Fans of Jeopardy! are going to have to get used to some format changes for the upcoming Tournament of Champions. The changes mean three contestants are going to advance directly to the semi-finals.
Why Are Three Contestants Moving Straight To The Semi-Finals?
These details were revealed during an episode of the Inside Jeopardy! podcast, where the show’s executive producer Michael Davies and producer Sarah Foss talked to former Tournament of Champions winner Buzzy Cohen, who also hosted last year’s Tournament of Champions.
In the episode, Davies and Foss shared the line-up for the upcoming tournament and revealed why some contestants don’t have to compete in the quarter-finals. Amy Schneider, Matt Amodio, and Mattea Roach are the three lucky players who get to skip ahead to the semi-finals.
RELATED: Controversial ‘Jeopardy!’ Winner Set To Return For The Tournament Of Champions
So, why the change? Davies explained that Schneider, Amodio, and Roach are “so far ahead of the curve” that it wouldn’t be fair to have them compete against less-experienced contestants. Amodio won 38 games last September, Schneider won 40 games in January, and Roach won 23 games in May.
The Tournament of Champions will have six quarter-final games. The winner of each of these six games will advance to the semi-finals. These six contestants, joined by Schneider, Amodio, and Roach, will then compete in three games. The three winners will then move on to the final round, and whoever wins is crowned the new Jeopardy! Champion.
More Changes To The Tournament of Champions
There is another change being made to the tournament as well. This year’s final match will follow the rules of the 2019 Greatest of All Time tournament. This means that the contestants will play the final round until someone wins three matches, no matter how long it takes. This means 2022’s Tournament of Champions could take just a few days, or stretch past a week.
Schneider, Amodio, and Roach are already confirmed to be competing in the semi-finals, but what about the rest of the contestants? It’s been confirmed that Ryan Long (16 wins), Jonathan Fisher (11), Brian Chang (7), Courtney Shah (7), Eric Ahasic (6), Zach Newkirk (6), Megan Wachspress (6), Andrew He (5), Tyler Rhode (5), Jackie Kelly (4), John Focht (4), Margaret Shelton (4), Maureen O’Neil (4), and Christine Whelchel (4) will all be competing.
RELATED: A New Podcast, ‘Inside Jeopardy!,’ Promises Interviews With The Hosts And More
Additionally, there are two slots being held for the game show’s first-ever Second Chance Tournament winners. The contestants in the Second Chance Tournament are Jeopardy! players who have competed on the game show, but failed to win big. Fans of Jeopardy! can’t wait to see who will become this year’s champion!