West Virginia Department of Education
02/13/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 02/13/2026 13:03
2026 Academic Showdown Season Kicks Off at Marshall University
Charleston, W.Va. - The West Virginia Department of Education (WVDE) and the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission (WVHEPC) are pleased to host the fifth annual Academic Showdown with the first regional competition beginning Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026, at Marshall University. This year's program features newcomers and returning teams representing 53 schools across 31 counties. The 2025 Grand Champion, Morgantown High School, returns to defend its title, as well as last year's runner-up, Bluefield High School.
Using National Academic Quiz Tournament questions, the Academic Showdown is one of the nation's largest high school academic competitions, testing students' knowledge of math, history, sports, fine arts, pop culture and more. Students will compete in head-to-head rounds in six regions across the state, hosted by a partnering college or university. The top two winners in each region will advance to the finale at the West Virginia Culture Center in Charleston. Teams consist of five students from grades 9 - 12. Each school may enter one team to compete.
The schedule below is contingent upon each team's ability to travel safely for the competitions. Follow WVDE social media for the latest details and schedule changes.
Marshall University - Region 2: Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026, 8:30 a.m.
| Round 1 | High School Team | Vs. | High School Team |
| 1 | Tug Valley High School | vs. | Huntington High School |
| 2 | Buffalo High School | vs. | Mingo Central High School |
| 3 | Winfield High School | vs. | Wayne High School |
| 4 | Poca High School | vs. | Hurricane High School |
| 5 | Spring Valley High School | vs. | Bye |
Fairmont State University - Region 4: Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026, 8:30 a.m.
| Round 1 | High School Team | Vs. | High School Team |
| 1 | Robert C. Byrd High School | vs. | North Marion High School |
| 2 | Fairmont Senior High School | vs. | Lincoln High School |
| 3 | Grafton High School | vs. | Bridgeport High School |
West Virginia University - Region 1: Friday, Feb. 20, 2026, 8:30 a.m.
| Round 1 | High School Team | Vs. | High School Team |
| 1 | Wheeling Park High School | vs. | Doddridge County High School |
| 2 | Morgantown High School | vs. | University High School |
| 3 | John Marshall High School | vs. | Magnolia High School |
| 4 | Weir High School | vs. | Bye |
Shepherd University - Region 6: Saturday, Feb. 21, 2026, 8:30 a.m.
| Round 1 | High School Team | Vs. | High School Team |
| 1 | Washington High School | vs. | Martinsburg High School |
| 2 | Hampshire High School | vs. | Frankfort High School |
| 3 | Spring Mills High School | vs. | Jefferson High School |
| 4 | Berkeley Springs High School | vs. | Petersburg High School |
Concord University - Region 5: Saturday, March 7, 2026, 8:30 a.m.
| Round 1 | High School Team | Vs. | High School Team |
| 1 | PikeView High School | vs. | Westside High School |
| 2 | James Monroe High School | vs. | Bluefield High School |
| 3 | Princeton Senior High School | vs. | Liberty High School |
| 4 | Oak Hill High School | vs. | Wyoming East High School |
| 5 | Shady Spring High School | vs. | Greenbrier East High School |
| 6 | Summers County High School | vs. | Woodrow Wilson High School |
West Virginia State University - Region 3: Friday, March 27, 2026, 8:30 a.m.
| Round 1 | High School Team | Vs. | High School Team |
| 1 | Williamstown High School | vs. | Ripley High School |
| 2 | Braxton County High School | vs. | St. Albans High School |
| 3 | Capital High School | vs. | Nitro High School |
| 4 | Scott High School | vs. | Charleston Catholic High School |
| 5 | George Washington High School | vs. | South Charleston High School |
| 6 | Sherman High School | vs. | Bye |
The finale will be on Friday, May 1, 2026, at 8:30 a.m., at the West Virginia Culture Center in Charleston.
Media may conduct interviews and capture footage before each competition from 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. Once the competition begins, video and audio recordings are prohibited within the competition rooms to prevent public circulation of questions ahead of other regional events. Media may return after each competition to conduct subsequent interviews.
The Academic Showdown is a partnership between the WVDE, the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission, the West Virginia Culture Center and West Virginia Public Broadcasting.
West Virginia Department of Education published this content on February 13, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on February 13, 2026 at 19:03 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]