NATIONAL SPEECH AND DEBATE SEASON OPENER

    6-8 September 2025

    DEADLINE
    30 August 2025
    NO REFUNDS ARE ALLOWED BY THE TOURNAMENT ORGANIZERS, SO PLEASE BE CERTAIN THAT YOU WILL BE ATTENDING
    ELIGIBILITY
    middle and high school students
    LOCATION
    Online/In-Person at the University of Kentucky

    Information

    Dear Coaches and Competitors,

    ​We are thrilled to welcome you to the National Speech and Debate Season Opener, taking place September 6–8, 2025, online and on the University of Kentucky campus. As the official launch of the TOC’s competitive season, this tournament sets the tone for excellence, growth, and community across our activity. We will be a full service tournament offering Congressional Debate, Lincoln-Douglas, Policy, Public Forum, Speech/IEs, and World Schools Debate. For LD and Policy, we are excited to announce the addition of a Middle School Division. 

    This tournament isn’t just the beginning of a new year, it’s where your Road to the TOC starts. Whether you’re returning with experience or entering your first round, we’re excited to provide a welcoming, competitive, and educational space where students sharpen their skills, connect with peers across the country and globe, and leave inspired to take on the season ahead.


    ​Important Updates
    The 2025 National Speech & Debate Season Opener will host a mix of in-person and online divisions. Please see below for important updates and changes to this year’s event.
    • All fees are non-refundable
    • Competition will occur on campus at the University of Kentucky for Open (Varsity) Public Forum debate events. All other events will be hosted online. 
      • NOTE: Open (Varsity) Public Forum will be held both in person and online as separate divisions
    • ​Bids to the 2026 Tournament of Champions are offered as follows:
      • Lincoln-Douglas Debate: Quarterfinals (Top 8) - online varsity
      • Public Forum Debate: Quarterfinals (Top 8) - in-person varsity
      • Public Forum Debate: Quarterfinals (Top 8) - online varsity 
    Speech Events: TBD Based on entries using qualification requirements. All speech events will be synchronous.


    Events and Divisions
    The University of Kentucky Intercollegiate Debate program has decided to offer a set of separate online divisions at its National Speech & Debate Season Opener. This decision was made to balance a growing set of circumstances surrounding early season travel, while still maintaining the university's ability to meet its contractual obligations.
    We are adding a Middle School division to Lincoln Douglas.

    Public Forum
    • Open (Varsity) will be held in-person AND online as two separate divisions
    • Middle School will be held online
    • Novice will be held online
    Lincoln Douglas
    • Open (Varsity) will be held online
    • Novice will be held online
    • Middle School will be held online
    Speech
    • Will offer a single online division in each event, with eligibility extended to Middle School, Novice, and Varsity competitors. 
    • All events will be synchronous. 
    • Bids will be granted to all events that meet entry and round requirements. 
      • Events with fewer than 6 entries will be at risk of being dropped. 


    Division Eligibility
    • Open: All students in grades 6–12 are eligible to compete.
    • Novice: Students grades 6–10 are eligible to compete. All competitors entered in this division should have fewer than 2 full years of experience.
    • Middle School: All students in grades 6-8 are eligible to compete.
    We will not merge Middle School with Novice divisions due to low numbers. We will cancel divisions with low entry numbers. 

    Topics & Formats
    All events are governed by the rules in the tournament procedures documents posted on Tabroom. Coaches, judges, and competitors should familiarize themselves with these documents prior to the start of the tournament. Please note that any sources read or cited as evidence in competition must be available upon request.
    • Lincoln-Douglas Debate
      Sept/Oct 2025 NSDA Topic | 6-3-7-3-4-6-3 Speech Times | 5 Minutes of Preparation per Debater
    • Public Forum Debate
      Sept/Oct 2025 NSDA Topic | 4-4-3-4-4-3-3-3-3-2-2 Speech Times | 3 Minutes of Preparation per Team
    • Speech Events
      Maximum Total of 3 Speech Events per Competitor | Only 2 Speech Events in Any Single Pattern
      Speech Patterns
      Pattern A - Extemp, HI, Info, POI
      Pattern B - DI, DUO, OO, IMP (no TOC bid)


    Cross Entry/Double Entry Policy
    • No cross entry or double entry between speech and debate.
    • Speech competitors can do up to 3 speech events (no more than 2 in one pattern). ​


    ​Judging Obligations
    Competitors at the 2025 National Speech & Debate Season Opener deserve the highest quality of judging throughout the tournament. Consequently, judges must be available to fulfill their commitment during all scheduled rounds on the day(s) they are obligated.
    Judges MUST be available to fulfill their commitment during all scheduled rounds on the day(s) they are obligated. Tournament staff will NOT honor specific requests for time off during competition. There will be specific penalties for missing a round when obligated.

    ​IMPORTANT!
    Lincoln Douglas, Public Forum: All judges are obligated through the first full elimination round then one round beyond the elimination of your program’s last entry.
    All judges are obligated one round past the school’s elimination in elimination rounds. So, for example, if your school’s last LD student is eliminated in quarterfinals, your LD judges must be available to judge the LD semifinal round regardless of whether your own child had gotten eliminated much earlier.

    ​IMPORTANT!
    Speech: All judges are obligated for all preliminary rounds through the final round on Sunday, September 7.
    Note: All of a team’s judges are obligated per the above minimum obligations.  For example, parents are not obligated just to their child. 
    All Events: Judges who are obligated but fail to appear on time for a prelim round will be assessed a $100 fine per missed round.  Judges who are obligated but fail to appear on time for an elim round will be assessed a $150 fine per missed round. The fines are levied when a judge is obligated to the tournament for judging and fails to report to a scheduled round even if a replacement judge is secured. The associated program may also face potential sanctions at future UK Debate hosted events.  All penalties must be paid before a team is allowed to advance to the next stage of elimination debates (e.g., if a prelim fine is incurred, the team will not be able to clear unless the fine is paid).


    Judge Conflicts
    Non-disclosure of judge conflicts, or preclusions, is an ethical concern. Non-disclosure creates competitive imbalances and is taken very seriously by the National Speech & Debate Season Opener.
    Please indicate all conflicts, for all judges, on Tabroom. Judges should preclude themselves from judging any competitors whom they have previously coached, whether online or in person, paid or unpaid; with whom they have had a close, friendly, and/or personal relationship; and/or toward whom they feel that they cannot be objective for any reason. Judges affiliated with any college or other institution should preclude themselves from judging competitors whom they have seriously recruited, and judges should preclude themselves from judging entries from programs they attended or coached within the last 5 seasons. For additional guidance on what constitutes a judge conflict in a given event, please refer to the National Speech & Debate Season Opener procedures documents available on Tabroom. 

    In the case that a judge and/or competitor reports a conflict after a pairing is distributed, resulting in a change to the pairing—the associated program will be assessed a $500 fine and risks losing judge preferences/strikes for the remainder of the tournament.


    Judge Eligibility
    • All judges must be 18.
    • Judges must submit the 2025 National Speech & Debate Season Opener Honor Code and Media Release via Tabroom in advance (instructions here)
    • Judges should not enter themselves to judge at a different tournament during this tournament.
    • ​Debate judges must post a paradigm on Tabroom before judge preferences/strikes open.
    • Judges must have functioning technology to judge online tournaments: cameras on during rounds, ability to use Tabroom.com and NSDA Campus infrastructure, etc. 
    • High-school students with at least 2 years of competitive experience in the event they will judge are eligible to serve as judges for the Middle School divisions only. High school students should be in their junior or senior year. 
    • Middle-school students are ineligible to serve as judges.
    • Tournament staff have the right to dismiss any ineligible and/or unqualified judge, unless the judge is the program director or coach of record officially employed by that school
    • Any violation of the tournament judge policies will result in a $500 fine to your program, loss of judge preferences/strikes, and potential sanctions at future UK Debate events


    ​Awards
    Awards are tentative based on prior years.  Final entry numbers may adjust award levels. 
    • Lincoln Douglas: 
      • Open Octas+ and Top 20 Speakers
      • Novice Semis+ and Top 5 Speakers
      • Middle School Semis+ and Top 5 Speakers
    • Public Forum (In Person): 
      • Octas+ and Top 10 Speakers
    • Public Forum (Online): 
      • Open Octas+ and Top 20 Speakers
      • Novice Octas+ and Top 10 Speakers
      • Middle School Octas+ and Top 10 Speakers​
    • Speech
      • Finalists

    ​​
    ​Participant Conduct
    All participants, observers, and other guests attend the 2025 National Speech & Debate Season Opener at the invitation of the University of Kentucky, and must abide by all applicable rules in the tournament invitation and procedures, as well as those set by the University of Kentucky.

    Participants—including coaches, competitors, and judges—certify that all entries, forms, and other materials submitted for the National Speech & Debate Season Opener are accurate and complete. Submission of any National Speech & Debate Season Opener-related materials grants permission to distribute and verify the information contained therein among National Speech & Debate Season Opener administrators, tournament staff, and/or UK Debate staff.
    ​
     
    Honor Code
    Every individual must also review and abide by the tournament invitation and procedures documents posted on this page, along with the honor code and relevant policies of your own school or program.

    The National Speech & Debate Season Opener Honor Code conveys the significance and importance of competitive integrity to all members of our community, in the interest of maintaining the highest standards of conduct. Participants must act with dignity and respect, and refrain from undermining the integrity of speech and debate as an institution. Participants should neither seek, nor encourage others to seek unfair assistance or advantage in competition. All participants, including observers, are expected to act in good faith and preserve the competitive integrity of the National Speech & Debate Season Opener.

    ​Pledge
    As a participant in the National Speech & Debate Season Opener, I pledge not to lie, cheat, steal or otherwise undermine the fairness of the tournament. I understand that competitive integrity and fairness is important to all tournament participants, and I promise to uphold the highest standards of honesty and integrity in competition.


    ​    UK COVID-19 Guidance
    COVID-19 protocols will be determined in accordance with local, regional, and national recommendations as of September 2025.
    • It is strongly recommended that all participants be fully vaccinated against COVID-19, though there is no formal vaccination requirement
    • It is strongly recommended that all participants be tested for COVID-19, even if not symptomatic, prior to traveling
    • It is the participants’ sole responsibility to follow all COVID-19 guidance and protocols!
      • For optimal health and safety, all participants must self-monitor for illness, symptoms, and/or exposure to COVID-19
      • Anyone who is ill, symptomatic, and/or recently exposed to COVID-19 should not travel or attend the National Speech & Debate Season Opener
    Anyone who becomes ill, symptomatic, and/or aware of exposure to COVID-19 during the tournament must immediately self-isolate and withdraw from competition

    ​Entry Price

    One PF event and parent is judging $115
    One PF event and parent is OPTING OUT of judging $240

    One LD event and parent is judging $130
    One LD event and parent is OPTING OUT of judging $350

    One speech event and parent is judging $100
    One speech event and parent is OPTING OUT of judging $175

    Two speech events and parent is judging $150
    Two speech events and parent is OPTING OUT of judging $250

    ​Three speech events and parent is judging $200
    Three speech events and parent is OPTING OUT of judging $325

    *Judges need to be available on all the days that their event occurs on.
    **Each person in a PF team would be responsible of providing their own judge, so one PF 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 - EST

    Please note that all times will be in Eastern Time Zone (EST)

    ONLINE PF - click here

    ONLINE LD - click here

    ONLINE SPEECH - click here

    ​Although the tentative schedule lists the start and end times, please keep in mind that there are various factors that may arise during a tournament that can cause rounds to be delayed. Therefore, if you are signing up for this tournament, please make sure you do not double book yourselves on these dates. Keep your schedule open and DO NOT leave the tournament without notifying the GSA chaperones first.

    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

    Before you proceed with the registration below, make sure  ALL STUDENTS have filled out the forms below. Failure to do so will result in the tournament dropping you without a refund.

    HONOR CODE
    ​ukso_honor_code.pdf
    STUDENT INFORMATION
    Max file size: 20MB
    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.
    EVENT SELECTION

    Please email Nadia and Victor ([email protected], [email protected], [email protected]) if you were planning to attend PF in-person.
    Cross Entry/Double Entry Policy:
    ​    No cross entry between speech and debate.
    ​Speech competitors can do up to 3 speech events (no more than 2 in one pattern).
    ​JUDGE PROVISION
    Judge Philosophies
    All judges must submit a judging philosophy to Tabroom.com (see instructions here). No entry will be considered complete until all affiliated judges have submitted a judge philosophy. This 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".

    Next, judges must submit the Honor Code and Media Release. Go to your tabroom.com account,
    • click "Upcoming"
    • click "Season Opener Honor Code and Media Release"
    • select Yes
    • and Save Answers

    Click here to complete the highly recommended 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

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​​