September 25–27, 2026 • Clemson, South Carolina
SC Quantathon v3
A student-led quantum hackathon at Clemson University, with challenges set by Savannah River National Laboratory and Quantum Rings.
About
SC Quantathon v3 carries forward the quantum hackathon that SC Quantum founded and hosted for its first two iterations in the Southeast. For this third edition, Clemson Quantum Club and Clemson University hosted it at the Watt Family Innovation Center.
Teams worked through the weekend with mentors and organizers on hand, and sponsors held firesides on Saturday.
Past editions, hosted by SC Quantum in Columbia: SC Quantathon v1 (opens in a new tab) (October 10–13, 2024) and SC Quantathon v2 (opens in a new tab) (October 9–12, 2025).
Recap of SC Quantathon v2 (2025) in Columbia:
Key Details
Watt Family Innovation Center
405 S Palmetto Blvd, Clemson, SC 29634
Check-in was at the north door into the Atrium, and hotel shuttles dropped off at the traffic circle outside.
Open in Apple Maps (opens in a new tab) · Google Maps (opens in a new tab)
Schedule
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Challenges
(opens in a new tab)
SRNL Challenge files on GitHub (opens in a new tab)
Savannah River National Laboratory, the Department of Energy lab in Aiken, South Carolina, set a challenge drawn from its applied research. The full brief was released at the opening ceremony.
Quantum Rings Challenge files on GitHub (opens in a new tab)
Quantum Rings builds a high-performance quantum circuit simulator and SDK. Its challenge had teams analyze QASM files and build machine learning models that predict how long a circuit takes to run on the Quantum Rings simulator. The full brief was released at the opening ceremony.
Sponsors
Where to Stay
Hotels near Clemson University. Dollar signs are estimates for prices. Shuttles ran between these hotels and the Watt Center each morning and evening of the event.
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Group rate Comfort Inn & Suites Clemson (opens in a new tab) 1305 Tiger Blvd, Clemson1.9 mi $
The event’s group rate, with deluxe hot breakfast included:
Standard room: $89/night
Junior king mini suite: $104/night -
Hampton Inn Clemson (opens in a new tab) 851 Tiger Blvd, Clemson2.1 mi $$$
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Holiday Inn Express & Suites Clemson (opens in a new tab) 1381 Tiger Blvd, Clemson2.5 mi $$$
FAQ
These were the answers for the September 2026 event.
Who can participate?
Undergraduate and graduate students from any major who are 18 or older. Most participants come from computing, physics, engineering, and mathematics.
Do I need quantum computing experience?
No. Mentors and organizers are on hand all weekend, and the challenges are written so first-time participants can get started right away. Experienced students have room to build bigger projects.
How much does it cost?
Nothing. SC Quantathon v3 is free to attend, and meals and event materials are provided.
Do I need a team before I arrive?
No. Teams are 3 to 5 students. You can register on your own, and if you have not found a team by the event we will place you with teammates.
What should I bring?
A laptop and charger, plus free qBraid (opens in a new tab) and IBM Quantum (opens in a new tab) accounts, set up before you arrive. If your team is assigned the Quantum Rings challenge, you will set up that account on Saturday.
Where should I stay?
See the Where to Stay list above for a discounted group rate and other hotels close to the Watt Family Innovation Center.
How do I get to Clemson?
If you are flying, use Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport (GSP), about 45 minutes from campus by car or rideshare. Shuttles run between the hotels listed above and the Watt Family Innovation Center: Friday they leave the hotels at 4:45 PM and leave Watt at 8:45 PM; Saturday they leave the hotels at 8:15 AM and leave Watt at 11:30 PM; Sunday they leave the hotels at 8:15 AM and leave Watt at 7:45 PM. Do not park on campus without a pass, since Clemson Parking tows. If you are driving, tell us on the lodging and parking form sent to accepted participants and we will arrange a daily pass. Otherwise, visitor passes can be bought online and metered parking is available near Watt.
Where in the building will things happen?
Check in at the north door into the Atrium, which also hosts Friday dinner, Saturday sponsor tabling and firesides, and Sunday meals. The welcome and awards ceremonies are in the Auditorium, and Saturday meals and the opening ceremony are on the Terrace. Team rooms are on the second and third floors. Mentors are in Watt 323, and judging is in Watt 310, 313, and 316. Watt stays open overnight on Saturday for hacking.
How should I prepare?
Work through the self-paced bootcamp, released one day at a time from September 14 to 22. It covers the basics and the tools the challenges use. Brushing up on Python helps too. Project work starts at the opening ceremony, not before.
How and when do we submit?
Through Devpost (opens in a new tab). Project submissions are due Sunday, September 27 at 10:00 AM. Devpost lists exactly what each team needs to include. Judging presentations begin at 12:00 PM and awards are at 6:00 PM.
How does judging work?
Judging starts Sunday at 12:00 PM. Each team presents for 10 minutes, then takes 5 minutes of questions from the judges, who include the sponsor that wrote the challenge. First place is awarded for each challenge, plus one grand prize across both challenges.
Is travel reimbursed?
No. The event is free and meals are provided, but we cannot reimburse travel or lodging.
How do I register?
Registration for SC Quantathon v3 has closed.
Is there a code of conduct?
Yes. Everyone at the event agrees to the Clemson Quantum Club Code of Conduct. Organizers are available all weekend if anything needs to be addressed.
Quantathon Committee
