The 2026 Stupor Bowl trivia event is set for Feb. 7 at Reagan Middle School, 620 Division St., Dixon.

Ever since the first Stupor Bowl in 1997, the event has taken place the day before the NFL Super Bowl.

This year’s Stupor Bowl will include a new six-round competition instead of seven rounds.

The first four rounds will remain the same, but in Round 5, the “Elite 8” teams will advance to the playoffs to compete in one 20-question round in the community format. The top two teams from Round 5 then will compete with buzzers on stage for the championship.

Key details

• Submit your online entry form by Feb. 3.
• Anyone can play on your team, no restrictions.
• The rules are posted at dixonstuporbowl.com.  
• Morning rounds start about 9 a.m., with the questions on two big screens for Rounds 1-5.
• Lunch options in 2026 come from Maria’s Pizza.
• Entry fees are $150 for nonprofits and families, and $300 for all businesses.
• All matches, all day, take place in the Reagan school cafeteria, along with the popular silent auction.
• Like “Stupor Bowl” on Facebook and see photos and highlights of past events.
• All proceeds benefit the Dixon Schools Foundation. This year, the foundation donated more than $50,000 in classroom grants to schools.

2026 rules

Players: Each team roster may include up to 10 players. In Rounds 1-5, up to six players compete at a time. In the championship match (Round 6), up to five players compete at one time, with one designated as the captain. Anyone can play on your team, and all ages are welcome to play. Players may compete on only one team on the day of the Stupor Bowl.

Match scoring in first five rounds: Rounds 1-5 will consist of 20 questions worth two points each, although one of these questions will be a surprise Stupor Duper question worth four points. In Rounds 1-4, teams can purchase one Stupor Chip that will be read as the 21st question. Stupor Chips must be purchased before that question is read.

Teams also can buy a maximum of four Stupor Dots to be used at any time. Teams can place a Stupor Dot (a sticker) next to any one question on their answer sheet, and then provide two possible answers to that question. If either of the two answers is correct, the team will get credit for that question.

After the completion of Rounds 1-4, the eight teams with the highest scores will advance to the Elite 8 competition in Round 5. No Stupor Chips or Dots can be used in Round 5. In the event of a tie, a tie-breaker question(s) will determine the winner.

Match scoring in Round 6: Championship Round 6 will consist of 24 questions: 12 toss-up questions and 12 four-part teamwork questions. Each toss-up question is worth 10 points. Each teamwork question will consist of four parts worth five points each, or a total of 20 points. If the final score is a tie, the first team to correctly answer a tie-breaker toss-up question will be the winner.

Timing: In Rounds 1-5, each team will have about 60 seconds to deliberate for each question before the next question is read. In Round 6, matches are not timed. Moderators will call a two-minute timeout after question No. 12 (halftime). Substitutions are allowed at halftime or during a timeout. Each team can call one 60-second timeout per half.

Toss-up questions: In Round 6, no conferring is permitted for toss-up questions; only individual players may answer. After the moderator reads a toss-up, contestants have 10 seconds to buzz in. (Exception: Math questions that require computation have a 30-second time limit.) The 10-second period will commence after the complete question has been read; time-keepers will not stop the watch when a team buzzes in.

If a player buzzes in while the moderator is still reading a toss-up, the moderator will stop and allow the player to answer. If the player answers incorrectly, the moderator then will read the entire question for the other team. If a question is answered incorrectly after the entire question has been read, the other team will have the balance of the 10 seconds (or 30 seconds for computation questions), but not less than three seconds, to buzz in.

Contestants who buzz in must not give their answer until they are recognized by the moderator. However, moderators will give one warning, per match per team, before penalizing a team. The penalty: The team’s answer is disqualified, and the opposing team is granted sole right to the question. When a player buzzes in and is recognized by the moderator, he or she has three seconds to start an answer. Failure to do so will disqualify that team’s answer, and the opposing team will be granted sole right to buzz in and answer the question.

Teamwork questions: In Round 6, after question Nos. 6 and 18, four-part teamwork questions are read. Teams have 30 seconds to confer after a teamwork question is read. During the conferring period, either team may ask to have any parts of the teamwork question repeated. Any re-reading of parts of the teamwork question is considered part of the 30 seconds allowed for conferring.

The team with the lowest score at the end of questions 6 and 18 will be the “controlling team” that answers the first teamwork question (questions 7 and 19). If the teams are tied at the end of the first (or third) quarter, the team that trailed before the tie score will answer the first teamwork question. The other team will control the next question (8 and 20), and the teams will continue to alternate as the controlling team throughout the teamwork questions.

When the “controlling team” is ready to answer, all conferring must stop. Team captains may designate another player to answer the teamwork question. Any player answering the teamwork question must have all papers in front of him/her, and all pencils should be down. If the first team does not answer or answers incorrectly any parts of the teamwork question, the other team has the chance to answer those parts.

Talking: In Round 6, the only time team members may confer is during the 30-second conferring period before time is called by the timer or by the controlling team. Players should refrain from all talking outside of this conferring period. Any extra talking that gives a team an advantage (the moderator will determine if a foul occurred) will result in the forfeit of that question or the forfeit of the opportunity to answer the next toss-up question.

Electronic devices: The use of cellphones, smartphones, computers, calculators or any electronic device is prohibited.

Disputes: If a concern arises about procedure or the accuracy of questions and answers, the team captain must voice the concern before the next question is read. Disputes will be resolved by the moderator, who has the final say. In the playoffs, the moderator(s) will accept the answers on their sheets as correct unless both captains agree to throw out the question for a replacement, or if the moderator determines that a replacement question is the best solution.

For more information, contact Tom Wadsworth at 815-285-3861 or trw@tomwadsworth.com.