‘Jeopardy!’: Scott Riccardi Rival Jonathan Hugendubler Speaks Out After Their Big Matchup

Jeopardy! Inc./Sony

Jonathan Hugendubler is set to compete on Jeopardy! against superchamp Scott Riccardi on Friday, July 25, the last episode of the season. The two men will also compete against Charlotte Cooper as Riccardi tries to go for his 17th win.

Hugendubler, from Baltimore, Maryland, spoke out about this time on the game show and how he is throwing a watch party tonight for his episode. He is an adjunct professor at Carroll County Community College and an adjunct lecturer at McDaniel College, and has been watching Jeopardy! since 2014, according to Penn Live.

The craft beer bar, Brass Top Baltimore, shared that Hugendubler hosts their trivia nights three nights a week at 7:30, so he has definitely brushed up on his skills. His watch party will be at the trivia bar. Going up against Riccardi, an engineer, is still going to be a tough one.

“See you all on July 25. Looking forward to closing out this season with you all!” Hugendubler wrote on Reddit.

On the platform, he shared that he took the Anytime Test “5/6 times before I got any callback to take the proctored test, and then I was fortunate to make it through after one interview.”

One fan wondered what it was like backstage since it was the last episode of the season. “I definitely enjoyed an assortment of snacks in the green room,” the Jeopardy! contestant shared.

🚨 INCREDIBLE NEWS! Our very own trivia host Jonathan Hugendubler is going to be on JEOPARDY! 🎉

Every Wednesday at 7:30pm, Jonathan brings the trivia magic to Brass Tap Baltimore, and now he’s taking his talents to the biggest stage in quiz shows!

His episode airs Friday,… pic.twitter.com/mHE6UBVquF

— brasstapbaltimore (@brasstapfitz) July 16, 2025

Hugendubler said that he particularly enjoyed the poke bowl in the Sony commissary. “It was pretty fresh, and I felt noticeably less exhausted afterwards,” he shared.

His parents, Rick and Lisa, flew to California with him to cheer him on from the audience. Hugendubler had about six weeks to prepare for the dramatic game. To prepare, he watched Jeopardy!, made flashcards, and took quizzes on Sporcle, an online trivia site.

Speaking to Penn Live, Hugendubler said competing on Jeopardy! is an “experience he won’t forget.” “I wasn’t nervous, so to speak, but it was incredibly intense,” he shared. “It was the nature of being there and the nature that this is your one shot at this, which was incredibly intense for me.” He also got to meet the host, Ken Jennings.

Tune in tonight to see the showdown between Riccardi, Hugendubler, and Cooper. Find out who will close out the season as a winner. Can anyone take down the superchamp?

Jeopardy!, Weeknights, check local listings