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
Congratulations to Lexington High School (MA), champions of the 2026 National Scholastic Championship! They cleared the field to earn their first NSC title after a second-place finish last year; Lake County Academic Team (IL) were the runners-up.
Saratoga High School (CA) won the Junior Varsity title, while the Small School title went to Westwood High School (MA).
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
- Welcome PACE’s Summer 2026 New Member Class!The Partnership for Academic Competition Excellence is excited to be welcoming eleven new members this July! Alex Thomas has been actively involved with quizbowl since 2017. He is the current vice president of Georgia Tech’s team and is active in playing, moderating, and directing tournaments. Outside of quizbowl, he enjoys reading and playing the trumpet… Read more: Welcome PACE’s Summer 2026 New Member Class!
- Oreoluwa Owolabi awarded 2026 Morgan Costa-Rhodes Memorial ScholarshipThe Partnership for Academic Competition Excellence is thrilled to announce Oreoluwa Owolabi of Homewood-Flossmoor Community High School (Flossmoor, IL) as the recipient of the 2026 Morgan Costa-Rhodes Memorial Scholarship! Oreoluwa has competed in quiz bowl since seventh grade, and this year earned both All-Conference Honors and a spot on the All-Sectional team. Michael Sacks, who… Read more: Oreoluwa Owolabi awarded 2026 Morgan Costa-Rhodes Memorial Scholarship
- Welcome PACE’s Winter 2026 New Member Class!The Partnership for Academic Competition Excellence is excited to be welcoming two new members this January! Olin Bose has been involved in Quiz Bowl since 2018. He played for Mountain Lakes High School in New Jersey, and currently goes to Columbia University, where he is also the club president. He is active in staffing and… Read more: Welcome PACE’s Winter 2026 New Member Class!
- 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.