The 5th annual National College Comedy Competition presented by TBS returned to 32 campuses this Spring. Through live events, online voting and industry judges, the NCCC finds the funniest college students in the country.

The winning Comedy Team, Emerson, and one lucky MVP, Nick Peine of Boston University, won VIP trips to perform at TBS Presents Just For Laughs, Chicago!

Frequently Asked Questions

What the hell is this thing?

The Rooftop Comedy National College Comedy Competition presented by TBS is a nationwide talent search to find the funniest stand-up comics around the country. Through a series of live events and online elimination rounds, only one school will be named the Funniest Stand-up Comedy Team and will win all the bragging rights. One MVP will also be hand-picked by our panel of industry judges.

I'm pretty funny. Am I eligible to participate?

Students must be currently enrolled (undergrad or grad-student) at one of the 32 participating universities. If your school is participating, you also need to be a legal U.S. resident who has reached the age of majority in your state of residence at the time of entry.

Is my school signed up?

Maybe, check out TBS.com/college for a full listing of the participating schools. If your school is not on the list and you think it should be, send us an email to be considered for 2013.

Are there prizes?

There sure are. The Funniest Stand-up Comedy Team and the MVP will win VIP trips to Chicago and receive stage time at TBS Presents Just For Laughs, Chicago - one of the nation's best comedy festivals! All winners will enjoy access to festival performances, VIP parties, quality schmoozing and a bunch of cool freebies.

How do I sign up for the competition?

All interested participants must complete the online registration form before their Comedy Team selection process takes place. If you're not sure when your school deadline is, email us. See Official Rules for complete contest details and eligibility requirements.

What opportunities are there for students at non-participating schools?

We encourage you to send us a <60 sec. video telling us about yourself and your comedy dreams. Or, just tell us something funny. We'll post the videos on our Facebook page and in a gallery of all the awesome aspiring comics out there. Name your file starting with "NCCC" and upload here.

So, how does the competition work?

Ok, here's the rundown on all stages of the NCCC.

Talent Search:

Any eligible student enrolled at one of the 32 participating colleges can sign up at TBS.com/college. All registered students will be considered and notified of an on-campus selection process or live Talent Search event. At the school's discretion, eight students will be selected for the official Comedy Team. In most cases, students will perform a three minute set in front of a voting student audience.

Live Showcase:

Each Comedy Team competes head-to-head against a rival Comedy Team (Ex: Duke vs. UNC) at a premier comedy club. Each team member has a three minute set and must abide by provided performance rules. A panel of judges will select four members of each Comedy Team to advance as the Starting Line-up, the remaining team members serve as subs.

Regionals Round:

Members of the Starting Line-ups from each of the 32 schools will have one clip selected from their performance at the Live Showcase. These clips will be posted online at TBS.com/college. The public can vote on these clips during an assigned voting period within April 1st through April 15th. Voting periods per schools will be posted online at TBS.com/college. A panel of judges will also weigh in, scoring each performer individually. Based on a combo of scores and votes, four teams from each conference (sixteen teams total) will advance to the Quarterfinals Round.

Quarterfinals Round:

Comics from advancing teams will have a second clip selected from their performance at the Live Showcase. These clips will be posted online at TBS.com/college. The public can vote on these clips during a three-day period from April 18th-20th online at TBS.com/college. A panel of judges will also weigh in, scoring each performer individually. Based on a combo of scores and votes, two teams from each conference (eight teams total) will advance to the Semifinals Round.

Semifinals Round (Grudge Match):

Comedy Teams face off in an online grudge match. Teams will tune in via Skype to battle it out with a rival team to deliver the best jokes based off of provided prompts. All members of the Comedy Team must participate to showcase their joke writing and insult skills. All Grudge Match videos will be recorded and posted on TBS.com/college. A public voting round will take place from April 25th-27th with a panel of judges also adding their two cents. Based on a combo of scores and votes, just one team from each conference (four teams total) will advance to the Finals Round.

Finals Round:

Now that we're down to the funniest four, Rooftop will compile a highlight reel for each of our teams and post these online at TBS.com/college. Once again, we'll leave it up to the public to vote for their favorite Comedy Teams from May 1st-3rd. Highlight reels will also be scored by our panel of judges. The team with the highest combo of votes and scores will be named The Funniest Comedy Teams on May 8th. The judges will also name one MVP from the pool of performers that made it into the Semifinals.

Winners Perform at TBS Presents Just For Laughs, Chicago

The four members of the Funniest Comedy Team and the one MVP will win VIP trips to TBS Presents Just For Laughs, Chicago along with a performance spot in the official festival. The festival will take place in mid-June in Chicago. All winners will enjoy access to festival performances, VIP parties, quality schmoozing and a bunch of cool freebies.

What's the best way to stay in the loop on NCCC events and college opportunities?

Geez, thanks for asking. You can sign up for email updates when you register on Rooftop Comedy. Also, add us as a friend on Facebook and Twitter for up to date news and general hilarity.