University of Michigan Student Tournaments

"Tournament of Champions" Series

Each year in April, the Michigan Union Billiards Room hosts the University of Michigan Campus Tournament of Champions (TOC). University of Michigan students can qualify for the TOC through a series of regular tournaments starting in September. There are two tournaments every month from September through January. February and March each have three qualifying tournaments. The winners of the 16 qualifying tournaments win an invitation to the TOC and also receive $20 in Munchie Money. The season-ending TOC winner receives a substantial prize ($100 or more), a commemorative medal, and his/her name on the "University of Michigan Pool Champion" plaque on the wall in the Billiards & Games Room.

Tournament Schedule for the 2011-2012 TOC season (please check back every week; this schedule is subject to change):

    Date Day # players Game Munchie $ Winner ACUI spot TOC spot
    9/15 Th moved to 1/26 9-ball n/a n/a n/a
    9/27 Tu 6 8-ball Curtis Sawdon Curtis Sawdon Curtis Sawdon
    10/6 Th 6 9-ball Jim Christian Jim Christian Jim Christian
    10/11 Tu 7 8-ball Curtis Sawdon Bohan Li Bohan Li
    10/27 Th 10 9-ball Curtis Sawdon Ryan Lawrence Ryan Lawrence
    11/2 We Special Event: IM Sports 9-ball Tournament, 7PM
    11/15 Tu 7 8-ball Curtis Sawdon Shenglin Zhang/Zhao Huang Shenglin Zhang/Zhao Huang
    12/1 Th 9 9-ball Zane Cacace Zane Cacace Zane Cacace
    12/6 Tu 6 8-ball Bohan Li Shan He Shan He
    1/12 Th 10 9-ball Curtis Sawdon None None
    1/24 Tu   8-ball      
    1/26 Th   9-ball      
    2/2 Th   9-ball   n/a  
    2/15 We   8-ball   n/a  
    2/21 Tu   8-ball   n/a  
    3/8 Th   9-ball   n/a  
    3/13 Tu   8-ball   n/a  
    3/22 Th   9-ball   n/a  
    3/31 Sa Possible date for 2012 Tournament of Champions
    4/1 Su Possible date for 2012 Tournament of Champions
    4/7-4/8 Sa-Su <Easter weekend>
    4/14 Sa ACUI Last Chance Qualifier (national event)
    4/15 Su Possible date for 2012 Tournament of Champions

TOC Qualifier Tournament Format:

  • Generally two tournaments per month, alternating between 8-ball and 9-ball.
    • 9-ball tournaments are on Thursdays.
    • 8-ball tournaments are on Tuesdays.
  • Single elimination. Loser breaks. BCA rules.
    • 9-ball is at least Race to 3
    • 8-ball is at least Race to 2
    • Fewer players = higher races
  • Start time is 7:00 p.m. Eligible players may practice for free starting at 6:30.
  • At least 6 players must be present and ready to play at start time, or the tournament will be canceled.
  • Registration is free. When eliminated, you may rent a table at the regular hourly rate.
  • If you win a tournament, you receive:
    • $20 Munchie Money (2nd place finishers receive a "Free Hour" card)
    • Paid entry fee for the ACUI Region 7 9-ball Tournament (travel expenses are on your own).
    • A spot in the Tournament of Champions in April 2011.
  • If you win two tournaments, you incur a one-game handicap. Win three tournaments, a two-game handicap. And so on. Everyone gets a clean slate at the start of each new semester. Everyone will be on a level playing ground for the TOC. May the best player win!
  • If the winner has already won an ACUI spot and a TOC spot, he/she will win the Munchie Money, but the ACUI and TOC spots will be awarded to the 2nd place finisher, or whoever finished highest but has not won a spot yet.
  • Tournaments are open only to University of Michigan students who are currently registered for classes.
  • Since the Region 7 ACUI tournament takes place in February, there is no ACUI spot for the February, March, or April campus tournaments. Winners of these tournaments will earn invitations to the 2010 University of Michigan Tournament of Champions.

 

 

 

 

2012 TOC Format (tentative)

  • Free practice at 12:00; draw conducted at 1:00.
  • Double elimination, race to 5.
  • Lag for first break. Winner of lag chooses 8-ball or 9-ball for first game.
    • After the first game, play will alternate between 8-ball and 9-ball.
  • Alternate breaks; the person with the break may opt to have his/her opponent break instead.
  • Tournament Director may choose to invite up to three additional players (based primarily on attendance) to fill out a field of 16.
  • The TOC will be partially seeded. Multiple tournament winners will be seeded in opposite quadrants of the chart. Others will be randomly drawn.

2012 TOC Prizes (pending budgetary approval by Vice President)

  • 1st place $100 Munchie Money, Michigan cue case (retail value $149.99), medal, Michigan Billiards t-shirt (short sleeve), & name on TOC plaque
  • 2nd place $75 Munchie Money, Michigan Billiards t-shirt (short sleeve), medal
  • 3rd place $50 Munchie Money, Michigan Billiards t-shirt (short sleeve), medal
  • 4th place $25 Munchie Money, Michigan Billiards t-shirt (short sleeve), medal
  • 5th-8th place $5 Munchie Money, Michigan Billiards t-shirt (short sleeve)

 

2011 Pool TOC Recap

Jim Christian won the University of Michigan Pool Tournament of Champions (TOC) on Saturday, April 16. An avid Billiards Club member since orientation before his freshman year, Jim is now the president of the Billiards Club and one of its most active members. For his campus victory in the TOC, Jim took home $100 in Munchie Money, a Michigan Wolverines pool cue case, a Michigan Billiards t-shirt, 1st-place medal, and his name on the "Campus Champions" plaque on the wall of the Billiards Room. Rounding out the top 4 were, not surprisingly, Jim's teammates from the UMTPC back in November (where they won the 9-ball Scotch Doubles title and finished 2nd in All-Around points). Congrats to all 16 students who qualified to play in the Tournament of Champions: Curtis, Jim, Fahad, Winstone, Hamza, Varun, Zane, Eliza, Paul, Sean, Mark, Sai, Ryan, Tsun Kit, Matt, Austin, and Henry. Nine of these students elected to participate in the TOC.
Jim Ryan
Jim Christian, 1st place Ryan Lawrence, 2nd place
   
Curtis Winstone
Curtis Sawdon, 3rd place Winstone Seow, 4th place

 

Winners of 2010-2011 TOC Qualifying Series:

 

Date Day # players Game Munchie $ Winner ACUI spot TOC spot
9/16 Th 10 9-ball Curtis S. Curtis S. Curtis S.
9/30 Th 8 8-ball Jim C. Jim C. Jim C.
10/14 Th 9 9-ball Curtis S. Fahad Fahad
10/26 Tu 9 8-ball Winstone S. Winstone S. Winstone S.
11/4 Th 9 9-ball Hamza G. Hamza G. Hamza G.
11/16 Tu 6 8-ball Curtis Varun M. Varun M.
12/2 Th 7 9-ball Curtis Zane Zane C.
12/7 Tu 6 8-ball Curtis Eliza Eliza L.
1/11 Tu 7 8-ball Winstone Paul M. Paul M.
1/20 Th 7 9-ball Curtis Sean Sean M.
2/1 Tu 8 8-ball Curtis Mark Mark
2/10 Th 1 (canceled) 9-ball canceled n/a canceled
3/8 Tu 1 (canceled) 8-ball canceled n/a canceled
3/24 Th 6 9-ball Curtis n/a Sai L.
3/29 Tu canceled 8-ball canceled n/a canceled

4/7

 Th 6 9-ball Curtis n/a Ryan L.

 

2011 TOC results:

  • 1st place Jim Christian
  • 2nd place Ryan Lawrence
  • 3rd place Curtis Sawdon
  • 4th place Winstone Seow
  • Number of players:9

2010 TOC results:

  • 1st place Jamie Kilgore
  • 2nd place Hongliang Xin
  • 3rd place Jim Christian
  • 4th place Curtis Sawdon
  • Number of players: 10

2009 TOC results:

  • 1st place Chris Takahashi
  • 2nd place Quentin Weir
  • 3rd place Curtis Sawdon
  • 4th place Bret Kabacinski

2008 TOC results:

  • 1st place Casey Claflin
  • 2nd place Jim Christian
  • 3rd place Bret Kabacinski
  • 4th place Jamie Kilgore

 

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