NAQT Illinois State Championship
Past NAQT State Tournaments: 2026 · 2025
The NAQT|IHSSBCA State Championship uses NAQT rules for timed matches. Please read our IHSSBCA Tournament Policies and our Ethical Standards.
A registration form will be posted fall 2026
Both automatic qualifiers and at-large qualifiers must submit a form between December 1 and 11:59 PM on December 30 to have a chance to be included in the tournament field. Submitting a registration form does not guarantee entry. See “Qualification” below for more details.
Date
The 2027 NAQT|IHSSBCA State Championship will be held February 27, 2027
What is the NAQT|IHSSBCA State Championship?
The NAQT|IHSSBCA State Championship is the first of Illinois’s three annual State Championship tournaments. Unlike the Masonic or IHSA State Tournaments, NAQT State is not geographically limited, meaning that there is no limit on the number of teams that can attend from the same region of the state. This tournament is good preparation for nationals, since it uses NAQT’s timed format and attracts many of the top teams in the country.
Contact State Tournament Coordinator Brad Fischer with questions.
Qualification
See our IHSSBCA Tournament Policies for full qualification details.
- Automatic Qualification: The overall winner of each IHSSBCA Kickoff site will be awarded an automatic qualification for NAQT State. Teams who have earned automatic qualification must fill out the tournament registration form between December 1 and December 31 to confirm that they want their spot; failing to do so before the December 31 “soft deadline” forfeits automatic qualification. Forfeited automatic qualifications do not transfer to any other team.
- At-Large Qualification: Any team that does not receive an automatic qualification as Kickoff champion may apply for an at-large bid by filling out the tournament registration form between December 1 and December 31. Teams must apply for at-large spots before the soft deadline to be considered in the Selection Committee’s initial field selection procedure.
After December 31, the NAQT State Selection Committee will place the automatic qualifiers who have filled out the registration form into the field. Then, they will determine which teams receive the at-large spots in the field as well as the first six positions on each field’s waitlist. Beyond the first six positions, the NAQT State Tournament Director has sole discretion to place the teams on the waitlist in any order of priority to suit the needs of the tournament.
The Selection Committee’s initial selections and six-team waitlist will usually be published by the Tuesday after IHSSBCA Turnabout.
The purpose of the NAQT State Selection Committee is to create the best state championship tournament experience with a limited number of spots available. The Committee is responsible, to the best of their ability, for making sure every team with a reasonable chance of placing in the awards is in the tournament, and that every team in the field is deserving of the opportunity to play the tournament. The Selection Committee’s consideration criteria can include, in no particular order: strength of performance at IHSSBCA Kickoff, strength of performance at previous year’s NAQT State, strength of performance at other tournaments, geographic diversity, roster availability, whether a team is the school’s primary or secondary team, a team’s operational utility to the tournament, and/or whether a team is new to NAQT State.
Fees
The entry fee is $125 per team. Schools are expected to bring a working buzzer system and a staffer for the tournament.
Question Source
The NAQT|IHSSBCA State Championship uses NAQT Division II SCT set.
Egan Memorial Trophy
The winner of the Overall Division at the NAQT|IHSSBCA State Championship receives the William and Janet Egan Memorial Trophy, graciously donated by their son, Tom Egan (Maine South).
