What is the Arkansas Governor's Quiz Bowl Association (AGQBA)?

Updated

The Arkansas Governor's Quiz Bowl Association (AGQBA) is a nonprofit organization that has run academic quiz bowl competition in Arkansas since 1985. Its stated mission is "shaping tomorrow's leaders one question at a time." It serves students, coaches, and schools through tournaments, coach resources, and camps, and it is governed by a board with a director and supported by sponsors and partners.

What AGQBA does

AGQBA organizes and supports academic competition across Arkansas. Its public site groups its work into a few main areas:

  • Tournaments — AGQBA-run events, invitationals, a tournament calendar, and published results.
  • Coaches — guidance for getting started, eligibility, registration, classifications and conferences, coach resources, rules of play, and information on quiz bowl beyond AGQBA.
  • Camp — junior high and senior high camp programs, with camp registration.
  • About — organizational information, the AGQBA board, history, and archives.
  • Donate — a way to support the organization directly.

The site also notes that practice questions are for sale and lists a "Friends of Quiz Bowl" item, which suggests additional ways schools and supporters can engage beyond competition itself.

Who it's for

AGQBA is aimed primarily at Arkansas schools and their quiz bowl teams. The coach section is structured around the practical steps a new or returning coach needs: starting a team, confirming student eligibility, registering, and understanding how teams are classified and grouped into conferences. Students and parents looking for competition dates or results would use the tournament calendar and results pages.

If you are outside Arkansas or looking for a national organization, AGQBA is a state-level body; its rules and events are specific to Arkansas.

How the organization is structured

AGQBA describes itself as led by a board and a director. The site names Director Paul Gray as the contact for sponsorship and donations, and lists sponsors and partners including Givebacks, Hilton, and Zach Wojtek CPA, Inc. The organization's mailing address is in Russellville, Arkansas, with a phone contact listed on the site.

Practical next steps

  • New coaches: start with the "Getting Started" and "Rules of Play" pages under Coaches, then check registration status — the site has advertised team registration as open.
  • Looking for events: use the Tournament Calendar and Tournament Results pages.
  • Interested in camp: the Camp section covers junior high and senior high programs and camp registration.
  • Supporting the organization: use the Donate page or contact the director about sponsorship.

Because registration windows, camp dates, and tournament schedules change by season, confirm current dates and any fees directly on the site or with the director rather than relying on a single snapshot of the homepage.