THE MAYFLOWER CUP V
The Official Massachusetts State Championships
October 14 Update: Due to an unexpected scheduling conflict with the venue, we are unfortunately unable to hold the event as planned on October 24. As a result, the event will be postponed until later this year, most likely in December. We sincerely apologize for the short notice and any inconvenience this may cause. We will share an update as soon as the new date and location are confirmed. Thank you for your patience, understanding, and continued support!
Registration is Now Open
How it Works
It’s the fifth anniversary of the Mayflower Cup! We’re proud to be crowning our fifth State Champion! Who will it be…?
The cup involves two tournaments, and the team with the most points accumulated over the tournaments takes home the Mayflower Cup. Teams are also more than welcome to sign up for only one of two of the events and play it like a regular tournament. Teams from outside Massachusetts are encouraged to sign up as well!
STANDINGS FOR THE MAYFLOWER CUP ARE CALCULATED AS FOLLOWS:
– For every win in the preliminary rounds, a team earns one point.
– For every win in the playoffs, superplayoffs, and championship rounds, a team earns two points.
– For every loss in the playoffs, superplayoffs, and championship rounds, a team earns one point.
– For every win in first consolation, a team earns one point.
– The tournament champion earns three extra points.
– The runner-up earns two extra points.
– The third-place team earns one extra point.
– Any other game will not earn a team any points.
Location and Dates
The first tournament will be held at a site and date to be determined, and was rescheduled.
The second tournament will be held on March 20, 2027, at Lexington High School, Lexington, MA.
Each tournament will take place from 8:30 AM to approximately 5:00 PM.
Questions/Format
The Mayflower Cup will use LIQBA Standard Set #4 in October and Standard Set #6 in March. Both sets will be of Moderate difficulty. We will be using the twenty tossups/twenty bonus format, following the rules as delineated in LIQBA’s official rulebook, but without the game-clock component.
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.
It is not mandatory for a coach, parent, or adult to attend with their team; our team provides adequate supervision for all.
Readers
READERS ARE NO LONGER MANDATORY, AND THE NO-READER FEES HAVE BEEN REMOVED.
You are no longer penalized in any way for not bringing a reader. In lieu of this: if you bring a reader, your team will receive lunch vouchers for every player on a single team.
So: If you bring no reader, your team will not get a free lunch.
If you bring, say, one reader and one team, both the reader and every player on that team will receive a free lunch.
If you bring, say, one reader and two teams, the reader and every player on one of the teams will receive a free lunch.
There are similar arrangements for all other combinations. If you don’t know, just ask us.
We are now offering lunch for purchase. See the food section below for details.
Buzzer discounts and paper question sets are still not being offered.
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 small prizes. The champion of the Mayflower Cup will be awarded a traveling trophy. We may add additional prizes at our discretion.
Fees
The entry fee is $100 per team per tournament.
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 16 Gilbert Avenue, Smithtown, NY, 11787.
NEW: You can now pay by credit card on the registration form. However, note that this will incur processing fees. Venmo payments are no longer accepted.
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.
Registration for each event closes one week prior to each event. Please ensure that you register prior to the deadline!
Food:
We do not serve breakfast, but we now serve lunch. We will provide, at every LIQBA tournament, a buffet luncheon. You must buy a meal ticket for each person who wants the lunch in advance, regardless of if this is a player, coach, or any kind of parent or spectator. At every location in which it is available, the luncheon is Italian-American cuisine, and will always include a vegetarian option; however, if you require kosher or halal food, are vegan, or are concerned about allergens, you should bring your own lunch. A meal ticket is $10. Options generally include various kinds of sandwiches, side salads, and fruit. We do not usually provide drinks. Lunch generally lasts an hour. Teams should eat breakfast prior to arrival.
As noted in the Readers section above, all readers and those mentioned in that section have their meal tickets comped.
We will send out an order form to all registered teams for meal tickets about 2-3 weeks prior to the event. Teams that sign up less than a week before the event will be required to purchase meal tickets right away if they want them.
Once you purchase a meal ticket, it cannot be cancelled under any circumstance, and is transferrable between people, but not between events. This is due to needing to know the number of people we need to order for well in advance of the event. Even if you drop, you can never cancel a meal ticket.
Stats:
Full and complete team and individual statistics will be posted within 48 hours after the completion of the event.