Eligibility lasted from December 1, 2004 (second game of Nancy Zerg, giant killer of Ken Jennings) to May 5, 2006.
For second time, all ToC finalists are not 5-time+ champions.
Unlike previous Tournament of Champions tournaments, the champions in the quarterfinals were not in the order of how much money they have won in their initial appearances, but rather the order of their last names. This tradition would last until S28.
As of this year's ToC, no S21 champions who participated in the ToC made it to the finals.
From this season, 3rd place was paid $50K and 2nd place was paid $100K, and it continues to this season.
It is a tournament in which most 3-time champions participated in ToC history, with five. This record would last until 2024, when eight 3-time champions are set to compete.
As previously noted, as Ken Jennings got a bye into the UTOC finals, he was guaranteed $250,000, the TOC top prize. The bye required him to give up his seat in this TOC.
Contestant Related[]
Kermin participated in the 2005 UToC.
For first time, Bill and Vik is the regular-season rematch in a ToC.
Madden is the first participant to receive more ToC winning prize money in Regular Game under the system where the ToC winning prize money was changed to $250K.
Michael and Vik are first 3-time champions to go into the Finals.
Michael Falk is first 3-time champion to win ToC[2]. He also became the lowest prize winner in Regular among all ToC winners[3].
Maria Wenglinsky became the first female to go over the 100K mark during her regular games.
As an aside, William Lee, who won two consecutive victories, surpasses the record of the winners Michael and Aaron, and Aaron is the smallest prize money among ToC participants since the introduction of the double system. As a result, it became the only case where the winner received more prize money than the ToC winner even though he did not advance to the ToC.
As previously noted, as Ken Jennings got a bye into the UTOC finals, he was guaranteed $250,000, the TOC top prize. The bye required him to give up his seat in this TOC.
↑Fleming received $100,000 as the 2004 Jeopardy! College Championship winner and $5,000 as the 2005 Jeopardy! Ultimate Tournament of Champions round one player.
↑18 years later, Yogesh Raut won the ToC for the second time as a three-time winner.
↑Of course, this does not mean that his skills are inferior to other champions. David, the current champion with 19 consecutive wins, was completely defeated by Bill, the champion with 4 consecutive wins, and considering that most super champions are often eliminated in the semifinals or quarterfinals, winning ToC alone is a great achievement, and especially as a champion with 3 consecutive wins, he is even better than that. It can be said to be an achievement.