Buzzers, Brains, and Bragging Rights: Academic League Finals May 21-22

This month, four of the county’s sharpest high school teams will go head-to-head in an electrifying showdown of brainpower and quick thinking at the Academic League Finals. 

Broadcast live from the San Diego County Office of Education (SDCOE) campus on iTV Cable 16, the event marks over 40 years of SDCOE’s proud support for academic excellence and spirited competition. 

For the second consecutive year, the finals will be led by a student host. This time, Blaze Rice — a senior at Kearny High School — is taking the mic. 

"I'm incredibly excited and grateful for the opportunity to be a host for this year's Academic League!" he said. "I'm working alongside an incredible crew of people to make sure that this year is going to be great!"

The Academic League is a fast-paced, team-based take on Jeopardy! High schools across the county battle it out within four competitive regional leagues. The top team from each league advances to the finals, and the winners go head-to-head until a San Diego County champion is crowned.  

Moderator Mark Heinze will put the finalists to the test with questions covering everything from science and math to literature, history, and music. Each team allows five students at a time, with substitutions allowed during timeouts. Teams buzz in to answer a toss-up question. The fastest correct answer wins points and a shot at a bonus question. But beware: A wrong answer means a point deduction and gives the other team a chance to swoop in and steal. 

Communication is strictly limited among teams except during bonus questions, when teammates can finally huddle up to solve problems, strategize answers, or bond over how impossibly tricky the question seems. 

You can catch the Academic League semifinals and finals live on iTV Channel 16 (available on Cox, Spectrum, or AT&T), or stream the event online, Semi-finals and Finals. 

Semifinal Round 1: University City High vs. Granite Hills High, 5:00 p.m., May 21 
Semifinal Round 2: Canyon Crest Academy vs. Olympian High, 7:00 p.m., May 21 
Finals: The winners of the two semifinals, 5:00 p.m., May 22