Word Cup 2027 | Madison, Wisconsin

July 17-21, 2027 | Madison Marriott West

31 games • $150 entry • $129/night hotel • Free parking

Word Cup 2027 is headed to the Madison Marriott West in Middleton, Wisconsin. We’re making this year’s championship more affordable, with a $150 main-event entry fee, a $129/night tournament hotel rate, and free parking.

Unlike previous years, the entry fee will not increase as the tournament approaches. Register early, though, and you’ll be eligible for special drawings and incentives.

The 2027 Word Cup will be directed by Josh Greenway and Kieran O’Connor.
You can contact them anytime at wordcup@wordgameplayers.org.

Hotel: Madison Marriott West

1313 John Q. Hammons Drive
Middleton, Wisconsin, USA, 53562
608-831-2000

$129/night + tax | Free parking
Indoor pool | Fitness Center | Restaurant/Bar | M Club
Near Greenway Station dining and shopping Google Review

• Reserve Hotel Online
• For phone reservations, call +1 (888) 745-2032 and provide the code “Word Cup 2027“
• Room block deadline: June 25, 2027
• Looking for a roommate? Click here
• Individuals must guarantee reservations with a valid credit card that will be charged at the time of booking for the first night’s room and tax.
• Cancellations made inside seven (7) days, and no shows will forfeit the first night’s room, resort fee and tax. Guests who depart early after check-in will be charged for the entire stay.

Staying Outside the Hotel

Players who do not stay in the official Word Cup hotel block are subject to a $100 commuter fee per player. To be counted in the block, reservations must be made through the Word Cup booking link or by phone using the Word Cup 2027 room block. Reservations made with points, free-night certificates, third-party sites, or outside the official block do not count toward the room block.

Entry Fees

• $150 Main Event (31 games) 
• $25 Early Bird (7 games) 
• $100 Commuter Fee (players staying outside the official hotel block)
• Youth (under 18): $20 Early Bird, $100 Main Event

Key Dates

Divisions

Players will be placed into divisions based on their WGPO rating. Division eligibility is as follows:

• Division 1 (open to all players)
• Division 2 (open to players rated below 1700)
• Division 3 (open to players rated below 1450)
• Division 4 (open to players rated below 1200)
• CSW Division 1 (open to all players)
• CSW Division 2 (open to players rated below 1600)

Directors may also consider ratings from other organizations when determining appropriate division placement. Directors reserve the right to place a player into a more appropriate division for rating or competitive-parity considerations and to adjust division cutoffs based on registration.

Final division placement, rating criteria, and seeding and pairing procedures will be announced closer to the tournament.

Lexicons

• WOW – WOW2024 lexicon
• Collins – CSW2024 lexicon

Who’s Going

Who’s signed up for WOW: Early Bird | Main Event 
Who’s signed up for CSW: Early Bird | Main Event 

Daily Schedule

Fri 7/16 – Registration for Main Event / Early Bird

• 10:00AM-11:00AM – Early Bird Registration and Setup
• 11:00AM-3:00PM – Early Bird Rounds 1-4, followed by short break
• 3:30PM-6:30PM – Rounds 5-7
• 11:00AM-7:00PM – Main Event Registration

Sat 7/17 – Main Event Day 1

• 9:00AM-1:00PM – Rounds 1-4
• 1:00PM-3:00PM – Lunch
• 3:00PM-6:00PM – Rounds 5-7

Sun 7/18 – Main Event Day 2

• 9:00AM-1:00PM – Rounds 8-11
• 1:00PM-3:00PM – Lunch
• 3:00PM-6:00PM – Rounds 12-14

Mon 7/19 – Main Event Day 3

• 9:00AM-1:00PM – Rounds 15-18
• 1:00PM-3:00PM – Lunch
• 3:00PM-6:00PM – Rounds 19-21

Tue 7/20 – Main Event Day 4

• 9:00AM-1:00PM – Rounds 22-25
• 1:00PM-3:00PM – Lunch
• 3:00PM-6:00PM – Rounds 26-28

Wed 7/21 – Main Event Day 5

• 9:10AM-12:00PM – Rounds 29-31
• 1:00PM – Awards Ceremony

Check-in

• Players must check in ahead of the event or risk being dropped from the pairings on day one
• Check-in will take place on Friday July 16, 2027 between 11AM-7PM

How to Pay

• WGPO is happy to offer no processing fee for payments made by:
  • Zelle | send payment to entryfees@wordgameplayers.org 
  • Check | mail to: WGPO c/o Jan Cardia / 92 Sweet Pine Trail / Ponte Vedra, FL 32081 
• A $5 processing fee applies to all Main Event entry fees paid by PayPal, and Square
  • PayPal (Click here)
  • Square (Click here) (credit card, apple pay, google pay)  

Prizes

Award winnings will be paid by WGPO within two weeks of the conclusion of the tournament. 

All US residents and US citizens who have reached $2000 to-date will be required to fill out a Form W-9 unless one is already on file with a current address. Forms 1099 will be filed with the IRS at the end of the year. 

All non-US residents who receive award winnings will be required to fill out a Form W-8BEN and will incur a 30% tax withholding unless an exception is documented.  Forms 1042-S will be filed with the IRS at the end of the year. A nonresident tax return may be filed in order to retrieve some or all of the withholding.

New Players

Players who are new to competitive Scrabble are welcome, but they are highly encouraged to first participate in a smaller tournament. This is to make sure you understand the rules and appreciate the stamina that will be required to play 31 games over the course of five days. If you have questions, please contact wordcup@wordgameplayers.org.

Volunteering

It takes a Scrabble village to put on a Scrabble tournament! If you (or a non-playing family member or friend) have any free time during the event, your service would be deeply appreciated! Please email us at wordcup@wordgameplayers.org.

Vendors

Do you want to sell your Scrabble-themed cards, hats, bags, coasters, boards, etc. at this year’s Word Cup in Madison? Contact us at wordcup@wordgameplayers.org.

I’m Ready to Sign Up

More info

Email wordcup@wordgameplayers.org with any questions.