University Challenge 2019–20

Series 49 of University Challenge began on 15 July 2019 on BBC Two.^[1]

The University of Huddersfield made its University Challenge debut in this series, while the Oxford colleges Wolfson and Lady Margaret Hall made their first appearances in the BBC series.

Results

• Winning teams are highlighted in bold.
• Teams with green scores (winners) returned in the next round, while those with red scores (losers) were eliminated.
• Teams with orange scores had to win one more match to return in the next round.
• Teams with yellow scores indicate that two further matches had to be played and won (teams that lost their first quarter-final match).
• A score in italics indicates a match decided on a tie-breaker question.

First round

Team 1	Score		Team 2	Total	Broadcast date
Lancaster University	95	230	University of Glasgow	325	15 July 2019
Corpus Christi College, Cambridge	195	140	Merton College, Oxford	335	22 July 2019
Magdalen College, Oxford	170	150	University of York	320	29 July 2019
University of Birmingham	125	120	University of Bristol	245	5 August 2019
Wolfson College, Cambridge	40	115	St John's College, Oxford	155	12 August 2019
University of Edinburgh	165	90	Birkbeck, University of London	255	19 August 2019
Jesus College, Oxford	145	185	University of Manchester	330	2 September 2019
Durham University	145	200	Trinity College, Cambridge	345	9 September 2019
London School of Economics	90	145	The Courtauld Institute of Art	235	16 September 2019
Goldsmiths, University of London	95	175	University of Southampton	270	23 September 2019
The Open University	125	145	University of Huddersfield	270	7 October 2019
Wolfson College, Oxford	180	170	University of Sheffield	350	14 October 2019
Imperial College London	255	70	Brasenose College, Oxford	325	21 October 2019
Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford	150	145	Downing College, Cambridge	295	28 October 2019

• Three teams finished tied for the last two places in the play-offs on 145 each; Durham and Jesus College Oxford went through due to having heard fewer questions to reach their scores.

Highest scoring losers play-offs

Team 1	Score		Team 2	Total	Broadcast date
University of Sheffield	165	170	Jesus College, Oxford	335	4 November 2019
University of York	145	240	Durham University	385	11 November 2019

Second round

Team 1	Score		Team 2	Total	Broadcast date
University of Birmingham	120	150	Jesus College, Oxford	270	18 November 2019
University of Southampton	95	245	Durham University	340	25 November 2019
The Courtauld Institute of Art	180	145	University of Glasgow	325	2 December 2019
Imperial College London	255	105	St John's College, Oxford	360	9 December 2019
University of Huddersfield	90	205	University of Manchester	295	16 December 2019
Trinity College, Cambridge	245	100	Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford	345	6 January 2020
Wolfson College, Oxford	220	100	University of Edinburgh	320	13 January 2020
Magdalen College, Oxford	75	270	Corpus Christi College, Cambridge	345	20 January 2020

Quarterfinals

Team 1	Score		Team 2	Total	Broadcast date
University of Manchester	95	300	Trinity College, Cambridge	395	27 January 2020
Wolfson College, Oxford	140	180	Corpus Christi College, Cambridge	320	3 February 2020
Jesus College, Oxford	110	195	Durham University	305	10 February 2020
The Courtauld Institute of Art	75	240	Imperial College London	315	17 February 2020
Trinity College, Cambridge	80	245	Corpus Christi College, Cambridge	325	24 February 2020
University of Manchester	125	130	Wolfson College, Oxford	255	2 March 2020
Durham University	115	185	Imperial College London	300	9 March 2020
Jesus College, Oxford	135	90	The Courtauld Institute of Art	225	16 March 2020
Wolfson College, Oxford	45	205	Durham University	250	23 March 2020
Trinity College, Cambridge	285	75	Jesus College, Oxford	360	30 March 2020

Semifinals

Team 1	Score		Team 2	Total	Broadcast date
Corpus Christi College, Cambridge	185	130	Durham University	315	6 April 2020
Imperial College London	235	80	Trinity College, Cambridge	315	13 April 2020

Final

Team 1	Score		Team 2	Total	Broadcast date
Corpus Christi College, Cambridge	105	275	Imperial College London	380	20 April 2020

• The trophy and title were awarded to the Imperial team of Richard Brooks, Brandon Blackwell, Caleb Rich, and Conor McMeel.
• The trophy was presented by Andrew Wiles, on location at the Oxford University Mathematics Institute.

Spin-off: Christmas Special 2019

First round

Each year, a Christmas special sequence is aired featuring distinguished alumni. Out of 7 first-round winners, the top 4 highest-scoring teams progress to the semi-finals. The teams consist of celebrities who represent their alma maters.

• Winning teams are highlighted in bold.
• Teams with green scores (winners) returned in the next round, while those with red scores (losers) were eliminated.
• Teams with grey scores won their match but did not achieve a high enough score to proceed to the next round.
• A score in italics indicates a match decided on a tie-breaker question.

Team 1			Team 2	Total	Broadcast date
University of Leeds	205	55	Clare College, Cambridge	260	23 December 2019
Birmingham City University	75	160	Wadham College, Oxford	235	24 December 2019
Guildhall School of Music and Drama	120	165	University College London	285	25 December 2019
University of Liverpool	75	150	University of Hull	225	26 December 2019
Royal Holloway, University of London	70	130	University of Sussex	200	27 December 2019
Trinity Hall, Cambridge	180	85	St Peter's College, Oxford	265	30 December 2019
University of Warwick	80	115	Imperial College London	195	31 December 2019

Standings for the winners

Rank	Team	Team captain	Score
1	University of Leeds	Richard Coles	205
2	Trinity Hall, Cambridge	Lucy Mangan	185
3	University College London	Maryam Moshiri	165
4	Wadham College, Oxford	Anne McElvoy	160
5	University of Hull	Lucy Beaumont	150
6	University of Sussex	Kim Newman	130
7	Imperial College London	Brendan Walker	115

Semi-finals

Team 1	Score		Team 2	Total	Broadcast date
Trinity Hall, Cambridge	25	215	Wadham College, Oxford	240	1 January 2020
University of Leeds	205	45	University College London	250	2 January 2020

Final

Team 1	Score		Team 2	Total	Broadcast date
Wadham College, Oxford	130	235	University of Leeds	365	3 January 2020

The winning University of Leeds team of Jonathan Clements, Henry Gee, Richard Coles and Timothy Allen beat the Wadham College, Oxford team of Jonathan Freedland, Tom Solomon, Anne McElvoy and Roger Mosey.