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 2024–25 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 avoid phones, and understand that Chromebooks (and locked-down office computers) 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. Always confirm dates and locations!

 

2026–27 Tournaments

» Updated Aug. 3, 2026

 

✦ Sept. 19

South Carolina Novice Tournament — Eastside HS

✦ Oct. 10

Viking Classic at North Mecklenburg High School

✦ Oct. 17

Bob Jones Academy 40th Invitational

✦ Oct. 23–24

Laird Lewis Invitational at Myers Park High School

✦ Nov. 7

Corona Rostrensis at Charlotte Latin

✦ Nov. 11–14

Youth in Government (FYI)

✦ Nov. 14

Riverside High School Warrior Invitational

✦ Nov. 21

Cougar Classic at Asheville High School

✦ Dec. 5–6

22nd Annual Patriot Games at George Mason University

  • Fairfax, Virginia (Washington, D.C. suburb)

  • NIETOC bid tournament

  • Registration is on SpeechWire (when open)

✦ Jan. 16

Patriot Invitational at J.L. Mann High School Tournament

NSDA International Extemp qualifier at J.L. Mann

✦ Jan. 16 (this tournament will take place with a date pending)

Gamecock Invitational by Sumter High School, Sumter, SC

✦ Jan. 22–24

Barkley Forum for High Schools at Emory University

✦ Jan. 30

Greenville High School Red Raiders tournament

✦ Feb. 6

Eagle Invitational at Eastside High School

District Congress Qualifier (simultaneously at Eastside High School) — link will be posted when available.

✦ Feb. 20

SCFCA State Tournament — LOCATION is TBD

✦ Feb. 27

Steven Davis Invitational at Ardrey Kell High School

— • —

South Carolina Mock Trial Regionals (FYI for scheduling reference)

✦ March 6

  • South Carolina NSDA District Tournament

  • Location is TBD

  • SPEECH ONLY:

    • Guaranteed minimum of three rounds and a final round

  • DEBATE LD/PF: Rounds will be held online the week prior

    • March topics will be used

  • Register on Tabroom.com when open

  • Details subject to change; check back for updates!

✦ March 12–13

South Carolina Mock Trial States (FYI for scheduling reference)

✦ May

NIETOC

✦ June 13–21, 2027

NSDA Nationals

  • Phoenix, Arizona

  • 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.