Math Professor Overcomes Long Odds to Appear on 'Jeopardy'

Math Professor Overcomes Long Odds to Appear on 'Jeopardy'

By Eric Breier

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Kimberly Ayers is like a lot of people when it comes to phone calls from numbers she doesn't recognize - she ignores them.

But in January, one of those unknown callers left a voicemail.

The person said they were calling from the TV game show "Jeopardy." Ayers had gone through the tryout process for the show, but that had been more than a year earlier, so it's understandable that she was dubious when she returned the call.

"I said something like, 'It sounds so crazy and paranoid, but is there any way for you to prove to me that this is not a scam?' She said, 'No one's ever asked me that.' I must have sounded like a crazy person," said Ayers, laughing.

The woman told Ayers that she would send her an email from her official "Jeopardy" account. The call and the email were real. "Jeopardy" wanted Ayers on the show as a contestant.

It would mean taking a day off from her job as a math professor at Cal State San Marcos, but Ayers had no trouble getting support from department chair Marshall Whittlesey and Jackie Trischman, the dean of the College of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. And, needless to say, her students were ecstatic to learn about the appearance.

Ayers must remain tight-lipped about how she did on the show, but viewers will have a chance to see for themselves when her episode airs March 31.

"It's hard not to talk about it, but my only goal was not to embarrass myself too bad," Ayers said. "And I think I can confidently say that I didn't bring shame to CSUSM."

Ayers watched "Jeopardy" growing up, but while many people dream of being on the show and spend endless hours prepping for its arduous audition process, she did it largely on a whim.

What followed was 18 months filled with tests, interviews and, most of all, waiting.

Ayers learned about the audition process when she received an email in her CSUSM inbox. She figures it was a bulk email sent to dozens of college professors encouraging them to apply.

"I think they like having college professors on," she said.

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Ayers visited the show's website and took the "Anytime Test," the first step for anyone hoping to become a "Jeopardy" contestant. The "Anytime Test" includes 50 categories and 50 clues, with just 15 seconds to respond to each. The results are never revealed, and participants only learn if they passed the test if they receive an email within one year of taking it.

Ayers received one of those emails inviting her to the first round of a video conference audition, which was a 50-question test on Zoom. Then it was back to waiting. As with the "Anytime Test," participants who pass the first round may be contacted any time within a year to participate in the second round. Ayers learned she had passed when she received an invitation to the second round, which was a gameplay audition in which potential contestants play a mock version of "Jeopardy" in groups of three.

Passing that audition puts participants in a pool of potential contestants for two years. However, it doesn't guarantee an invitation to appear on the show. And if the two-year window passes without an invitation, you have to start the process all over to be considered again.

"Apparently Ken Jennings has said it's like eight times easier to get into Harvard than it is to get on 'Jeopardy,' " said Ayers, referencing the show's host. "Because they have 70 or 80,000 people who take the online quiz and then they only invite 400.

"They said, 'It's not about you, it's just a numbers game.' People try to get on the show for years and years, so I kind of figured I'd never hear from them."

But in January, 18 months after she first started the application process, Ayers received a call inviting her to Los Angeles to appear on "Jeopardy." She spent the next month brushing up on her trivia and gleaning tips from a friend who had been on the show. That included watching episodes of "Jeopardy" at home and acting as if she was a contestant by standing up and using a pen to practice clicking in to answer questions, as timing is one of the keys to success.

"It goes so fast," Ayers said. "You can only buzz in after the answer is done being read, but if you buzz in prematurely, you're penalized a quarter of a second, which doesn't sound like a lot, but it is. The whole thing is just so incredibly fast."

Ayers had to complete a lengthy information sheet and answer questions to help determine what Jennings would chat with her about between rounds. "Jeopardy" films five episodes a day, so Ayers was also instructed to bring five different outfits in case she advanced.

The day of filming, Jennings came out to meet all of the contestants before taping began and encouraged them to have fun.

"He's such a nice guy," Ayers said. "He said, 'This is your victory lap. You got on the show, and that is an incredible feat in and of itself. Try not to stress too much about it and enjoy the process.' "

Ayers did just that. On March 31, her friends and colleagues will have an opportunity to see the results. Just don't be surprised if Ayers isn't watching.

"I may have a watch party, but it may be everyone watching the show while I go hide in another room," she said. "We'll see what happens. But it was just such a crazy, cool experience."

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