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    CAL INVITATIONAL UC BERKELEY

    14-16 February 2026

    DEADLINE
    13 Jan 2026
    NO DROPS/REFUNDS AFTER THIS DATE
    ELIGIBILITY
    Open to middle and high school students
    LOCATION
    In-person at UC Berkeley OR online
    Tournament Map

    Information

    Greetings,
    This is your formal invitation to the 2026 Cal Invitational Speech and Debate Tournament, to be held February 14-16, 2026.We plan to hold a mix of speech and debate events in-person, as well as online-only divisions for some events.
    Please note that our exact event mix, including which events will be online, is still TBD and subject to change. We hope to make final decisions in Fall of 2025.
    We anticipate a similar schedule to last year, with two main time blocks (Speech + CX and LD/PF). Speech will be patterned in each Speech time block to allow for double entry.
    Unfortunately, we will have significantly fewer rooms on campus in 2026 than prior years, due to the University decommissioning one of our main classroom buildings. As such, our entry caps are likely to be lower, and some divisions will likely need to be moved online.

    Events and Divisions (Tentative)
    • Lincoln Douglas
      TOC LD
      Open LD
      JV LD (Online)
      Novice LD (Online)
    • Public Forum
      TOC PF
      Open PF
      JV PF (Online)
      Novice PF (Online)
      Middle School PF (Online)
    • Pattern A Speech
      Dramatic Interpretation (Pattern A)
      Humorous Interpretation (Pattern A)
      Impromptu Speaking (Pattern A)
      Original Oratory (Pattern A)
    • Pattern B Speech
      Duo Interpretation (Pattern B)
      Informative Speaking (Pattern B)
      Program Oral Interpretation (Pattern B)
      ​Extemporaneous Speaking (Pattern B, no double entry in Pattern B)
    - We reserve the right to cancel or combine divisions with insufficient entries, and will notify participants in advance of any COVID-related changes.
    - All divisions will receive trophies for all elimination round participants.
    - There will be 4 preliminary rounds of individual events, 5 preliminary rounds of JV/Novice/MS Debate divisions, and 6 preliminary rounds of TOC/Open Debate divisions. Specific event schedules will be released on Tabroom in advance of the tournament.

    ​Double Entry Policy
    ​Students may double enter in-person in speech and debate, and may double enter in speech events. Double entries are limited to 2 events per pattern, as listed above, except Extemp, which cannot enter other Pattern B events.
    All double entry is at a student’s own risk. No accommodations will be made for a student missing a round due to double entry.
    Students may only participate in elimination rounds in one event due to scheduling - students clearing to elims in multiple events will have to choose which event to continue in.
    ​
    TOC Qualifiers
    TOC divisions are a Tournament of Champions qualifier in the following:
    ​
    Double Octafinals in Silver PF
    Octafinals in Gold PF
    Octafinals in LD
    Speech events according to size

    Entry Limits
    The following events currently have entry caps:
    Varsity LD (180 total entries, max 8 per school)
    JV LD (100 total entries, max 8 per school)
    Novice LD (60 total entries, max 4 per school)
    Varsity PF (180 total entries, max 8 per school)
    JV PF (120 total entries, max 8 per school)
    Novice PF (60 total entries, max 6 per school)
    Middle School PF (60 total entries, max 6 per school)
    ​
    ​Per-school caps do not mean you are guaranteed that number of entries, they are the maximum number you can enter in each event. We will do our best to raise these caps if we're able to secure additional competition space, and will may admit more than the per-school limit if there are unused slots after the entry deadline.
    We do not currently anticipate entry caps in speech events, though this may change closer to the event.
    Please do not email us to ask for exceptions to the caps or to ask about the waitlist.

    Topics
    Lincoln-Douglas Debate will use the 2025-2026 January-February NSDA topic.
    Public Forum Debate will use the February 2026 NSDA topic.
    ​
    ​Divisions Eligibility Restrictions
    • Both the TOC and Open divisions of debate events are open entry for 9th-12th grades.​
    • JV divisions are open entry, but are primarily intended for students who have not yet competed in Varsity.
    • Novice divisions are intended for students in their first full year of competition. Middle School participation or e.g. minimal competition in a different event does not necessarily preclude a student from being entered in Novice.​
    • Middle School PF is for students in grades 6th-8th. Students in 6th-8th grade MUST be entered in the appropriate middle school division, and are not eligible to compete in HS divisions.
    ​
    Rules
    Events generally follow CHSSA rules (chssa.org). Debate events follow TOC/NSDA rules for things like side flips and internet usage rules. In the event CHSSA does not cover an event or scenario, we defer to NSDA rules (speechanddebate.org). Some events may have specific rules modifications; these may be communicated by the respective tabroom staff, or printed directly on the ballots provided to judges.

    We expect attendees to abide by the NSDA's Harrasment and Discrimination Policy:
    https://www.speechanddebate.org/harassment-discrimination-policy/

    ​We have a designated Equity Officer, you can contact the tournament to be put in touch with them.
    ​

    ​JUDGES, PLEASE READ CAREFULLY

    ​Judge Commitments
    • All judges are committed through the first elim on Monday (usually the Double or Triple Octafinals depending on event size), or one round beyond the elimination of your teams, whichever is later.
    • Even if your school doesn’t have any teams in elimination rounds, your judges are still committed through the first elimination round on Monday. Elim judging commitments also apply in all divisions of an event so if you have a JV team in your Varsity judges are still committed and vice versa.
    • Note that you are responsible for covering your judging obligations in all time slots - marking a judge as unavailable means you will need to provide another judge that can cover the obligation during that time slot.
    • All judges must be 18 years or older, and not currently enrolled in high school.
    • All judges must have a valid phone number entered in Tabroom.

    Fines
    The penalty for a judge failing to report to an assigned round is $100 per round. This fine is assessed even when a replacement judge is found.
    All entry fees and any other penalties/fines must be paid in full before a team will be allowed to advance to the elimination rounds (or the next elim).

    Decision Times
    Decision times will be strictly enforced. Policy rounds must be decided two hours after the announced start time, and LD/PF rounds must be decided fifty five minutes after the announced start time.


    COVID Safety Protocols
    All attendees are solely responsible for following all guidelines from your institution. The Cal Invitational accepts no responsibility or liability for the health of tournament attendees. All participation in the tournament is at your own risk.
    Vaccination against COVID-19 is strongly recommended for all tournament attendees. However, there is no tournament vaccination requirement.
    We will utilize the best practices and any rules and regulations required by the University or recommended by the CDC. We will keep attendees updated with specific policies as we get closer to the event.

    Divisions Eligibility Restrictions
    • Both the TOC and Open divisions of debate events are open entry for 9th-12th grades.​
    • JV divisions are open entry, but are primarily intended for students who have not yet competed in Varsity.
    • Novice divisions are intended for students in their first full year of competition. Middle School participation or e.g. minimal competition in a different event does not necessarily preclude a student from being entered in Novice.​
    • Middle School PF is for students in grades 6th-8th. Students in 6th-8th grade MUST be entered in the appropriate middle school division, and are not eligible to compete in HS divisions.

    Maverick Entries
    Maverick teams are not permitted to enter prior to the tournament. If a team becomes maverick due to illness of a partner during the tournament, the ill debater may miss no more than 2 debates to be able to return and continue debating. Mavericks may win the debate. Mavericks will not be permitted to clear to elimination rounds.

    We look forward to hosting you!


    OTHER LOGISTICAL DETAILS

    Hotel Information (if needed)
    You should not make non-refundable travel arrangements until your entries have been cleared from the waitlist.
    ​The following hotels have blocks for the tournament:
    < Coming soon >

    ​Campus Food Information
    Due to UC Berkeley campus policy, food and drink (besides water) are prohibited in all campus buildings.
    UC Berkeley is also a "Zero Waste Campus" and takes the commitment to sustainable waste management very seriously. Failure of our tournament attendees to abide by these policies would seriously jeopordize our ability to host this event in the future, so please help us by paying attention to the following guidelines and sharing this information with everyone on your team:
    • No food in the competition buildings. Please eat outside, off campus, or in a designated food area.
    • There will be a designated food area in the courtyard outside Dwinelle Hall. If you plan to deliver food for your students to eat on campus, please do so in that area, and follow the directions for waste disposal.
    • Berkeley has an amazing number and variety of food options within very short walk of campus - we strongly recommend eating off campus at any of the local restaurants, and disposing of your trash there, rather than on campus.
    • Please have everyone on your team bring their own reusable water bottles - there are ample filling stations throughout campus, and it goes a long way to reducing trash to avoid single-use water bottles.
    • Please avoid disposing of any single-use plastic on campus. That includes things like candy wrappers, chip bags, soda bottles, straws, etc.

    Extemp Topic Areas
    ​
    Topic areas for Extemp will be posted in mid-January.

    ​Parking Information
    We do not have parking passes available for purchase this year. However, there are plenty of options available in the immediate vicinity of campus, some free.
    • Street parking is free on Sunday and Monday (but NOT on Saturday).
    For Saturday, or if you can't find street parking Sunday/Monday, there are several paid parking lots available on or near campus. The easiest way to pay for campus parking is with the PayByPhone app, instructions for download and use can be found here:
    • https://pt.berkeley.edu/PayByPhone
    ​Here are the most convenient campus lots with their PayByPhone Location Code:
    • BancroftFulton - 9413
    • MLK - 9483
    • RSF Garage - 9484
    • Underhill Lot - 9472
    • Dwinelle Lot - 9462 (CURRENTLY UNDER CONSTRUCTION, NOT AVAILABLE)
    ​Here are additional paid lots near campus:
    • Allston Way Garage
    • Telegraph Channing Garage​

    Full 2026 Covid Guidelines
    https://www.tabroom.com/index/tourn/index.mhtml?webpage_id=32712&tourn_id=35299

    ​Entry Price

    ONLINE
    Novice/JV LD and parent is judging $150
    Novice/JV LD + 1 Speech and parent is judging $235
    Novice/JV LD + 2 Speech and parent is judging $320
    Novice/JV LD and parent is OPTING OUT of $300
    Novice/JV LD + 1 Speech and parent is OPTING OUT of $400
    Novice/JV LD + 2 Speech and parent is OPTING OUT of $490

    IN-PERSON
    Open/TOC LD and parent is judging $210

    Open/TOC LD + 1 Speech and parent is judging $295
    Open/TOC LD + 2 Speech and parent is judging $380
    Open/TOC LD and parent is OPTING OUT of $370
    Open/TOC LD + 1 Speech and parent is OPTING OUT of $465
    Open/TOC LD + 2 Speech and parent is OPTING OUT of $560

    ONLINE
    MS/Novice/JV PF and parent is judging $125
    MS/Novice/JV PF + 1 Speech and parent is judging $210
    MS/Novice/JV PF + 2 Speech and parent is judging $295
    MS/Novice/JV PF and parent is OPTING OUT ​of $285
    MS/Novice/JV PF + 1 Speech and parent is OPTING OUT ​of $380
    MS/Novice/JV PF + 2 Speech and parent is OPTING OUT ​of $475

    IN-PERSON
    ​Open/TOC PF and parent is judging $140
    Open/TOC PF + 1 Speech and parent is judging $225
    Open/TOC PF + 2 Speech and parent is judging $310
    Open/TOC PF and parent is OPTING OUT ​of $300
    Open/TOC PF + 1 Speech and parent is OPTING OUT ​of $395
    Open/TOC PF + 2 Speech and parent is OPTING OUT ​of $490

    One Speech Event and parent is judging $135
    Two Speech Events and parent is judging $220

    One Speech Event and parent is OPTING OUT ​of $255
    Two Speech Events and parent is OPTING OUT ​of $350

    Each person in a PF/Duo team would be responsible of providing their own judge, so one PF/Duo team would need to either provide two judges, both pay the judge fee, or one of each option.

    Registration will not be complete until payment is received.
     
    NOTE: We will charge set up fees if we have to create tabroom.com accounts for judges. It is recommended you do so on your own.

    Schedule - PST

    Tentative Schedule
    We plan to use a similar schedule to last year, with some minor modifications. The below is tentative and subject to change as we finalize our room availability. During the tournament, the schedule remains subject to change as necessary.
    ​
    ​Speech events are split into two patterns (see above), which will take place back-to-back in each speech round timeslot. Pattern B events will start approximately 1 hour after the listed start time. Extemp draw is 30 minutes before the start time of each Pattern B.
    ​
    SATURDAY
    Saturday 7:45a Speech Round 1
    Saturday 10:00a PF/LD Round 1
    Saturday 12:30p Speech Round 2
    Saturday 3:00p PF/LD Round 2
    Saturday 5:30p Speech Round 3
    Saturday 8:00p PF/LD Round 3

    SUNDAY
    Sunday 7:45a Speech Round 4
    Sunday 10:00a PF/LD Round 4
    Sunday 12:30p Speech Elim 1
    Sunday 3:00p PF/LD Round 5
    Sunday 5:30p Speech Elim 2
    Sunday 8:00p PF/LD Round 6

    MONDAY
    Monday 8:00a Debate Elim 1
    Monday 9:00a Speech Elim 3
    Monday 10:30a Speech Elim 4 / Debate elims continue
    Monday 1:00p Debate elims continue
    Monday 3:30p Debate elims continue
    Monday 6:00p Debate elims continue
    Monday 8:30p Debate elims continue

    Drop Fee

    Drop fees will be the same amounts as the entry fee PLUS any fees the tournament charges us for late drops. Drop requests should be made to Victor and Nadia.

    Please do not drop out last minute to avoid being charged these fees.

    Contact Info

    Victor Rivas Umana
    Contact email:  [email protected]

    Nadia Budiman 
    Contact email: [email protected]

    Or [email protected]

    Registration Form


    STUDENT INFORMATION
    ​
    Suggested attire for the tournament can be found here.
    ​More tournament resources can be found 
    here.
    If this is your first time competing, make sure to first create a Tabroom account here: https://www.tabroom.com/user/login/new_user.mhtml
    It's super simple and quick (<1 minute), but follow the guidelines here in case anything is confusing: ​https://docs.tabroom.com/Sign_Up

    PARENT CONTACT INFORMATION
    Your email address will be the one included when we send the logistics email.
    Parents are responsible for bringing their child to UC Berkeley on their own.

    EVENT SELECTION
    • ​Students may double enter in-person in speech and debate, and may double enter in speech events. Double entries are limited to 2 events per pattern, as listed above, except Extemp, which cannot enter other Pattern B events.
    • All double entry is at a student’s own risk. No accommodations will be made for a student missing a round due to double entry.
    • ​Students may only participate in elimination rounds in one event due to scheduling - students clearing to elims in multiple events will have to choose which event to continue in.
    BOTH partners must fill out form and pay in order to be registered!

    ​JUDGE PROVISION
    DO NOT SIGN UP TO JUDGE IF YOU CANNOT MAKE THE SCHEDULE COMMITMENT. KEEP IN MIND THAT YOU WILL NEED TO JUDGE ON MONDAY AS WELL.
    The penalty for a judge failing to report to an assigned round is $100 per round.

    ​Click here to complete the mandatory Cultural Competency judge training course

    Signing up a judge without having a Tabroom account will result in us charging you for the set up fee.
    ​You can do this easily on your own by going to tabroom.com. It literally takes less than a minute.


    First time judging?
    This is a great collection of short videos that one of the leagues have put together to learn each event: click here.
    ​There are also these training cards available that include a summary of each event's rules and comments.​
    ​Click here to find other training and official certification resources. Or watch our Youtube playlist here.
    ​

    ​Tournaments encourage judges to have a paradigm on their Tabroom account, which can be a few sentences on your preferences of debating styles, etc. See here for example. It doesn't need to be this long, but make sure to add something before you sign up. For example: "I am a parent, please speak clearly and slowly and avoid technical jargon".​

    ​
    More tournament resources can be found here.

    TERMS AND CONDITIONS
Submit/take to payment

We would love to have you visit soon at one of our open houses.
Check our home page for the schedule!


School year Hours

M-F: 3:45 pm - 8:30 pm 
Sun: 10:00 am - 4:00 pm

Telephone

510-270-8480
510-470-0531

Email (preferred)

For more info email us at: [email protected]

Locations

Fremont: 200 Brown Rd #201, Fremont, CA 94539

Cupertino: 20432 Silverado Avenue Suite 211, Cupertino, CA 95014

Aborn Institute: 2804 Riedel Road, San Jose, CA 95135 

​​​​Dublin: Loving Tree Academy, 6693 Owens Dr, Pleasanton, CA 94588​​
  • Home
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    • Meet Our Coaches
    • Why Speech and Debate
    • What is Speech and Debate? >
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    • FAQ
  • Forms
  • Registration
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