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!

2025–26 Tournaments

» Updated Sept. 20, 2025

✦ Sept. 20

Christ Church Episcopal School Novice Tournament at Christ Church Episcopal School

  • Greenville, South Carolina

    • 245 Cavalier Drive, Greenville, SC 29607 — map link

  • Registration for Christ Church: Tabroom.com

✦ Sept. 27

Carolina Kickoff at Riverside High School

  • Greer, South Carolina

  • Novice-focused tournament

  • Registration for Carolina Kickoff: Tabroom.com (open)

✦ Oct. 4

Viking Classic at North Mecklenburg High School

  • Huntersville, North Carolina

  • Varsity and novice

  • Registration for the Viking Classic: Tabroom.com (open)

✦ Oct. 18

Bob Jones Academy 39th Invitational

  • Greenville, South Carolina

  • NIETOC bid tournament

  • Registration for Bob Jones: Tabroom.com (open)

✦ Oct. 25

Laird Lewis Invitational at Myers Park High School

  • Charlotte, North Carolina

  • Registration: Tabroom.com

✦ Nov. 1

Corona Rostrensis at Charlotte Latin

  • Charlotte, North Carolina

  • Registration for Charlotte Latin: Tabroom.com

✦ November 5–8

Youth in Government (FYI)

✦ Nov. 8

Riverside High School Warrior Invitational

  • Greer, South Carolina

  • Registration: Tabroom.com

✦ Nov. 14-15

TBA

✦ Nov. 22

Cougar Classic at Asheville High School

  • Asheville, North Carolina

  • Registration: Tabroom.com

✦ Dec. 6-7

21st Annual Patriot Games at George Mason University

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

  • NIETOC bid tournament

  • Registration: SpeechWire

✦ Jan. 10

Patriot Invitational at J.L. Mann High School Tournament

  • Greenville, South Carolina

  • Registration: Tabroom.com

✦ Jan. 17

The Palmetto Invitational at West Ashley High School

  • VIRTUAL TOURNAMENT on NSDA Campus

  • Charleston, South Carolina

  • Registration: Tabroom.com (direct tournament link)

✦ Jan. 23-25

Barkley Forum for High Schools at Emory University

  • Atlanta, Georgia

  • Registration: Tabroom.com (direct tournament link)

✦ Feb. 7

Eagle Invitational at Eastside High School

District Congress Qualifier (simultaneously at Eastside High School): LINK

  • Taylors, South Carolina

  • Registration: Tabroom.com (direct link to Eastside Eagle Invitational)

✦ Feb. 14

Greenville High School Red Raiders tournament

  • Greenville, South Carolina

  • Registration: Tabroom.com

✦ Feb. 21

SCFCA State Tournament

  • Location TBD

  • Registration: Tabroom.com (direct tournament link)

  • MARCH topics will be used for LD and PFD

✦ Feb. 28

Steven Davis Invitational at Ardrey Kell High School

  • Charlotte, North Carolina

  • Registration: Tabroom.com (direct tournament link)

— • —

South Carolina Mock Trial Regionals (FYI for scheduling reference)

✦ March 7

South Carolina NSDA District Tournament TBD

2025 info below will be updated

  • 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

  • Registration: Tabroom.com (direct tournament link)

  • Details subject to change; check back for updates

✦ March 14

South Carolina Mock Trial States (FYI for scheduling reference)

✦ March 21

TBA

✦ May

NIETOC

✦ June 14-22, 2026

NSDA Nationals

  • Richmond, Virginia.

  • 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.