I’ll take Iowa State University for $1,000, Alex.

The answer: This ISU student is scheduled to audition for the “Jeopardy!” College Tournament in Minneapolis this weekend.

Who is Doug Souleyrette?

That’s correct.

On Saturday Nov. 9, Doug Souleyrette, a freshman in civil engineering, will be competing against other undergraduates in the Midwest for the opportunity to become a contestant in “Jeopardy!”‘s annual College Tournament.

Souleyrette has been watching “Jeopardy!” since he was young. Last June he auditioned for regular “Jeopardy”! in his hometown of Austin, Texas. He was one point away from making the first cut and this fall he decided to try out for the college tournament when the information aired in September.

Thousands of students registered for the college tournament and only 500 random names were chosen to try out at five locations across the country. Souleyrette received an official “Jeopardy!” letter in the mail and learned he was scheduled to audition at 2:30 p.m. on Nov. 9 at the Mall of America near Minneapolis.

“I have already beat incredible odds just by being picked to try out,” Souleyrette said.

“Jeopardy!” host Alex Trebek will administer the first test via television monitors. The test has 50 questions from 50 different “Jeopardy!” categories. These questions are similar to the hardest questions, the $1,000 questions, from the double “Jeopardy!” round.

Eight seconds are given to answer each question and, surprisingly, the answer does not have to be given in the form of a question.

Jeopardy contestant coordinators grade the tests and everyone with a score of 35 or higher moves on to the second round.

In the second round, the students play a mock game of Jeopardy, and it is up to the contestant coordinators to select the contestants.

Only 15 students from the five tryout locations will participate in the tournament. The tournament is taped over two days during spring break and airs later in the year.

“Jeopardy!” pays for the contestants’ airfare and lodging in Los Angeles.

The contestants will play quarter final rounds and semifinal rounds before three students compete in the two-day final.

The winner of the tournament receives $25,000 and a new Volvo and there are guaranteed minimums for other contestants. “A red-haired freshman won the last tournament, and I hope to continue the tradition,” Souleyrette said.

There really is no easy way to study for Jeopardy, he said. “It takes years of reading everything from magazines to encyclopedias.”

The categories cover broad topics but there always are questions on geography, state capitols, presidents, literature and music.

Souleyrette has two coaches, one at ISU and one in Austin, who find information and quiz him. “I am really happy to have the opportunity to try out. Even though it’s competitive, it is a lot of fun.”