Join the Liberty Debate Team
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.
Ready to join our team?
Our Current Successes
- Novice Champions at the JV/Novice National Tournament at WVU
- JV Champions at the American Debate Association National Championship at Indiana University.
- Hall of Fame Members
Scholarship Giving Opportunity
The Dr. Rakeem Robinson Liberty University Debate Team Memorial Endowed Scholarship Fund
What Debate Team Alumni Are Saying
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.
Places We Travel:
- George Mason University
- University of Kentucky
- United States Military Academy West Point
- Harvard University
Follow Our Team on Instagram
Congratulations to Liberty CL (Emmalee Layton/Jayden Cunningham) on qualifying for the 79th National Debate Tournament hosted by Gonzaga University!! They went 5-1, earning first place. In addition, Jayden was the 5th Speaker, and Emmalee was the 7th Speaker.
Congratulations Emmalee and Jayden on a great weekend!!
Go Flames!!🔥🔥
#ludebate #LibertyUniversity #goflames

What an AMAZING weekend for the Liberty Flames at the Gotham Debate Tournament, hosted by New School in New York City! 🎉
✨ A massive shoutout to Liberty HF (Ethan Fritz and Cole Heckel) for making it to the Novice Finals! They had an incredible prelim run, finishing with a 4-1 record and snagging the third seed! Congratulations to Ethan for being TOP Speaker 🏆 and Cole for being 3rd Speaker!
✨ Congratulations to Liberty AS (Hayla Aziz and JD Satterfield) for reaching the Semifinals and Liberty ET (Elijah Tooley and Hunter Etienne) for making it to the Quarterfinals! Way to go, Hayla, for being the 11th Speaker, and a big shoutout to Elijah for landing in the 12th spot!
✨And in Varsity Liberty FH (John Hoegerl/Pattick Foos), they were in the Semifinals. John was the 8th Speaker, and Patrick was the 7th Speaker.
Congratulations to the Liberty Flames on another great tournament!! Check back for updates next weekend because our Varsity teams will compete at the District Qualifier, hoping to qualify for the 79th National Debate Tournament hosted by Gonzaga University!!
Go Flames!!🔥🔥
#ludebate #LibertyUniversity #goflames

Last weekend, we had three teams compete at the Texas Open: a Varsity team and two JV teams.
Congratulations to Liberty KS, Alanna Soares and Nova Koenig, for making into the JV Quarterfinals with an impressive 5-1 record, earning the top seed! Way to go, team!
Congratulations to Liberty JW, Kate Jourquez and Kalani Wineman, who also reached the JV Quarterfinals. Fantastic job, everyone!
A special round of applause to Alanna for being JV TOP speaker 🥇 for the second weekend in a row and a big congrats to Nova for ranking as the ninth Speaker!
This weekend, the excitement continues as Liberty Debate sets its sights on the Big Apple for the Gotham Debate Tournament, hosted by New School. Let’s go, Flames! 🔥
#ludebate #goflames #libertyuniversity

Last weekend, we competed at the UTSA Earthseed Debate Tournament. Six teams competed across three divisions.
Congratulations to Liberty HF (Ethan Fitz/Cole Heckel), on going undefeated 6-0, being first seed, and being in the Novice Finals. 🏆
Congratulations to Liberty ET (Hunter Etienne/Elijah Tooley) for reaching the Novice Quarterfinals and Liberty AS (Hayla Aziz) for reaching the novice Octofinals.
In JV, congratulations to Liberty KS ( Nova Koenig/Alanna Soares) for reaching the semifinals and Liberty SW (Lydia Schmidtler/Kalani Wineman) for reaching the quarterfinals.
In addition, we snagged a few speaker awards. In JV, Alanna was the TOP Speaker🥇, and Nova was the 2nd 🥈Speaker. In Novice, Cole was 2nd 🥈and Ethan was 11th.
Congratulations to the Liberty Flames on a great weekend. This weekend, we are competing at the Texas Open tournament in JV and Varsity. Wish us luck as we aim to bring home some hardware!!
#ludebate #goflames #libertyuniversity
