University Challenge 2020–21

The 50th series of University Challenge began on 13 July 2020 on BBC Two and ended on 5 April 2021.^[1] It was won by the University of Warwick for the institution's second title.^[2][3]

COVID-19

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, University Challenge took a six-month hiatus from filming episodes. Recording resumed with the highest scoring losers play-offs, with contestants now separated by perspex screens and wearing ear-pieces to allow them to hear their teammates. The show also relaxed the rule that banned students from competing if they completed their degree during the recording of the series.^[4][3]

The University of Manchester and three Oxford colleges – Merton, Balliol and Corpus Christi – all fielded reserves when filming resumed.^{[citation needed]}

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
University of Glasgow	200	145	University of Exeter	345	13 July 2020
University of Leicester	125	180	Durham University	305	20 July 2020
Linacre College, Oxford	140	210	The Open University	350	27 July 2020
Imperial College London	155	190	University of Strathclyde	345	3 August 2020
University of Reading	50	295	Birkbeck, University of London	345	10 August 2020
Balliol College, Oxford	150	135	Clare College, Cambridge	285	17 August 2020
University of Bristol	135	175	Corpus Christi College, Oxford	310	24 August 2020
Darwin College, Cambridge	90	255	University of St Andrews	345	31 August 2020
University of York	100	170	King's College London	270	7 September 2020
Merton College, Oxford	210	40	Wolfson College, Cambridge	250	14 September 2020
Royal Academy of Music	50	220	St John's College, Cambridge	270	21 September 2020
University of Warwick	255	105	Wolfson College, Oxford	360	28 September 2020
University of Edinburgh	155	200	University of Manchester	355	5 October 2020
Magdalene College, Cambridge	170	130	University College, Oxford	300	12 October 2020

Highest scoring losers play-offs

Team 1	Score		Team 2	Total	Broadcast date
Imperial College London	160	155	University of Exeter	315	19 October 2020
Linacre College, Oxford	125	155	University of Edinburgh	280	26 October 2020

Second round

Team 1	Score		Team 2	Total	Broadcast date
Imperial College London	180	90	University of St Andrews	270	2 November 2020
University of Manchester	100	135	University of Strathclyde	235	9 November 2020
Merton College, Oxford	90	190	University of Warwick	280	16 November 2020
University of Edinburgh	145	165	Durham University	310	23 November 2020
St John's College, Cambridge	155	200	Balliol College, Oxford	355	30 November 2020
University of Glasgow	90	175	King's College London	265	7 December 2020
Corpus Christi College, Oxford	115	185	Magdalene College, Cambridge	300	14 December 2020
The Open University	95	205	Birkbeck, University of London	300	4 January 2021

Quarterfinals

Team 1	Score		Team 2	Total	Broadcast date
Magdalene College, Cambridge	240	140	Birkbeck, University of London	380	11 January 2021
Balliol College, Oxford	145	95	King's College London	240	18 January 2021
University of Strathclyde	115	155	Durham University	270	25 January 2021
Imperial College London	120	200	University of Warwick	320	1 February 2021
Magdalene College, Cambridge	160	200	University of Warwick	360	8 February 2021
King's College London	95	265	Imperial College London	360	15 February 2021
Balliol College, Oxford	175	75	Durham University	250	22 February 2021
Birkbeck, University of London	105	135	University of Strathclyde	240	1 March 2021
Imperial College London	200	100	Durham University	300	8 March 2021
Magdalene College, Cambridge	185	125	University of Strathclyde	310	15 March 2021

Semifinals

Team 1	Score		Team 2	Total	Broadcast date
Imperial College London	135	160	University of Warwick	295	22 March 2021
Magdalene College, Cambridge	270	50	Balliol College, Oxford	320	29 March 2021

Final

Team 1	Score		Team 2	Total	Broadcast date
University of Warwick	195	140	Magdalene College, Cambridge	335	5 April 2021

• The trophy and title were awarded to the Warwick team of Richard Pollard, George Braid, Andrew Rout, and Owain Burrell.^[3]
• Simon Armitage, Poet Laureate and former Oxford Professor of Poetry, presented the trophy; he had captained a University of Manchester team in the Christmas series in 2016.^[3]

Spin-off: Christmas Special 2020

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	Score		Team 2	Total	Broadcast date
Christ's College, Cambridge	50	180	St John's College, Oxford	230	21 December 2020
University of Manchester	175	30	Queen's University, Belfast	205	22 December 2020
The Courtauld Institute of Art	150	100	Goldsmiths, University of London	250	23 December 2020
University of Nottingham	145	70	University of Sheffield	215	24 December 2020
University of Central Lancashire	60	170	Loughborough University	230	26 December 2020
Durham University	90	65	Downing College, Cambridge	155	28 December 2020
New College, Oxford	110	60	University of Reading	170	29 December 2020

Standings for the winners

Rank	Team	Team captain	Score
1	St John's College, Oxford	John Lanchester	180
2	University of Manchester	Ade Edmondson	175
3	Loughborough University	Kate Fox	170
4	The Courtauld Institute of Art	Jacky Klein	150
5	University of Nottingham	Levison Wood	145
6	New College, Oxford	Lucy Cooke	110
7	Durham University	Sarah Keith-Lucas	90

Semi-finals

Team 1	Score		Team 2	Total	Broadcast date
St John's College, Oxford	135	180	The Courtauld Institute of Art	315	30 December 2020
University of Manchester	140	70	Loughborough University	210	31 December 2020

Final

Team 1	Score		Team 2	Total	Broadcast date
The Courtauld Institute of Art	150	90	University of Manchester	240	1 January 2021

The winning The Courtauld Institute of Art team of Tim Marlow, Lavinia Greenlaw, Jacky Klein and Jeremy Deller beat the University of Manchester team of David Nott, Juliet Jacques, Ade Edmondson and Justin Edwards.