Frequently Asked Questions

by U of M Students

1. What does MAC do, exactly?
   Michigan Academic Competitions (MAC) is a University of Michigan student organization devoted to the promotion of academic quiz games. We are responsible for organizing our annual intramural tournament, but we also hold several other tournaments, both for colleges and high schools, and compete nationally on the NAQT, ACF, and invitational circuits. We are one of most active academic competition programs in the nation.
   
2. NAQT, ACF, TRASH -- what's the difference?
   The basic quizbowl game has several variations. NAQT, ACF, and TRASH are the most popular formats.
   
   The Academic Competition Federation (ACF) is untimed, with rounds consisting of 20 tossups and bonuses. ACF tends to concentrate on subjects in the academic canon, and has very few questions on current events and popular culture.
   
   National Academic Quiz Tournaments (NAQT) tends to have more popular culture and general knowledge than ACF. Matches are timed, and one of the distinctive features of NAQT is the "power tossup," where tossups are worth 15 points instead of the usual 10 if answered very quickly.
   
   Testing Recall About Strange Happenings (TRASH) is, in terms of format, a lot like ACF. There are still untimed rounds of 20 tossups and bonuses; however, all of the questions deal with pop culture.
   
3. When does MAC have meetings?
   MAC practices are held on Mondays and Wednesdays at 7:00 PM in Room B115-B of the Modern Languages Building. Sometimes there are extra practices in the same place. These are announced through our e-mail list.
   
4. How often does MAC travel to tournaments?
   Generally speaking, every few weekends there will be an opportunity to travel. ACF and NAQT both hold regional tournaments in February to qualify for nationals and the national tournaments are held in April, so those months can be especially busy.
   
5. Where/How does MAC travel?
   Most tournaments we attend are within driving distance. MAC often travels to Illinois, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Iowa, and Ontario. National tournaments, however, have taken us in past years to Dallas, Los Angeles, New Orleans, Chapel Hill, Austin, and Atlanta. If a trip can't reasonably be made by car, MAC will fly to a national tournament.
   
6. How much do tournaments cost?
   MAC receives funding through the University Activities Center, a campus programming organization that funds about 15 committees. With UAC's support and the funds we raise from the tournaments we host, almost all lodging and transportation costs are covered by MAC's budget and are therefore free to students.
   
7. Is Michigan good at this?
   In the early 2000s, MAC won three ACF national championships, two NAQT Division I championships, and two TRASHionals. In 2001-2002, MAC teams won 14 tournaments, making it the second most dominant season in college quiz bowl history (The University of Chicago once won 15 in one year), including both ACF and NAQT titles. In 2005 we again took home national championships in ACF and NAQT. More recently, MAC took second place in Division II (for younger players) at NAQT's ICT in 2009.
   
8. Do I have to be good at trivia to be welcome?
   MAC welcomes all students to the program regardless of whether of not they're "star players." If you enjoy learning about interesting things of any stripe, MAC is the place for you.