows:
- $90 per team per tournament
- $50 additional per team per tournament if no readers are brought
- $0 additional if 1 reader is brought
- In October only, -$10 for each buzzer brought, up to 4
- -$25 for each additional reader
We can process cash, checks, and purchase orders. We are happy to provide a W9 and an invoice on request. Please make out checks to “Long Island Quiz Bowl Alliance”. You can mail checks, POs, and any other paperwork to P.O. Box 205, Nesconset, NY, 11767.
Buzzer discounts are only offered at the October tournament. Paper question sets are no longer being offered. Question sets can now be accessed for free after the tournament on NAQT.com.
Payment is due the morning of the event.
Registration:
In order to register, fill out this form. Once you receive a confirmation from us, you are officially registered.
Please ensure that you register prior to the day of the tournament! Registration closes one week prior to the event.
Food:
We do not serve breakfast or lunch and teams should either bring food or prepare to go out and obtain it. We will provide a map of local restaurants in the vicinity during the morning meeting. There are many good options within a 15-minute walk from the schools. Lunch generally lasts an hour. Teams should eat breakfast prior to arrival.
Stats:
Full and complete team and individual statistics will be posted within 48 hours after the completion of the event.