SPRINGFIELD, Mass. — The 63rd season of "As Schools Match Wits" will premiere on Saturday, Jan. 6, at 7 p.m. 

 

Lee High School and Lenox Memorial High School will face off on Jan. 27.

 

The program is a collaboration of New England Public Media and Westfield State University. It was nominated last season for a Boston/New England Regional Emmy Award, is produced at the university's studios and broadcast on NEPM TV. The joint production is one of the longest-running academic quiz show competitions of its kind in the country.

 

"ASMW delivers all of the fun of the classic high school quiz show," said host Beth Ward, while it also "introduces a new generation of high school students to one of the few public competitions of its kind."

 

"As Schools Match Wits" includes public and private high schools in Massachusetts, Connecticut and Vermont. Teams are matched up randomly and compete against each other head-to-head answering questions in six categories: arts and entertainment, literature, math and science, general knowledge (includes sports), social studies (includes civics, geography, etc.), and world events (history and current events). 

 

"Each year we welcome a new crop of the area's best and brightest students into our studio and it's always inspiring," said Executive Producer Tony Dunne. "Even after 17 years of serving as the producer of ASMW and as we enter our 63rd season, I'm still in awe of what these high school students know and how dedicated and competitive they are." 

 

That competitive spirit leads the highest-scoring teams of the season to compete in playoff matches striving to win the "As Schools Match Wits" championship trophy, the Collamore Cup. Last season, Lenox Memorial High School earned this achievement. 

 

The show is available live at 7 p.m. on NEPM-TV each Saturday or can be watched on demand shortly after it airs.

 

The 63rd season preliminary round matches are as follows:

 

Jan. 6: Deerfield Academy vs. Pioneer Valley Christian Academy

Jan. 13: West Springfield vs. Monson High

Jan. 20: Longmeadow High vs. Pope Francis

Jan. 27: Lee High vs. Lenox Memorial

Feb. 3: Frontier Regional vs. Pioneer Valley Regional

Feb. 10: Palmer High vs. MacDuffie School

Feb. 17: East Longmeadow vs. Belchertown High

 

Additional matchups to be announced.