Tournaments
and Competition

What to Expect at a Tournament

Most speech and debate tournaments are held on Saturdays, usually at the host school’s facility. Generally, tournaments begin about 9 a.m. and end following the awards ceremony around 6 p.m. Contestants often arrive around 8 a.m., and judges around 8:30 a.m. These are general guidelines, however. Additionally, some tournaments run two or more days.

Tournaments can end earlier or much later depending on the size of the tournament, the number of available judges, the number of events offered and other factors. If you are attending as a contestant or judge, it is imperative that you always check with your school or coach to find out specifics.

For the 2023–24 season, almost all tournaments are in person. However, paper ballots are a thing of the past. Today, judges use iPads/tablets or Windows/Mac laptops to enter rankings, points and comments directly into the judging software. Please try to avoid phones, and Chromebooks can often be problematic.

To find out more about the technical aspects of judging, visit our Judging and Events page.

Tournament Schedule

The following schedule reflects tournaments scheduled in South Carolina, as well as key out-of-state tournaments. This schedule will be updated as needed. Registration can be found on Tabroom (or, in some cases, SpeechWire) for most tournaments. Unless otherwise noted, tournaments will be held in person.

 

2023–24 Tournaments, updated June 22, 2023

 

✦ Sept. 23

Carolina Kickoff NOVICE Tournament at Riverside High School

✦ Oct. 7

Viking Invitational at North Mecklenburg High School

  • Huntersville, North Carolina

  • Varsity and novice. Registration: Tabroom.com

✦ Oct. 21

Bob Jones Academy 37th Invitational

  • Greenville, South Carolina

  • NIETOC bid tournament. Registration open: Tabroom.com

✦ Oct. 28

Grady Invitational at Chase High School

✦ Nov. 1-4

Youth in Government

✦ Nov. 4

Corona Rostrensis at Charlotte Latin School

✦ Nov. 11–12

The Laird Lewis Invitational at Myers Park High School

  • Charlotte, North Carolina

  • Registration TBA

✦ Nov. 11

Tournament TBA

  • Location TBA

  • Registration TBA

✦ Nov. 18

Cougar Classic at Asheville High School

✦ Dec. 1–3

Patriot Games, George Mason University

  • Fairfax, Virginia

  • NIETOC bid tournament. Registration: SpeechWire

✦ Dec. 9

The Palmetto Invitational at West Ashley High School

✦ Dec. 9

East Rutherford High School

✦ Jan. 12–15

Cavalier Invitational at Durham Academy

✦ Jan. 13

Patriots Invitational at J.L. Mann High School Tournament

✦ Jan. 20

Warrior Invitational at Riverside High School

✦ Jan. 26–28

Barkley Forum for High Schools at Emory University

✦ Feb. 3

Eagle Invitational at Eastside High School

✦ Feb. 10

Blue Ridge Classic at T.C. Roberson High School

✦ Feb. 17

Red Raider Open at Greenville High School

✦ Feb. 24

Steven Davis Invitational at Ardrey Kell High School

  • Charlotte, North Carolina

  • Registration: TBA

✦ Feb. 24

Mock Trial Regionals

✦ March 2

SCFCA State Tournament: JL Mann HS in Greenville, SC

  • South Carolina

  • Registration: Tabroom.com

✦ March 9

Mock Trial States

✦ March 15–16

South Carolina NSDA District Tournament

  • Location to be announced; Greenville, South Carolina, area

  • Registration: Tabroom.com

✦ May 10–12

NIETOC

✦ June 2024

NSDA Nationals

  • Des Moines, Iowa

  • In person. Students qualify for this tournament at the South Carolina NSDA District Tournament. Find out more about Nationals on the NSDA website.

Your school can host a tournament!

Tournaments give South Carolina competitors opportunities close to home. Host schools for tournaments are always needed, and hosting isn’t as hard as you might think. The actual computerized tabbing can be set up and run for your school, and other schools and coaches are happy to assist as needed. Plus, your school can use the tournament as a fundraiser for your team. Contact the SCFCA to find out how your team can host a tournament.