Ken Jennings Reveal Jeopdary! Rule Change That Shocks Viewers And Gives Contestant Grant DeYoung An Advantage (2024)

After Alex Trebek hosted Jeopardy! for decades, the beloved former host tragically passed away. Since then, Jeopardy! fans have talked about things like Mayim Bialik and Ken Jennings' relationship, Bialik's departure, and Bialik's hosting tenure becoming a nightmare.

Most of all, Jeopardy! fans often compare the show to what it used to be, including if Jennings is as good at hosting as Trebek was. One example of that is Jeopardy! fans that have been outspoken about how Jeopardy!'s rules have changed. In May 2024, one of those rule changes confused fans when Grant DeYoung lost his fifth game.

This article will reveal why Grant DeYoung's tenure as Jeopardy! champion revealed a rule change. Then, the article will look at how quickly Jeopardy!'s producers backtracked on a 2024 rule change that fans hated.

Grant DeYoung Revealed That Jeopardy! Champions Don't Have To Win Five Times To Compete In The Tournament Of Champions

In 1985, Jeopardy! fans got to see the first Tournament of Champions. In the years and decades that followed, the TOCs became a major event for fans who watched Jeopardy! regularly. After all, the TOCs were supposed to bring together Jeopardy!'s top competitors.

Since the TOCs were such a big deal, fans always wanted their favorite competitors to pass the threshold to compete in them. For many, many years, the rule was that Jeopardy! champions had to win five games to qualify for the TOC.

As it turns out, that rule has changed in the modern era and some Jeopardy! fans had no idea that was the case. At least, some Jeopardy! fans were unaware of the rule change until Grant DeYoung lost after being crowned champion four games in a row.

After DeYoung lost during his fifth appearance on Jeopardy!, Jennings thanked and wished goodbye to him. For fans of DeYoung's enthusiasm each time he won and the fact that he was a grocery store worker, this was a disappointing moment.

How long has each Jeopardy! host lasted, according to KTLA?

However, while Jennings addressed DeYoung, he said something that took some Jeopardy! viewers by complete surprise. After all, Jennings remarked that DeYoung likely would be back to take part in one of the TOCs.

After DeYoung lost during his fifth appearance on Jeopary!, the show's Instagram account posted a highlight reel of his tenure. That reel unsurprisingly ended with Jennings' quote stating his belief that DeYoung would return in one of the TOCs.

In the comment section of that post, one Jeopardy! fan expressed their confusion about the idea that DeYoung could be a part of one of the TOCs. What that fan posted made it clear they were unaware that the rules had changed about what a player had to accomplish to be part of a TOC.

Thankfully for that fan who was confused by the prospect of DeYoung returning, another Jeopardy! viewer replied to explain the new rule.

That reply not only explained that Jeopardy! winners no longer have to win five games to qualify for one of the TOCs. The reply also explained the reasoning behind the rule change, including the fact that TOCs are held a lot more often so they need more players.

Since Jeopardy! producers have made sure that Tournaments of Champions have happened a lot more often, that has changed the show. It is interesting to note that is a decision that Jeopardy! fans have debated on Reddit.

When a Reddit user asked the users of the subreddit r/Jeopardy if having more TOCs dilutes the show, their post got a lot of responses that made different arguments. The top-upvoted reply seemed to argue semantics, which is perfect for Jeopardy! fans.

Jeopardy!'s Producers Quickly Backtracked On A Rule Change Viewers Hated

From the time that Jeopardy! began, the show has been known for having very strict rules. Most notably, virtually everyone who is aware of Jeopardy! knows that competitors have to phrase their answers in the form of a question.

During Jeopardy!'s 40th season which aired in 2023 and 2024, the show's producers decided to enforce another new rule with a similar spirit. This new rule required competitors to do something relatively simple.

Thanks to the new rule producers enforced, competitors had to make sure they said every word of a category's title each time. Prior to that, competitors often said the category's full name the first time it was chosen and then shortened the title after that.

Not long after this rule took effect, fans learned it was going to be abandoned. During an episode of the "Inside Jeopardy!" podcast, the show's producers admitted they were backtracking because fans hated the rule change.

One of Jeopardy!'s producers also stated that they recognized that category names can be a lot to have competitors say over and over.