America's 16 Funniest College Improv Teams Clash for National Title Live Streaming on MTVu

It all began in October 2012, as 123 college teams from across North America competed in 12 different regionals over the next five monthsall for the chance to claim a regional title and come to Chicago for the 6th annual College Improv Tournament National Championship.

On Saturday, March 23, North America's 16 finest and funniest college improv teams will compete for the 2013 national title at Chicago's Athenaeum Theatre. The College Improv Tournament Nationals will feature 12 regional winners and four wild card teams playing each other during one day of tournament craziness. The playoff matches will feature four teams per match, as each team will play for 20 minutes in front of a live audience. Only one team per playoff match will win and move on to the title match. The winners will be decided by national judges' panel of professional improvisers.

It's "March Madness" meets "Whose Line is it Anyway?" and every hilarious moment will be streamed live in a webcast via media partner mtvU, MTV's 24-hour college network, at CIT.mtvU.com. Featuring MADtv alum Frank Caeti as a special guest, the webcast will have a sports-playoffs feel with two co-anchors, two sideline reporters, and one emcee and will be shot with 3 HD cameras in a live mix.

A new national champion will be crowned this year, as last year's national champs, Droppin' $cience from Columbia College Chicago, lost in the Windy City Regional. College Improv Tournament Creator and Producer Jonathan Pitts says, "We've never had a repeat champion in 5 years and we won't again this year. I think this speaks to how difficult it is to win a national championship as well as the value of team chemistry over any form or Style of improv."

This year's regionals too were a raucous affair as only three regional champs defended their regional title and nine new regional champs won, thus making the way for many new teams to make their mark on the College Improv Tournament Nationals stage. A team from the University of British Columbia came down from Canada to win the Northwest Regional.

"It's always fun to see teams you know win, it's always fun to see teams that lost before finally win and it's always fun to see new teams you've never seen before come out of nowhere to win too," says Pitts.

College Improv Tournament's National Championship
Athenaeum Theatre
Saturday, March 23

Playoff Match, 12 p.m.
Red Light School District - University of Illinois-Circle (North Wild Card)
The Buttered Niblets - Johns Hopkins University (Liberty Regional Champs)
The Mobb Line - Savannah College of Arts & Design (South Regional Champs)
UBCimprov - University of British Columbia, Canada (Northwest Regional Champs)

Playoff Match, 2 p.m.
dadprov - University of Missouri (South Wild Card)
Barren Mind - Arizona State University (West Coast Regional Champs)
Kids These Days - Wheaton College (Windy City Regional Champs)
Seriously Bent - Suffolk University (East Coast Regional Champs)

Playoff Match, 4 p.m.
The Whistling Shrimp - Cornell University (East Wild Card)
Awkward Silence - University of San Francisco (Golden Gate Regional Champs)
Glaundor, University of Houston (Southwest Regional Champs)
Improv Mafia - Illinois State University (Lower Midwest Regional Champs)

Playoff Match, 6 p.m.
Dead Parrots Society - Western Washington University (West Wild Card)
The Best, Best Friends - University of Missouri (Heartland Regional Champs)
Paperback Rhino - University of Iowa (Upper Midwest Regional Champs)
Quipfire! - Princeton University (Big Apple Regional Champs)

Championship Match, 9 p.m.
[Final Four Teams TBD]

Playoffs Tickets: $15, $10 / Championship Tickets: $20, $15 / All Day Pass: $40, $30

Tickets can be purchased in person at the Athenaeum Theatre's box office at 2936 N. Southport Ave., Chicago, IL 60657, or call (773) 935-6875 or purchase online at https://web.ovationtix.com/trs/dept/1117.

In only 5 years of existence, College Improv Tournament alums have already gone on to big successes on both television and on stage. Notable College Improv Tournament alums include: Saturday Night Live's Aidy Bryant, Unforgettable's Britt Lower, Workaholics' Dan Lippert, LOL's Alison Luhrs and RuPaul's Drag Race's Jerick Hoffer. College Improv Tournament alums have also gone on to make a big splash at regional professional improv theatres in: Atlanta, Austin, Boston, Kansas City, and Seattle.

"Come see tomorrow's improv comedy stars compete today at the College Improv Tournament's National Championship-or watch live coverage on CIT.mtvU.com!" says Pitts.

For more information, please visit citregionals.com.

About Chicago Improv Productions
Chicago Improv Productions is a 501 c3 non-profit Illinois arts organization offering year-round improv programs, including: Chicago Improv Festival; College Improv Tournament; Educational Outreach; Illinois High School Improv All-Stars; Teen Comedy Fest and other shows and special events in Chicago. For more information, visit http://www.chicagoimprovfestival.org.

About mtvU
Broadcast to more than 750 college campuses and via top cable distributors in 700 college communities nationwide, mtvU reaches nearly 9 million U.S. college students-making it the largest, most comprehensive television network just for college students. Twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, mtvU can be seen in the dining areas, fitness centers, student lounges and dorm rooms of campuses throughout the U.S., as well as on cable systems from Charter Communications, Verizon FiOS TV, Suddenlink Communications, AT&T u-Verse and nearly 70 others. mtvU is dedicated to every aspect of college life, reaching students everywhere they are: on-air, online and on the campus. mtvU programs music videos from emerging artists that can't be seen anywhere else, news, student life features and initiatives that give college students the tools to advance positive social change. mtvU is always on campus, with hundreds of events per year, including exclusive concerts, giveaways, shooting mtvU series and more. For more information about mtvU, and a complete programming schedule, visit http://www.mtvU.com.