Left to right: Olivia Muncie, Mohammed Hindi and Ramapriya Rangaraju.
Left to right: Olivia Muncie, Mohammed Hindi and Ramapriya Rangaraju (missing from the photo is Clayton Truman)

This weekend, the stakes are high for the UofL Men’s Basketball team as it opens up the NCAA Tournament. Should the Cards win today’s game, they’ll play again on Sunday for a ticket to the Sweet 16.

If the Cardinals advance past Sunday, another UofL team will also be dancing. The Quiz Bowl team — which includes Ramapriya Rangaraju, Olivia Muncie, Clayton Truman and Mohammed Hindi — is on standby for their shot at Bracket Genius, a quiz show that features bracket-style academic competition and offers college students the chance to share the $100,000 prize. Teams are picked for the Bracket Genius competition only if their basketball team advances to the Sweet 16.

Though the quiz bowl members won’t know their fate until the basketball team plays its first two games, they’re ready and confident should they get the call to fly to Chicago Monday and start the competition. 

“I like our chances. I trust all of my teammates,” said Muncie, a junior history major from Indianapolis. “I think this is a great idea because it highlights that we’re more than just a sports school. Some of the smartest people I know are on this quiz bowl team.” 

The UofL Quiz Bowl team is coached by Matt Church, A&S advisor. 

Bracket Genius is sponsored by College Ave Student Loans, Intersport and ESPN. Follow along on Facebook and Twitter

Below, check out the students’ reaction to finding out they could compete in Bracket Genius: 

 

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Alicia Kelso
Alicia Kelso is the director of social media and digital content. She joined UofL in 2015 as director of communications at the Brandeis School of Law. She also serves as a senior contributor at Forbes.com, writing about the restaurant industry, which she has covered since 2010. Her work has been featured in publications around the world, including NPR, Bloomberg, The Seattle Times, Good Morning America and Franchise Asia Magazine.