How Many Times Has Binghamton Been Mentioned on ‘Jeopardy!’?

In early April, a question asked on 'Jeopardy!' that left many wondering if it was all a coincidence or if there was something more behind the question.

The episode, part of the college student tournament, was filmed on February 3 (less than a month before the World Health Organization announced the Coronavirus was officially a worldwide pandemic) but didn't air until Tuesday, April 6. In the episode, Nathaniel Miller, a student at Yale picked from the “Health & Medicine” category and Alex gave him this clue: “From a Greek word for people, it describes a disease that affects many people at one time.”  Miller's answer? “What is a pandemic?”  His answer, as you can imagine, was accepted.

"Did anyone else get a lump in their throat when they realized “pandemic” was an answer on #Jeopardy tonight or just me?" Twitter user Justin Rocke wrote.  Other people brushed it off, figuring it was a simple coincidence. Lispy Lizard wrote, "It's a bit surprising that people don't seem to know that they film these months in advance. If just the word "pandemic" is enough to upset you, then I really don't know what to say to that."

All of this 'Jeopardy!' business in the news recently got me wondering...how many times has the word "Binghamton" been mentioned on the show? Finding the answer wasn't hard because Binghamton has only been mentioned twice.

According to the J! Archives, the first time Binghamton was mentioned on 'Jeopardy!' was May 5, 1999. The category was 'When They Were in College' and the question was, "A music major at SUNY-Binghamton, he later co-wrote the theme song for his TV series "Mad About You." Do you know the person? The answer is Paul Reiser.

The second time Binghamton was mentioned on 'Jeopardy!' was on October 31, 2016. The category was 'BING' and the question was, "It's the State University of New York campus that fits the category." The answer, of course, was "Binghamton."

Speaking of 'Jeopardy!' there have been three Binghamtontonians who have made appearances on the show. Dave Maney, a student from Binghamton appeared during season three and won $9,400. Brendon Stanton, an investigator from Binghamton appeared on the show in March of 2015, and Kevin Boettcher, an administrator at Binghamton University appeared on the show during season 36 and walked away with a total of 61,402‬.

Binghamtonians aren't the only area residents to appear on 'Jeopardy!'

• Jack Kuehl, a tutor and ski instructor from Endicott showed up during season 11 on April 3, 1995.
• Jason Scull, a teacher and, a brewer from Vestal made his debut during season 23 on September 29, 2006.
• Jeff Rinde, a teacher from Endwell appeared on the show on March 30, 1995.

And, special acknowledgment goes to Sara DelVillano. DelVillano is currently a resident of Lanham, Maryland, and is employed as a middle school instrumental music teacher but she grew up in Binghamton. DelVillano appeared on four episodes in 2019.