Southern WV Community & Technical College will serve as a location for this year’s West Virginia Academic Showdown.

Southern WV Community & Technical College will serve as a location for this year’s West Virginia Academic Showdown.

This year, 90 teams from 50 high schools representing 31 counties are registered to participate. The Showdown is an academic head-to-head competition testing students’ knowledge in subject areas including math, history, sports, fine arts, and more.

All matches are held at institutions of higher education across the state.

This competition is made possible through a partnership between the West Virginia Department of Education, the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission, West Virginia Public Broadcasting, and the West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture, and History.

Teams from Westside, Shady Spring, Wyoming East, Tug Valley, Wheeling Park, Logan, Scott, and Shady Spring will be competing on Southern’s Logan campus next month.

Regional competitions have already been held at Marshall University, West Virginia University, and Shepherd University.

Regional competitions are scheduled for West Virginia State University on February 23rd, and Concord University on Saturday, March 16th.

The final regional competition will be held on Saturday, March 23rd at Southern’s Savas Kostas Performing Arts Center beginning at 9 am.

The top two teams from each region will advance to the finale at the West Virginia Culture Center in Charleston on Tues., April 23rd.

The field of competitors continues to increase exponentially with 21 teams in the first year, 71 teams in year two, and 90 teams this year.

Students in grades 9 -12 may participate, and schools may enter up to two teams to compete.