Could the next JIT expand the number of players and have two winners advance (with no producer at-large for S3 of Masters)?
One idea I had is that they do this for the next JIT:
30 players
10 Quarterfinals
6 Semifinals (with 8 highest overall non-winning QF scores advancing as WCs)
2 2-day finals (the two winners being given Masters berths)
This would effectively be a doubled version of the standard 15-person tournament structure, but different, as there would not be a formal split into two brackets of 15 (like the SCT/CWC had).
Here's who I think could compete (with their accolades)
2024 Masters 4th place (automatic bid)
2024 Masters 5th place (automatic bid)
2024 Masters 6th place (automatic bid)
Eric Ahasic (6-game champion, 2022 ToC semifinalist)
Ike Barinholtz (2022 Celebrity Jeopardy winner, 2024 ToC semifinalist)
Emma Boettcher (3-game champion, 2019 ToC 1st runner-up, James Holzhauer’s giant killer)
Sam Buttrey (2021 Professors Tournament winner, 2022 ToC 2nd runner-up, 2023 Masters 6th place, 2024 JIT semifinalist)
Ben Chan (9-game champion, 2024 ToC 1st runner-up)
Brian Chang (7-game champion, 2022 ToC quarterfinalist)
Julia Collins (20-game superchamp, 2014 ToC 2nd runner-up, 2019 All-Star Games participant as captain of Team Julia)
Roger Craig (6-game champion, 2011 ToC winner, 2014 Battle of the Decades 2nd runner-up, Set a then-record for single day winnings)
Jonathan Fisher (11-game superchamp, 2022 ToC quarterfinalist, Matt Amodio’s giant killer)
Leslie Frates (5-game champion, 1991 ToC semifinalist, 1993 10th anniversary tournament 2nd runner-up, 1998 Battle of the Bay Area Brains player, 2002 Million Dollar Masters semifinalist, 2005 UToC round 1 player, 2014 Battle of the Decades invitee)
Andrew He (5-game champion, 2022 ToC 1st runner-up, 2023 Masters 4th place, 2024 JIT 2nd runner-up)
Greg Hopkins (1-game champion, First ever Trebek-era champion)
Ryan Long (16-game superchamp, 2022 ToC quarterfinalist)
Troy Meyer (6-game champion, 2024 ToC 2nd runner-up)
Zach Newkirk (6-game champion, 2022 ToC quarterfinalist)
Ray Lalonde (13-game superchamp, 2024 ToC quarterfinalist)
Cris Pannullo (21-game superchamp, 2024 ToC quarterfinalist)
Amy Schneider (40-game superchamp, 2022 ToC winner, 2023 Masters 5th place, 2024 JIT 1st runner-up)
Russ Schumacher (4-game champion, 2004 ToC winner, 2005 UToC round 1 player, 2014 Battle of the Decades semifinalist)
Bruce Seymour (4-game champion, 1988 ToC quarterfinalist, 1990 Super Jeopardy winner)
Frank Spangenberg (5-game champion, 1990 Super Jeopardy quarterfinalist, 1990 ToC semifinalist, 1993 10th anniversary tournament winner, 2002 Million Dollar Masters quarterfinalist, 2005 UToC semifinalist, 2014 Battle of the Decades invitee)
Eddie Timanus (5-game champion, 2000 ToC semifinalist, 2002 Million Dollar Masters quarterfinalist, 2005 UToC round 1 player, 2014 Battle of the Decades invitee)
Jerome Vered (5-game champion, 1992 ToC 2nd runner-up, 2005 UToC 2nd runner-up, 2014 Battle of the Decades invitee, Set a then-record for single day winnings)
Hannah Wilson (8-game champion, 2024 ToC quarterfinalist)
Seth Wilson (12-game champion, 2017 ToC quarterfinalist, 2019 All-Star Games participant as part of Team Julia)
Juveria Zaheer (2023 Second Chance winner, 2024 Champions Wildcard winner, 2024 ToC quarterfinalist)
Nancy Zerg (1-game champion, Ken Jennings’ giant killer)