An audience watches the conclusion of the 37th Honda Campus All-Star Challenge, which was held at Torrance, CA on April 13th, 2026. (Photo by Gil Castro-Petres, Contributing Photographer)
More than 200 college students from across the country came to Torrance earlier this week to compete in one of the most prestigious academic competitions — the Honda Campus All-Star Challenge National Championship.
This was the 37th year the city hosted the event, which brings together teams from dozens of Historically Black Colleges and Universities to compete for a $100,000 institutional grant for their schools. Thirty-two schools participated in the national championship in Torrance, with the final rounds taking place on Monday morning, April 13.
“This year was really thrilling,” said Honda Campus All-Star Challenge project leader Jasmine Cockfield. “They continue to just blow us away with the way they respond to questions so intelligently.”
Teams of three students from each school were quizzed on a wide range of topics, from pop culture to geography, with only seconds to think about their responses. Students have prepared for months for their moment to take the stage and prove their knowledge, Cockfield said.
The two final teams that competed Monday morning were from North Carolina Central University and Hampton University in Virginia. For more than an hour, the two teams went head-to-head, answering questions about sports, animal species, literature and more.
In the end, North Carolina Central University won the national championship. The final question, which the team answered correctly, was: What form of cooking begins with a “p” and is a low-temperature cooking in liquid?
The students from North Carolina scrambled, not knowing the answer, but with just a few seconds on the clock, it finally dawned on the team’s captain, Ronni Butts, who threw up her hands, eyes wide, and screamed — “poached!”
The crowd erupted into applause and Butts hugged her teammates, Z Kowalczyk and Alena Dockery
“Winning the Honda Campus All-Star Challenge feels great,” Butts said in a written statement. “Our team practices four days a week for several hours and seeing that dedication result in the very first NCCU championship, while also representing the first NCCU all-female team to compete in the championship game, is incredible.”
Students who participated in the national championship also had the opportunity to meet with Honda officials and some, Cockfield said, got job interviews or internship opportunities.
The Honda Campus All-Star Challenge was created almost 40 years ago to provide more opportunities for HBCUs and their students.
“Historically Black Colleges and Universities have some of the best and brightest minds across the country,” Cockfield said. “And, oftentimes, they’re underserved and overlooked. So, Honda’s been committed to HBCUs since 1989 because inclusion is one of Honda’s core values.”
In addition to the $100,000 grant awarded to the winning school, Honda awarded institutional grants to some of the other schools that made it to the final rounds, totaling more than $500,000 in contributions.
“Honda has supported the success and dreams of HBCU students for over 35 years, through programs such as the Honda Campus All-Star Challenge and Honda Battle of the Bands,” Honda said in a press release. “These initiatives have impacted the lives of more than 350,000 students and provided over $16 million in grants toward HBCU education programs and facilities improvements.
“For nearly 40 years, Honda Campus All-Star Challenge has provided a national platform that honors academic excellence, strengthens institutional pride, and reinforces the essential role HBCUs play in shaping future leaders,” the press release added. “Through year-round initiatives, Honda continues to support opportunities that help HBCU students thrive and achieve their dreams.”
