Frequently Asked Questions

Coaches can register their school by following this link to the NSB Coach Dashboard.

There are forms required for both National Science Bowl and Tennessee Science Bowl.

• NSB Parental Consent and Media Release Form. In the coach dashboard you will add a delegate email address (the student’s parent/guardian email). The parent/guardian will receive an email with the digital form to sign. Once the guardian submits the form, the coach will verify all forms in their dashboard. Once all forms are verified, the coach will be able to submit their teams. Please refer to the Coach Registration Guide for additional assistance.
• TSB Participant Form and Code of Conduct Form - After you have been approved to build your team(s), we will send you an email with two additional forms that are necessary for the in-person regional event. There will be a secure link to upload those forms. They DO NOT go into your NSB coach dashboard.

All Team 1s that have completed registration will automatically be selected to participate. Then, all Team 2s will be randomly selected to fill the spots to complete the 60 teams. If there are still spots available within the 60 teams, Team 3s will fill the spots. The remaining teams not selected will be put on an alternate list. No Team 3s will be selected before all Team 1s and 2s have been exhausted.

It is recommended that you register more than one team so that you can have fully registered students with completed paperwork to move to your Team 1 to replace a student who later determines they are unable to attend.

Teams are randomly assigned to each of eight divisions via a drawing on Friday at the Hilton during registration. On Saturday, teams will compete in a round-robin competition within their division. Matches will begin at 8:30 a.m. The top two winners from each division will advance to the single elimination rounds in the afternoon to determine the TSB winner.

We can host 60 teams in the regional competition for Tennessee. The maximum number of teams per school is three.

The first-place team will receive an all-expenses paid trip to Washington, D.C., to represent Tennessee at the National Science Bowl (NSB) on April 29- May 3, 2027. The first-place team will also receive a $1,000 check for their school, a trophy, medals, and a banner.

Yes, 2nd place will receive a $750 check for their school and a trophy. 3rd place will receive a $500 check for their school and a trophy. 4th place will receive a $250 check for their school and trophy.

Civility Award judges will be present at the competition on Saturday. Judges will collaborate to award the Civility Award to a team who is respectful and courteous; supportive of fellow competitors; obeys competition rules; and positively engages in all aspects of the competition. A trophy and a check for $100 will be awarded to the team, and team photos will be taken.

Yes. In addition to the National Science Bowl rules, there are additional regional guidelines that apply to TSB. To view the TSB regional guidelines, click here.

Yes, all coaches and teams are expected to come to the Hilton Knoxville Airport for kick-off activities. Teams should arrive at the hotel between 3:00 and 5:00 p.m. ET. for team registration. Team registration will NOT be available on Saturday.

Teams complete the registration process, participate in the social activities, and attend the dinner program.

Team registration, official team photos, lodging registration, distribution of t-shirts and goodie bags, and division placement occurs during the registration process.

During the registration process, coaches will randomly draw for division and team positions in the round-robin competition bracket. Any team that has not registered before the kick-off dinner will have a random drawing conducted on their behalf. Random drawings will NOT be held on Saturday.

A meeting space at the Hilton will be reserved for social activities and a Professional Opportunities Fair. The fair is a great way for students to gain information about opportunities within professional organizations and meet TSB sponsor representatives.

Dinner for officially registered coaches, team members, and one assistant coach or chaperone will begin at 6:00 p.m. in the Grand Ballroom. Vegetarian, gluten-free, or vegan meals must be arranged prior to the event. Outside food is not allowed at dinner in the ballroom. In addition to dinner, we will have a guest speaker, will recognize sponsors, award door prizes (must be present to win), and provide information regarding the competition on Saturday.

Lodging is provided for students, four to a room. If you have five students of the same gender, we can request a roll-away bed. Due to the number of teams and the expected uneven number of students, some students are expected to lodge with participants from other schools. Curfew for all students is 10:00 p.m. Coaches are responsible for ensuring that their team members are in their rooms no later than 10:00 p.m. Students and coaches will not be allowed to swim in the pool.

Only one sleeping room will be provided for the approved primary coach from each school. Since lodging funds are limited, if two coaches are required by the school, the second coach may share a room with the primary coach or make his/her own lodging reservation and be responsible for the cost of a second room at the TSB lodging rate if additional rooms are available. They should call the Hilton at 865-970-4300 and press 3 for Sales. Tell the person who answers that you need to make a reservation for TN Science Bowl and request the TSB room rate.

Please notify TSB staff if you will be sharing a room with anyone, since this impacts the lodging list (single vs. double room) and meal count, as well as all other components of the competition.

Guests (parents, friends, co-workers, etc.) who are not ‘officially’ registered as coach or team member must call the hotel directly to make their own reservations and be responsible for the lodging cost, if rooms are available. They should call the Hilton at 865-970-4300 and press 3 for Sales. Tell the person who answers that you need to make a reservation for TN Science Bowl and request the TSB room rate.

10915 Hardin Valley Rd, Knoxville, TN 37932

Teams will be provided with a complimentary breakfast at PSCC beginning at 7:15 a.m. Coffee will only be provided for coaches, not students.

All teams should arrive at the Hardin Valley Knox County Campus of PSCC NO LATER THAN 8:00 a.m. EST. Allow adequate time to travel to the PSCC campus, park, find the Goins building cafeteria, and make last-minute restroom stops. Students and coaches must be in the Goins building cafeteria at 8:10 a.m. to be escorted to competition rooms. The competition begins promptly at 8:30 a.m. EST. Teams that are not present at the beginning of the round will forfeit their match.

Only adult visitors, 18 and older, will be allowed to observe teams in competition rooms as space allows. No visiting children.

Snacks will be provided during break times. We will have a variety of snacks including vegetarian, gluten free, and healthy options.

Lunch will be provided (around 12:30 p.m.) for officially registered students and coaches who present lunch tickets (received at registration on Friday). No food will be available for purchase at PSCC. Teams competing in the elimination tournament should not leave the campus for lunch . We will not be able to offer a gluten-free meal, but we will have a vegetarian option. If you have food allergies, please plan to bring a sack lunch.

Mileage for one round trip per team in a personal vehicle from your school’s address to the PSCC Campus Hardin Valley, Knoxville TN will be reimbursed at current GSA mileage rate per mile, up to a maximum reimbursement of $500. Google maps online mileage calculator will be used to determine the allowable mileage. Team members must travel together in one personal vehicle; mileage for multiple personal vehicles will not be reimbursed.

The use of rental vehicles must be approved in advance by ORAU. There will be a deadline of early February to request approval for rentail reimbursement. The cost of a small rental van (~7 passenger) and actual fuel cost, if approved in advance, will be reimbursed for two days up to a maximum of $500 per team. Original receipts for the rental vehicle cost and fuel are required for travel reimbursement. No optional insurance coverage on a rental vehicle will be reimbursed. Please check with your school or district to see if they have a discount code you may use to secure your rental van. You MUST obtain approval by early February to be eligible to receive reimbursement.

Reimbursement for personal vehicle mileage or for rental car and fuel costs is limited and will be based on the availability of funds.