The Policy Debate team participates in NDT-CEDA style intercollegiate competition, where the University of Houston has a long tradition of excellence. The debate team first attended the National Debate Tournament in 1951 and has since been invited to the NDT 23 times. Our debaters have garnered three first-speaker awards, one second speaker, a second and a third-place finish, and have been one of the top-two seeds for elimination rounds five times. In 2014, UH claimed the seventh speaker, second-seed in elims, and advanced to the Elite Eight.

Speech & Debate fosters community building through partnerships with high school debate programs such as the Houston Urban Debate League, and through our high school debate tournament The Cougar Classic, which hosts over 50 schools, 300 competitors and 100 judges, coaches and observers every year. This engagement not only creates unique opportunities for UH students to engage in service learning and co-curricular programs, it also provides an invaluable space for civic discourse to the greater Houston community.

For more information, please click on the “JOIN THE TEAM” link below, or contact Director of Speech & Debate, Rob Glass or President of Pi Kappa Delta Miranda Sanford. You can also keep up with us on our social media pages below.