Tournament Day Information

Tournament Day!  Friday, April 19, 2024

NOTE: A newsletter sent on April 12, 2024 contains very important reminders

Checklist for Tournament Day

• Tournament Day Schedule
• Team Numbers
• Block Schedule and Room Assignments-- FINAL version posted 4/15/24 
• Event Conflicts - Event conflict form posted 4/4/24
• Impound
• Event Map
• Parking
• Talks & Tours
• GEAR-UP Luncheon
• New this Year!  MSU Science Olympiad Student Club Booth and STEM Student Club Symposium
• More Fun Things!

Tournament Day Schedule

Team Numbers

Record your team numbers before reviewing the block schedule and time slots.  Do not use a team number from a past tournament, from Scilympiad, or from any other source.

• Division B (middle school) team numbers HERE
• Division C (high school) team numbers HERE

Block Schedule and Room Assignments

The Block Schedule tells you when each team competes in their events. You will need your ream number, which are posted on the School Teams and Coaches page.

FINAL VERSION POSTED 4/15/24 (previous versions were posted on 3/28 and 4/4 -- do not use these).

Please note, although we do everything possible to avoid changes, we may still have edits due to unforeseen circumstances. These will be communicated to coaches, posted here, and announced on Tournament Day.

If you have trouble accessing this file, email [email protected]

Event conflicts

Similar to the 2023 tournament, we are using a Google form so coaches can let us know if your students have a conflict. We will always allow students to compete; they just may have to go to their event at an earlier or later time. If you look at the Block Schedule and see a conflict, please fill out the Google form by Tuesday, April 16 and we will work with you on a solution.

Worst case, please see the event supervisors on tournament day -- we will find a way for you to do your events!

Impound

Participants in events that have an impound will want to understand the requirements of impound.

The two 2024 events with impound are:

• Scrambler (take your device to Inspiration Hall in Norm Asbjornson Hall prior to 9:30am. You can sign up for a competition slot when you drop it off.)
• Wheeled Vehicle (take your device to Inspiration Hall in Norm Asbjornson Hall prior to 9:30am. You can sign up for a competition slot when you drop it off.)

Read our FAQ about impounds.

Event Map

Buildings with Events:

Coaches, Event Supervisors, and Volunteers will receive information about specific events and locations.  Some events are open to the public, and the general public is invited to visit the registration table outside of SUB Ballroom A for more information.

Please Note:

• SUB = Strand Union or Student Union Building.  Registration and information is located outside of SUB Ballroom A.
• NAH = Norm Asbjornson Hall (aka "Norm" or "Norm Hall") 
• Inspiration Hall is a large multi-purpose space within 'Norm' Hall and is not a seperate building.
• Note that Leon Johnson Hall and AJM Johnson Hall are two different buildings.
• Heathcote Classroom is in the basement of the Renne Library.
• Romney Hall is sometimes referred to as Romney Gym.  Historically, it was the gymnasium. It has been remodeled to classrooms and lecture halls.
  
  
  

  Download a PDF of the map here

Parking

The 2024 parking map is posted below. Please note that there is construction in and around the MSU campus, and road closures do exist.  Also be aware that MSU classes are in session and campus is a high-energy, pedestrian-friendly environment.  Be Safe!  Pedestrians, bicycles, cars, public transit, and more utilitize the same traffic corridors to enter and exit campus. 

In order to ensure a safe and efficient unloading and loading of all students, please adhere to the following guidelines:

• Follow the instructions of parking attendants on site
• Do NOT park in the Streamline Bus lane in front of the SUB, not even for 'just a minute'
• Drop-off and pick-up locations are NOT for long term parking 
• Ensure your students are ready for pick-up prior to entering the pickup location
• Keep curbside loading and unloading time limited to 5 minutes to minimize congestion
• For departures, schools may want to coordinate with their drivers to utilize the parking lot south of the fieldhouse and avoid congestion in the SUB pick-up zone.  The fieldhouse lot is a short walk from the SUB between Norm Hall and the newly constructed fitness center.

Buses 

Buses may unload in front of the SUB until the area becomes congested, and then unload on South 7^th  .  Parking attendants will assist with traffic flow.  After unloading, head east on Grant Street and circle back to Kagy Boulevard.  Buses may initially park in Bay D of Lot 15 between the fieldhouse and the stadium. Once that Bay D is full, parking attendants will instruct buses to park along the shoulder of S. 7^th, south of Kagy Blvd.

Buses may choose to go directly to Bay D of Lot 15, but it is about a 10- to 15-minute walk from there to the Strand Union Building. 

School Vans

Vans with school markings or logos and/or exempt license plates should follow the same instructions as buses.

Private Vehicles

Note that all private vehicles (includingcars not labeled as school vehicles and all spectators) must follow MSU visitor parking regulations. The parking garage near the SUB is the easiest, but other options are available. You may want to download the Passport app ahead of time in order to streamline payment. There is no free parking on campus for more than 30 minutes.

GEAR UP Luncheon

GEAR UP schools are invited to attend a luncheon hosted by GEAR UP MSU.  Please contact Judi Haskins for more information: [email protected]

Talks & Tours

Science Olympiad Talks & Tours are exciting opportunities to tour MSU labs and studios; meet professors and students, and learn about cool research projects in the 1pm to 2pm time slot after competitions have ended and before the awards ceremony begins.

Talks & Tours registration is via Sign-Up Genius and is first-come-first-served.

Coaches - If you missed the deadline to sign up for Talks & Tours but still want to attend an event, please email [email protected] ASAP.

Please be courteous to the MSU folks who volunteer to offer a talk or tour; it is disappointing for them to prepare for a group that then doesn't show up, so please only sign up for tours or talks you know you can attend, and email [email protected] to cancel if your schedule changes.

MSU Science Olympiad Student Club Booth and Symposium

New this year!  MSU students who are past participants in Science Olympiad or anyone with a desire to further STEM education through a thriving Montana Science Olympiad tournament are encouraged to join the MSU Science Olympiad Student Club, inaugurated in September 2023. 

Middle and high school Science Olympiad participants are encouraged to visit with members of the club throughout the day. High school seniors who plan to attend Montana State University are encouraged to learn about the benefits of club membership.

Student Club Symposium

NEW this year! The Science Olympiad Student Club will be hosting the Student Club Symposium during this year's tournament. The symposium will give competitors a chance to see what opportunities are available through Montana State University. We hope you will encourage your team members to attend the symposium during their free time.

The symposium is:

Strand Union Building Alumni Lounge from 10am-2:15pm - stop in anytime.

The Science Olympiad Student Club is eager to show middle and high school competitors what MSU has to offer.

More Fun Things!

Fun and interesting things are always happening at Montana State University.  Consider one of the following activites:

• Check out the parking garage - really! It has Public Art and more art!
• Into geocaching? There are a few on campus your students can find http://www.geocaching.com
• Extra time for lunch? Visit MSU’s award-winning Rendezvous Dining Pavillion or Miller Dining Hall - open to the public. Pay one price for all-you-can-eat international entree options, soup and salad, a coffee bar, and desserts.
• Take a self-guided tour of the Norm Asbjornson Engineering building - download a map here
• The SUB Recreation Center is open to the public with bowling alleys, pool tables, pinball, and more
• The MSU Duck Pond is a fun place to hang out and feed the ducks!
• Tour American Indian Hall.  There are pamphlets at the main entryway for visitors who want to take a self-guided tour of this LEED Platinum-certified building