| Hosts | |
| Don Webster (1964-1986) Lou Magglio (1986-1999) Adam Shapiro (2003-2006) Danita Harris (2006-2007) Jason Nicholas (2007-2016) Hakkem Dermish (2017) Rick Jackson (2018) Rob Powers (2019–present) | |
| Broadcast | |
 2003-present | |
| Packagers | |
| Altman Productions Scripps Productions | |
Academic Challenge is a version of It's Academic for northeastern Ohio, including the city of Cleveland and its surrounding areas.
Format[]
Three teams of three students from three high schools across the Cleveland/Akron area compete on each episode. The current format, which was introduced in 2003, comprises of five rounds:
- Lightning Round is a category round with eight questions, all centered around a theme (e.g., "the letter B" or "famous paintings"). Questions do not appear on the players' monitors but do appear for the viewing audience.
- Mix It Up: Each team is individually asked five questions worth 20 points each. A 25 point bonus is given if a team correctly answers all five questions, for a total of 125 points.
- Picture Perfect is a toss-up visual round. The monitor displays an image and the host provides a question accompanying the image. Teams receive 10 points for each correct answer and lose 10 for each incorrect answer. Eight questions are used.
- Hot Picks: There are four question packets from which to choose. The team to the immediate left of the team that is supposed to answer chooses which packet the answering team will use. Eight questions are given to each team, with 20 points for a correct answer and no penalties. A 25 point bonus is given if a team correctly answers all eight questions, for a total of 185 points in this round.
- Grab Bag, the fifth and final round in the game, is a timed round that features toss-up questions, each worth +/-20 points (with visual questions being worth +/-30 points). The number of questions varies depending on the time left in the game. The game ends when the buzzer sounds; since the start of the current version of the show in 2003, a timer is initiated when there are 90 seconds remaining in the round.
At the end of the fifth round, the team with the highest score is declared the winner of the game. If there is a tie for first place between two or all three teams, one final tie-breaker question is asked.
Rating[]
1998–1999; 2003–2010
2011–present
Music[]
1980s - "Freestyle" by DeWolf Music (Previously used on SCTV)
Trivia[]
- There are 27 weeks in a normal season, with the top 10 teams winning grant money from its sponsors (Westfield Insurance was the initial sponsor for the current version of the show, which began in 2003). The top 3 teams compete in the season finale for the championship.
- The program has been placed on hiatus twice since it began airing in 1964: between the middle of 1999 and the spring of 2003 (after the original version of the program was canceled in 1999 because of declining viewership), and between March 2020 and late 2021 (due to production being suspended as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic).
Catchphrase[]
"25 BONUS POINTS!" - former host Jason Nicholas (2007-2016)