# University Challenge 2016–17

Series 46 of University Challenge began on 11 July 2016 on BBC Two, and finished on 10 April 2017. This series of the long running quiz show drew larger audiences than usual thanks to a collection of interesting characters, most notably Eric Monkman from Wolfson College, Cambridge, who has been described on Twitter by many viewers as "the most intense contestant ever".

## 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 | Score | Team 2 | Total | Broadcast date |
| University of Sheffield | 130 | 210 | University of Bristol | 340 | 11 July 2016 |
| Corpus Christi College, Oxford | 200 | 175 | Jesus College, Cambridge | 375 | 18 July 2016 |
| University of Liverpool | 95 | 235 | University of Warwick | 330 | 25 July 2016 |
| Queens' College, Cambridge | 150 | 160 | Peterhouse, Cambridge | 310 | 1 August 2016 |
| Oriel College, Oxford | 150 | 95 | University of Manchester | 245 | 8 August 2016 |
| Emmanuel College, Cambridge | 175 | 135 | University of Nottingham | 310 | 15 August 2016 |
| Balliol College, Oxford | 220 | 55 | Imperial College London | 275 | 22 August 2016 |
| Robinson College, Cambridge | 155 | 95 | Wadham College, Oxford | 250 | 29 August 2016 |
| The Open University | 210 | 115 | University of Salford | 325 | 5 September 2016 |
| University of Edinburgh | 190 | 155 | Durham University | 345 | 12 September 2016 |
| Wolfson College, Cambridge | 185 | 175 | School of Oriental and African Studies | 360 | 19 September 2016 |
| Queen's University Belfast | 105 | 165 | University of Birmingham | 270 | 26 September 2016 |
| University of St Andrews | 175 | 145 | Worcester College, Oxford | 320 | 3 October 2016 |
| University of Glasgow | 135 | 150 | University of East London | 285 | 10 October 2016 |

#### Highest Scoring Losers play-offs

| Team 1 | Score | Score | Team 2 | Total | Broadcast date |
| Jesus College, Cambridge | 195 | 155 | Queens' College, Cambridge | 350 | 17 October 2016 |
| Durham University | 85 | 270 | School of Oriental and African Studies | 355 | 31 October 2016 |

### Second round

| Team 1 | Score | Score | Team 2 | Total | Broadcast date |
| The Open University | 185 | 195 | University of Edinburgh | 380 | 7 November 2016 |
| University of Birmingham | 195 | 115 | University of St Andrews | 310 | 14 November 2016 |
| University of East London | 55 | 195 | University of Warwick | 250 | 21 November 2016 |
| School of Oriental and African Studies | 130 | 195 | Emmanuel College, Cambridge | 325 | 28 November 2016 |
| Wolfson College, Cambridge | 225 | 140 | Jesus College, Cambridge | 365 | 5 December 2016 |
| Robinson College, Cambridge | 90 | 210 | Balliol College, Oxford | 300 | 12 December 2016 |
| University of Bristol | 265 | 70 | Oriel College, Oxford | 335 | 2 January 2017 |
| Peterhouse, Cambridge | 150 | 175 | Corpus Christi College, Oxford | 325 | 9 January 2017 |

### Quarter-finals

| Team 1 | Score | Score | Team 2 | Total | Broadcast date |
| Wolfson College, Cambridge | 165 | 135 | Balliol College, Oxford | 300 | 16 January 2017 |
| University of Bristol | 70 | 250 | Corpus Christi College, Oxford | 320 | 23 January 2017 |
| University of Warwick | 90 | 200 | Emmanuel College, Cambridge | 290 | 30 January 2017 |
| University of Edinburgh | 220 | 125 | University of Birmingham | 345 | 6 February 2017 |
| Emmanuel College, Cambridge | 170 | 55 | Corpus Christi College, Oxford | 225 | 13 February 2017 |
| University of Warwick | 120 | 110 | University of Bristol | 230 | 20 February 2017 |
| University of Edinburgh | 195 | 160 | Wolfson College, Cambridge | 355 | 27 February 2017 |
| University of Birmingham | 65 | 265 | Balliol College, Oxford | 330 | 6 March 2017 |
| University of Warwick | 175 | 205 | Wolfson College, Cambridge | 380 | 13 March 2017 |
| Corpus Christi College, Oxford | 160 | 240 | Balliol College, Oxford | 400 | 20 March 2017 |

### Semi-finals

| Team 1 | Score | Score | Team 2 | Total | Broadcast date |
| Emmanuel College, Cambridge | 140 | 170 | Wolfson College, Cambridge | 310 | 27 March 2017 |
| University of Edinburgh | 140 | 215 | Balliol College, Oxford | 355 | 3 April 2017 |

### Final

| Team 1 | Score | Score | Team 2 | Total | Broadcast date |
| Wolfson College, Cambridge | 140 | 190 | Balliol College, Oxford | 330 | 10 April 2017 |
* The trophy and title were awarded to the Balliol team of Freddy Potts, Jacob Lloyd, Joey Goldman, and Benjamin Pope.
* The trophy was presented by Stephen Hawking, on location at Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge.

## Spin-off: Christmas Special 2016
### Qualification 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.
* Teams with green scores won their match and achieved a high enough score to return in the next round, teams with red scores lost and were eliminated.
* Teams with grey scores won their first round match but did not achieve a high enough score to return.
| Team 1 | | | Team 2 | Total | Broadcast date |
| University of Manchester | 55 | 185 | St Anne's College, Oxford | 240 | 19 December 2016 |
| University of Kent | 245 | 35 | University of Sussex | 280 | 20 December 2016 |
| City, University of London | 145 | 35 | Newcastle University | 180 | 21 December 2016 |
| SOAS, University of London | 85 | 175 | University of Leeds | 260 | 22 December 2016 |
| University of Edinburgh | 115 | 60 | St Catharine's College, Cambridge | 175 | 23 December 2016 |
| Magdalene College, Cambridge | 65 | 225 | St Hilda's College, Oxford | 290 | 25 December 2016 |
| University of Bristol | 70 | 75 | University of Nottingham | 145 | 26 December 2016 |

#### Standings for the winners

| Rank | Team | Team captain | Score |
| 1 | University of Kent | Paul Ross | 245 |
| 2 | St Hilda's College, Oxford | Val McDermid | 225 |
| 3 | St Anne's College, Oxford | Mary Archer | 185 |
| 4 | University of Leeds | Kamal Ahmed | 175 |
| 5 | City, University of London | Samira Ahmed | 145 |
| 6 | University of Edinburgh | Rachael Stirling | 115 |
| 7 | University of Nottingham | Chris Hawkins | 75 |

### Semi-finals

| Team 1 | Score | Score | Team 2 | Total | Broadcast date |
| University of Kent | 130 | 140 | University of Leeds | 270 | 27 December 2016 |
| St Anne's College, Oxford | 75 | 165 | St Hilda's College, Oxford | 240 | 28 December 2016 |

### Final

| Team 1 | Score | Score | Team 2 | Total | Broadcast date |
| University of Leeds | 55 | 160 | St Hilda's College, Oxford | 215 | 29 December 2016 |
The winning St Hilda's College, Oxford team of Fiona Caldicott, Daisy Dunn, Val McDermid and Adèle Geras beat the University of Leeds team of Louise Doughty, Gus Unger-Hamilton, Kamal Ahmed and Steve Bell.