Tulare County’s newest spelling bee champ Nicole Lopez, a student from Carl F. Smith Middle School in Terra Bella, will compete this week in the Scripps National Spelling Bee after being crowned the 2026 Tulare County Spelling Champion in March.
The Scripps National Spelling Bee returns for its 101st edition with 247 spellers ages of 9 and 15 set to battle in this year’s competition, which is returning to Washington, DC, after 15 years. It is set to take place at the historic Constitution Hall near the National Mall, less than a mile from the White House, Scripps said in a news release. It previously took place at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center in National Harbor, Maryland.
“For generations, the Scripps National Spelling Bee was part of the fabric of downtown Washington, DC, and we are proud to be bringing it back,” Scripps National Spelling Bee Executive Director Corrie Loeffler said in a statement. “Our 247 spellers – from first-time competitors to returning finalists – will be surrounded by monuments, museums and places of learning that embody the spirit of the competition. It’s a fitting stage for such a talented and dedicated group of students.”
This year’s national competition includes six returning top finishers and 72 other veterans of past Scripps National Spelling Bees. However, more than two-thirds of the participants – 169 spellers – are “making their first appearance on the storied national stage.”
Those who qualified for the DC event “advanced through local and regional bees that took place through late March,” organizers said.
The Bee, which began in 1925, is described as the “nation’s longest-running educational competition,” which has “inspired generations of students with its mission to promote literacy and learning.”
Here’s what to know about how to watch this year’s edition of the spelling bee.
When is the 2026 Scripps National Spelling Bee? See date, time
The Scripps National Spelling Bee will take place over three days between May 26 and 28 at Washington, DC’s historic Constitution Hall.
2026 Scripps National Spelling Bee TV schedule
Presenter and ESPN analyst Mina Kimes will host the semifinals and finals along with former national competitor Paul Loeffler, who is celebrating his 20th year as a Bee analyst.
How to watch Scripps National Spelling Bee live on TV, streaming
The preliminaries and quarterfinals of the Scripps National Spelling Bee will be available to watch on Scripps Sports, and the semi-finals and finals will air on Scripps-owned channel ION. A live broadcast of the semifinals will stream on Scripps Sports Network and spellingbee.com from 2:30 to 6:30 p.m. ET on May 27.
The finals will also live air on Scripps’ other national networks: Bounce, Grit, ION Mystery and Laff, as well as its free, ad-supported streaming channels ION Plus, Scripps News, Bounce XL, Grit Xtra, Laff More and spellingbee.com.
Fans can head to spellingbee.com/watch and enter their zip code for instructions on how to watch the Bee in their specific area.
Tulare County competition
Lopez spelled “execrable” to win the Tulare County competition in March.
Elementary and middle school students from 100 Tulare County schools competed in this year’s spelling bee, which was held at Tulare County Office of Education.
The spelling master was Scot Hillman. Spelling bee judges were:
Since its founding, Tulare County Spelling Championship has been a partnership between Tulare County Office of Education and Visalia Times-Delta.
This article originally appeared on Visalia Times-Delta: How to watch Tulare County’s Nicole Lopez in Scripps spelling bee
Reporting by Sheyanne N Romero and Saman Shafiq, USA TODAY NETWORK / Visalia Times-Delta
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
