Be part of a full squad competitive debate team with a legacy of over 25 years of championship policy debate. Benefit from our full-time coaching staff and travel throughout the school year. Learn everything you need to join LU Debate and compete with a winning team at LU Debate Week.
Tuition scholarships are available for eligible first-year college debaters with or without experience, and returning junior varsity and varsity debaters.
With the Debate Team, you’ll learn how to grow in graduate-level research and presentation skills that will prepare you for your future. Get trained in critical thinking and argument strategy, and gain practical communication skills.
Debate has introduced me to a world of people, cultures, and ideas that have helped shape who I am. It has shown me that learning critical thinking and complex problem-solving isn’t just found in the classroom.
Dr. Amanda Koch
There is nothing like competitive debate to encourage deep research and sharp thinking while also building empathy with other viewpoints.
Dr. Zach Gautier
My experience doing college debate at Liberty was so practical in refining the key skills that I’ve needed in my career - critical thinking, research, writing, speaking, and the ability to see both sides of an issue. It also allowed me to manage the rigors of my master’s and doctoral work.
Travel With the Debate Team
The competitive debate season spans the entire academic year, so you can expect to travel multiple times each semester. All travel expenses are covered by LU Debate.
Congratulations to Liberty KT (Nova / Elijah) for making Varsity Finals at the Gotham Debate Tournament hosted by The New School. They entered elims as the 2nd seed and delivered all the way through.
Shoutout to Liberty SS (Alanna / Will) for reaching the semifinals as the 3rd seed, and to Liberty EY (Elaine / Hunter) for advancing to quarterfinals as the 4th seed. Every one of these teams went 5–1 in prelims, top to bottom consistency.
Congrats as well to Kate and her swing partner Ryan (St. John’s University) for breaking to octofinals.
On top of strong elim runs, Liberty cleaned up on speaker awards: 🥇Elijah — 1st 🥈Alanna — 2nd 🏅Elaine — 4th 🏅Nova — 5th 🏅Will — 7th 🏅Hunter — 10th
Big congratulations to Liberty PR (Sophia / Ava) for winning the Novice Division at the Gotham Debate Tournament hosted by The New School. They went undefeated in prelims, earned the TOP seed, and closed it out in style. Ava finished as TOP Speaker, with Sophia right behind as 2nd Speaker.
Shoutout as well to Liberty DS (Nathan / Olivia) for advancing to the semifinals. Nathan was also 4th Speaker.
What a weekend for our Novices at the first tournament of the year.
🏆Huge congratulations to Liberty HH (Isaac/Isaiah) for advancing to Finals — they were the 3rd seed overall after going 6–2 in prelims.
🏆Congrats as well to Liberty PR (Sophia/Ava) for making it to Quarterfinals, with Ava earning 5th Speaker and Sophia earning 10th Speaker.
🏆Shoutout to Liberty DS (Olivia/Nathan) for reaching Octafinals, and a special nod to Liberty LT (Taylor/Jozzelyn), who went 4–4 and narrowly missed elimination rounds by just a few speaks.
Overall, an impressive start to the season for our Novice squad. Go Flames! 🔥
