ESPN Jeopardy! is coming back for a second season, and this time the players are sports fans, not celebrities. Host Joe Buck announced the new season on ESPN on Monday night, September 28, and the application is already open on Jeopardy.com.

What's Different in Season 2

The first season launched July 31 on Disney+, Hulu and the ESPN App and put 18 sports commentators and celebrity sports fans in a tournament for charity. ESPN's Jeremy Schaap won it, earning $500,000 for his charity. Season 2 opens the stage to the public: Jeopardy! is looking for "sports fanatics" to compete on the Alex Trebek Stage for a grand prize of $300,000. It is again a tournament, and contestants play as individuals.

Who Can Apply

  • You must be 18 or older and live in the United States or Canada.
  • Past contestants can apply. Appearing on, or applying to, another version of Jeopardy! does not disqualify you, even if you are already in the contestant process for the regular show this year.
  • The two are separate. Applying for ESPN Jeopardy! does not enter you for the regular show, and the regular show's test does not enter you for ESPN Jeopardy!.
  • Asked what subjects the clues will cover, the show's FAQ says only to have "as diverse a range of sports knowledge as possible."

How to Apply

  1. Create a MyJeopardy! account on Jeopardy.com and complete the extended contestant registration.
  2. Take the ESPN Jeopardy! Anytime Test. It is 50 clues with 15 seconds to answer each, about 15 minutes in all, and you can take it whenever suits you. You cannot restart it, and if you close the window partway through, the test is not submitted.
  3. Wait to hear back. Selected people with passing scores receive an application, then an invitation to a virtual audition. An audition invitation does not guarantee a spot on the show.

The show has not announced an application deadline. Because so many people apply, its advice is to take the test as soon as possible. Games tape at Sony Pictures Studios in Culver City, California, and you do not need to live nearby: contestants are provided travel as needed. Taping dates go to the people who are selected.

Start at the official ESPN Jeopardy! page on Jeopardy.com. Apply only there, and be wary of anyone who asks for money to get you on the show.

When and Where to Watch

No premiere date has been announced for Season 2. Season 1 is streaming now on Disney+, Hulu and the ESPN App. According to TV Insider, the new season returns to the same three services, with Buck back as host.

Want to try for the regular show as well? Our Jeopardy! contestant guide walks through the standard Anytime Test and audition, and our Season 43 preview covers everything else new in the Jeopardy! world this year.

Sources: Jeopardy.com (ESPN Jeopardy! Anytime Test), Jeopardy.com (ESPN Jeopardy! FAQs), ESPN (Season 1 guide), BuzzerBlog (Season 2), TV Insider (Season 2)