Series 44 of University Challenge began on 14 July 2014 on BBC Two. This was the 21st series to be broadcast on the BBC. It was won by the team from Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge.

The Courtauld Institute of Art made its first ever University Challenge appearance in this series.

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 (current highest scoring losers, teams that won their first quarter-final match, teams that won their second quarter-final match having lost their first, or teams that won their first quarter-final match and lost their second). 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 Team 2 Total Broadcast date University of Manchester160190 Selwyn College, Cambridge 350 14 July 2014 Oxford Brookes University130 Jesus College, Oxford 250 21 July 2014 University of Bristol190 Courtauld Institute of Art 265 28 July 2014 St Anne's College, Oxford305 Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge 410 11 August 2014 St Peter's College, Oxford205150 University of Sussex 355 18 August 2014 London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine150140 London School of Economics 290 25 August 2014 University of Liverpool155 University of Sheffield 285 1 September 2014 University of Bath190 University of Glasgow 310 8 September 2014 University of Leicester245190 The Open University 435 15 September 2014 Trinity College, Cambridge150 University of St Andrews 250 22 September 2014 University College London230 University of Exeter 370 29 September 2014 Brasenose College, Oxford250 Durham University 285 6 October 2014 Corpus Christi College, Cambridge170 University of York 305 13 October 2014 Magdalen College, Oxford220 Pembroke College, Cambridge 330 20 October 2014

Highest Scoring Losers play-offs Team 1 Score Team 2 Total Broadcast Date The Open University180 London School of Economics 320 27 October 2014 University of Manchester210 University of Sussex 305 3 November 2014

Second round Team 1 Score Team 2 Total Broadcast date University of Leicester220 Trinity College, Cambridge 360 10 November 2014 Durham University210 University of York 370 17 November 2014 Magdalen College, Oxford225 The Open University 355 24 November 2014 Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge200 University of Manchester 335 1 December 2014 London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine160 University of Bristol 295 8 December 2014 University of Glasgow170 University of Liverpool 275 15 December 2014 Selwyn College, Cambridge235 St Peter's College, Oxford 335 5 January 2015 Oxford Brookes University180 University College London 270 12 January 2015

Quarter-finals

Team 1 Score Team 2 Total Broadcast date University of Bristol115175 University of Liverpool 290 19 January 2015 St Peter's College, Oxford24080 Oxford Brookes University 320 26 January 2015 Durham University95275 Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge 370 2 February 2015 Magdalen College, Oxford31555 Trinity College, Cambridge 370 9 February 2015 University of Liverpool100245 St Peter's College, Oxford 345 16 February 2015 Oxford Brookes University150 University of Bristol 235 23 February 2015 Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge215155 Magdalen College, Oxford 370 2 March 2015 Durham University145 Trinity College, Cambridge 250 9 March 2015 University of Bristol250 Magdalen College, Oxford 365 16 March 2015 University of Liverpool175 Durham University 275 23 March 2015

Semi-finals Team 1 Score Team 2 Total Broadcast date St Peter's College, Oxford235 Magdalen College, Oxford 355 30 March 2015 Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge170 Durham University 245 6 April 2015

Final Team 1 Score Team 2 Total Broadcast date Magdalen College, Oxford255 Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge 360 13 April 2015

The trophy and title were awarded to the Gonville & Caius Cambridge team of Ted Loveday, Michael Taylor, Anthony Martinelli, and Jeremy Warner. Loveday later claimed that he had "learned his answers on Wikipedia". The trophy was presented by Will Self, who claimed to have known "about 35%" of the answers.

Spin-off: Christmas Special 2014 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.

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 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.

First Round Team 1 Score Team 2 Total Broadcast date Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford195 University of Warwick 240 20 December 2014 University of Hull205 Newcastle University 230 23 December 2014 King's College, Cambridge Royal Holloway, University of London 310 24 December 2014 University of Edinburgh235 University of Leeds 280 25 December 2014 Trinity Hall, Cambridge195 Balliol College, Oxford 315 26 December 2014 University of York University of Surrey 245 29 December 2014 Manchester Metropolitan University Goldsmiths, University of London 220 30 December 2014

Standings for the winners RankTeamTeam captainScore1 University of Edinburgh Philippa Gregory 2352 University of Hull Jenni Murray 2053= Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford Cathy Newman195 Trinity Hall, Cambridge Adam Mars-Jones5 King's College, Cambridge Noreena Hertz 1606 Manchester Metropolitan University Bernard Hill 1457 University of York Michael Dixon 135

Semi-finals Team 1 Score Team 2 Total Broadcast date Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford175 University of Hull 320 31 December 2014 University of Edinburgh165 Trinity Hall, Cambridge 300 1 January 2015

Final Team 1 Score Team 2 Total Broadcast date University of Hull 215 Trinity Hall, Cambridge 280 2 January 2015

The winning Trinity Hall, Cambridge team of Tom James, Emma Pooley, Adam Mars-Jones and Dan Starkey beat the University of Hull and their team of Rosie Millard, Malcolm Sinclair, Jenni Murray and Stan Cullimore.

References

External links University Challenge homepage Blanchflower Results Table