Tournament Of Champions
Bring together the best of the World Scholar’s Cup with one of the leading universities in the world, and you’ll discover our annual Tournament of Champions, hosted by the Yale International Relations Association at Yale University.
When Will It Take Place?
The 2023 Tournament of Champions is scheduled for November 2-8.
Who Can Attend?
All three scholars on each Tournament of Champions team must have qualified at a 2023 Global Round, and each team must have at least two scholars who qualified as teammates. The third scholar on a team may be a substitute who also qualified at a Global Round but whose teammates are not participating.
What to Expect?
The Tournament of Champions is more than just another Global Round. You’ll have the chance to interact with and learn directly from Yale students and faculty. You’ll attend a special panel on college life and on how to leverage your World Scholar’s Cup experience as part of your admissions portfolio. You’ll eat Yale dining hall food. You’ll meet our keynote speakers, including a Yale University professor. And you’ll come away knowing what it’s like to be a student at one of the world’s greatest universities.
Due to venue restrictions, access to theaters and other venues will be restricted to scholars and a limited number of registered adults per delegation. Only judges and participants will be allowed inside debate buildings.
More Highlights
You can also look forward to the Yale Ball, where you can dance (or not dance) with your fellow scholars from over fifty countries, a special Thanksgiving meal, and beautiful historic venues for the Scholar’s Bowl, Debate Showcase, and Scholar’s Show - the Shubert Theatre and Yale's own Woolsey Hall.
Pwaa in Real Life
During a scavenger hunt that will take you to every corner of Yale’s campus and the surrounding community, you’ll encounter real alpacas, too, including our very own Painted Warrior—the official alpaca of the Tournament of Champions. He's almost 15, so it's a good thing you're meeting him soon.
Capacity Information
The Tournament of Champions can accommodate only 333 teams per division. Once this limit is reached, no further registrations can be accepted, even from qualified teams.
Round | Date | JR Capacity | SR Capacity |
Tournament of Champions | Nov 02-08, 2023 | 🟢 | 🟢 |
** If you wish to attend a division showing 🔴, please contact us before making any flight or travel reservations.
Recommended Hotels
We encourage all participants to stay at one of our recommended hotels.
Rates do not include taxes
Omni New Haven Hotel$211 for single and double rooms, $231 for triple, $251 for quad. Breakfast is additional.
The hotel is now sold out and there is a waitlist.
New Haven Hotel$214 from rooms with two queen beds and $229 for Executive King rooms with sleeper sofa.Sold out.
Courtyard by Marriott at Yale$214 for rooms with a king bed and $224 for rooms with two queen beds.Sold out.
Village Suites
$185 for rooms with a king bed and $195 for rooms with two queen beds.
Hilton Garden Inn, Milford
Hyatt Place, Milford$169 plus tax for Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights and $134 plus tax for Sunday to Thursday. Sold out.
Hilton Garden Inn, Shelton$165 on weekdays and $199 on weekends for rooms with one king bed or two queen beds.Sold out.
Courtyard by Marriott, Shelton$139 for run of the house rooms. Sold out.
Hampton Inn, Shelton$129 for run of the house rooms. Payment by credit card only (wire transfers or checks not accepted).Sold out.
Ground Transportation
An optional shuttle will be available from official hotels in Milford and Shelton. The charges are $110 per person for the duration of the event. Advance booking is mandatory. Please click here to reserve your seats. Last date to reserve seats is October 15th.
Airports and Airport Transfers
We recommend flying into any New York area airport or directly into New Haven. For delegations looking for airport-to-Yale transfers, we recommend Go Airport Shuttle. Yale University also outlines other transportation options here.
Optional Tours
Boston tours will be offered on Nov 3 and Nov 8 for the Junior Division, and Nov 4 and Nov 7 for the Senior Division. The tours include round trip transportation to Boston with guided tours of Harvard University, MIT and the historical areas of Boston. The charges are USD 200 per person. All reservations must be made in advance. Please click here to reserve seats. Last date to reserve seats is October 15th.
Visas
Please contact us if you need an invitation letter for visa purposes. The correct category of visa to travel to the United States for participating in the event is B1/B2 (tourist/business).
Climate
You might need gloves, especially at night: it’s New England in November. Then again, global climate change...
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you have questions about registration, invitation letters, shuttle buses, or tours? Visit our FAQ page!
We’re incredibly grateful to our hosts at the Yale International Relations Association (and to our friend Denise at the Stone Bridge Alpaca Farm) for making possible this special culminating event of the World Scholar’s Cup season.
