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Nationals Registration Update

• Middle School Registration » Middle School National Tournament registration is now open! Learn more and register on Tabroom.com by May 15. 
• High School Registration » High school tournament registration began March 15 but opens once a district's full district tournament series has concluded and the chair has confirmed the results. Coaches will receive an email when registration is open for their school. Learn more about Nationals »

The Dallas Morning News: The Importance of Speech and Debate

The Dallas Morning News recently published a new op-ed, co-written by our own J. Scott Wunn along with debate educator and AI expert Stefan Bauschard, on why speech and debate is more important than ever in an AI-driven world. As they explain, "AI can now write a college essay, draft a cover letter, or even compose poetry in your voice. But there are things it cannot do: defend what you believe under pressure, reveal conviction, demonstrate courage, exercise judgment in real time, and develop critical thinking."

How to Analyze Public Forum Debate Topics

In this workshop, you will learn how to systematically analyze Public Forum topics, including finding background information, defining words, and mapping clash areas. You'll also learn about several activities that you can use with your students to build their familiarity with the topic and prepare them to start writing cases.

Celebrate Your Graduates with NSDA Honor Cords

NSDA students are eligible to wear honor cords at graduation and induction ceremonies. Honor cords demonstrate membership in our Honor Society and, for many students, the opportunity to wear them is an enticing part of membership.

School policies vary—check with your administration about whether your students can wear honor cords, and share our letter to help make the case. 

Learn How Champion Students Prep and Compete

Learning from a peer expert can be a great tool for beginner and advanced students alike. Our Student Experts Series features videos from experienced competitors from NSDA final rounds. Use these videos in class or at practice or share them with students for independent learning!

Upcoming Live Session: Your students are invited to learn from the 2024 World Schools champions in our Champion Q&A on March 26 at 7:00 p.m. CT. Team Ozark Red's Kwaku Asare-Bawuah, August Kleiboeker, and Imani Lwali will answer live questions and share their strategies for succeeding in Worlds. This is a great opportunity for students trying Worlds for the first time at Nationals! More info »

How to Complete National Tournament Registration in Tabroom.com

Is your school attending the National Tournament this summer? Join Tabroom.com super-users Martin Glendinning and Zachary Prax on March 23 at 7:00 p.m. CT as they take you through the steps of completing high school National Tournament registration on Tabroom.com.

Apply for Funding to Get to Nationals

Headed to Nationals? Apply by April 22 for a grant from the Road to Nationals Fund founded by the William Woods Tate, Jr., Memorial Fund. These grants support high school teams who need financial assistance and can be used for food, travel, and lodging expenses. Grants range from $100 to $1,000, with average grants of $500.

Advocate for a Speech and Debate Class

Adding a speech and debate class during the day allows you dedicated time to work with students in a structure that guarantees you see the same students every time. It can also provide stability and improve your work-life balance by reducing the frequency or intensity of practices. Upon completion of our free NSDA Learn course you will be able to: 

• Showcase student and parent interest. 
• Demonstrate how a class helps your school achieve its goals. 
• Determine the positioning and structure of your course. 
• Make a pitch incorporating data and student voices. 

Register for the Last-Chance Qualifier

Registration for the Last-Chance Qualifier is open until April 17! This free, online tournament is an opportunity for students who did not qualify through their district tournament to have a chance to attend the 2026 National Tournament. The Last-Chance Qualifier will be held April 23-25, 2026. 

Hall of Fame Voting 

The highest honor for any high school speech and debate coach is election to the NSDA Hall of Fame. Hall of Fame voting will take place from now until March 27. Current Hall of Fame members and active coaches with three or more Diamond Awards may vote online to select this year’s inductees. To access the ballot, eligible coaches can log in to their NSDA Account and select NSDA Voting from the left side menu. 

Opportunities to Get Involved with Debate Topics

Submit Topic Ideas: Are you interested in shaping the topics your students will debate next season? Coaches, alumni, and students are invited to submit topic ideas for Public Forum, Lincoln-Douglas, Big Questions, and World Schools for consideration by the wording committees by March 20!

Policy Topic Fellowship: High school Policy Debate coaches interested in writing a topic paper and attending the annual topic meeting next summer should apply for the Policy Topic Fellowship! We have partnered with the NFHS to offer two Policy Debate topic fellowships with a goal of increased representation in the topic process. Learn more and apply by April 1. 

Questions? We're here to help! Email info@speechanddebate.org or call (920) 748-6206.