Liberty Debate sweeps national rankings for 10th time in program history

The Liberty University Debate Team has completed a sweep of all three major titles during the 2019-20 competition season, marking the 10th time the team has done so in the last 14 years. No other university has accomplished the feat even once.

Liberty finished the year ranked first in both the Cross Examination Debate Association (CEDA) and National Debate Tournament (NDT) rankings, and, thanks to their win at the American Debate Association (ADA) National Tournament in March, they completed a sweep of all three titles. Official rankings were released this week.

“This team competed like champions from our first tournament in September to our final tournament in March,” Liberty Director of Debate Michael Hall said. “They didn’t let early-season success lull them into complacency. Even after multiple tournament wins, this team competed with an urgency you usually see from teams looking for their first win. I couldn’t be prouder of this team and the way they represented Liberty University.”

The season included strong wins against teams from Harvard, Georgetown, Indiana, Kansas, Michigan State, Cornell, and NYU, among others.

2019-20 National Rankings

AMERICAN DEBATE ASSOCIATION

1. Liberty University
2. George Mason University
3. Emory University
4. University of California, Berkeley
5. Indiana University
6. Wake Forest University
7. James Madison University
8. University of Kentucky
9. University of Michigan
10. University of Kansas

CROSS EXAMINATION DEBATE ASSOCIATION

1. Liberty University
2. University of California, Berkeley
3. George Mason University
4. Emory University
5. University of Kansas
6. Wake Forest University
7. Northwestern University
8. University of Michigan
9. United States Military Academy
10. University of Texas

NATIONAL DEBATE TOURNAMENT

1. Liberty University
2. George Mason University
3. University of California, Berkeley
4. University of Kansas
5. Emory University
6. Wake Forest University
7. University of Michigan
8. Northwestern University
9. Dartmouth University
10. University of Texas