Mike Mastandrea

Mike Mastandrea was one of the first people who worked for Questions Unlimited, along with Chip Beall and Brick Barrientos. He claimed that he was one of the founders of the National Academic Association, but as that was merely a trade name and he never held an ownership stake in QU, this was false.

For many years, he was a moderator at, and chief judge of, the National Academic Championship. His very distinct voice can often be heard on television recordings while the Texaco sponsorship was ongoing, calling out the name and team of players who buzzed in.

In 2024, it was revealed, in a conversation over dinner between Chip Beall and Joe Feldman in the Poconos where the history of the NAC was discussed in minute detail, that Mike was the force behind the decision to eject Grand Junction in the 2000 NAC, overriding others who called for a more lenient solution, which caused the largest scandal in the NAC's history and was a large factor in the NAC's eventual downfall.

Eventually, Chip and Mike's relationship deteriorated, and Mike left QU. It is unknown what he has done since.

The QU site claimed that Mastandrea invented the sixty-second round, though this is unlikely, as timed rounds were used in previous televised competitions, including It's Academic; it is more likely that he created the rules for the lightning rounds used at the NAC.