Hinsdale Varsity Academic Tournament

The Hinsdale Varsity Academic Tournament, or HVAC, is a high school tournament held each October since 2024. The tournament is hosted at Hinsdale Central and ran jointly by Hinsdale Central coach Alan McCloud and Walter Payton coach Mark Taylor.

The tournament is divided into two divisions. The Highly Competitive division, meant for stronger teams, was renamed to the Upper Division in the 2025 iteration of the tournament, and is normally a National Scholastic Championship qualifier. The Challenge division is meant for teams that do not consider themselves contenders for an IHSA State or Sectionals title. Notably, HVAC attracts high attendance despite being one of the earliest competitions during the Illinois quiz bowl season, with the 2025 iteration's attendence exceeding its stated team capacity of 36.

Results

Year	Stats	Upper Champion	Upper Second	Challenge Champion	Challenge Second	Set Used
2024	-	Fremd A	Hinsdale Central A	Walter Payton A	Rockford Auburn	SHOW-M3
2025	-	Stevenson A	Fremd A	Bradley-Bourbonnais	Homewood-Flossmoor	SHOW-ME 4