# University Challenge 2020–21

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

## 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.
The University of Manchester and three Oxford colleges – Merton, Balliol and Corpus Christi – all fielded reserves when filming resumed.

## 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 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 | 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 | 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 | 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 | 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 | 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.
* 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.

## 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 | 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 | 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 | 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.