Debate
Join the Liberty Debate Team
Be part of a full squad competitive debate team with a legacy of over 25 years of championship policy debate. Benefit from our full-time coaching staff and travel throughout the school year. Learn everything you need to join LU Debate and compete with a winning team at LU Debate Week.
Tuition scholarships are available for eligible first-year college debaters with or without experience, and returning junior varsity and varsity debaters.
With the Debate Team, you’ll learn how to grow in graduate-level research and presentation skills that will prepare you for your future. Get trained in critical thinking and argument strategy, and gain practical communication skills.
Ready to join our team?
Our Current Successes
- Novice Champions at the JV/Novice National Tournament at WVU
- JV Champions at the American Debate Association National Championship at Indiana University.
Scholarship Giving Opportunity
The Dr. Rakeem Robinson Liberty University Debate Team Memorial Endowed Scholarship Fund
Travel With the Debate Team
The competitive debate season spans the entire academic year, so you can expect to travel multiple times each semester. All travel expenses are covered by LU Debate.
Places We Travel:
- George Mason University
- University of Kentucky
- United States Military Academy West Point
- Harvard University
What Debate Team Alumni Are Saying
Follow Our Team on Instagram
Huge Congratulations to Liberty CS on winning Speaker Awards in the Varisty division at the Harvard University Debate Tournamnet.
Jayden finished as the 16th Speaker, and Michela was the 11th Speaker!
Congratulations CS! 🔥🎉
Huge Congratulations to Liberty CS on winning Speaker Awards in the Varisty division at the Harvard University Debate Tournamnet.
Jayden finished as the 16th Speaker, and Michela was the 11th Speaker!
Congratulations CS! 🔥🎉
🚨Champion Alert🚨
Congratulations to Liberty FS for winning the JV division at the Harvard University Debate Tournament! 🏆🔥 After an impressive 5-1 prelim run, they secured the 2nd seed!
Congratulations Liberty HW (John Hoegerl/Kalani Wineman) for being in the Semifinals with a 5-1 prelim record and earning the 3rd seed!
Shout out to Patrick for winning 5th Speaker—a well-deserved award!
Congrats yall!!🎉
#ludebate #goflames #libertyuniversity
🚨Champion Alert🚨
Congratulations to Liberty FS for winning the JV division at the Harvard University Debate Tournament! 🏆🔥 After an impressive 5-1 prelim run, they secured the 2nd seed!
Congratulations Liberty HW (John Hoegerl/Kalani Wineman) for being in the Semifinals with a 5-1 prelim record and earning the 3rd seed!
Shout out to Patrick for winning 5th Speaker—a well-deserved award!
Congrats yall!!🎉
#ludebate #goflames #libertyuniversity
🚨Co-Co-Co-Co-Champion Alert!🚨
Big Congratulations to our novice teams for an extraordinary achievement—LOCKING OUT IN SEMIFINALS. 🏆🔥 What does it mean to lockout? It means each Liberty team in Quarterfinals won their debate leaving only Liberty teams left standing to compete—an unstoppable force!
THREE teams went 6-0 UNDEFEATED, clinching the top three seeds:
🥇Liberty HY (Cole Heckel/Elaine Yoon)
🥈Liberty LT (Elijah Tooley/Landon Lugo)
🥉Liberty ER (Hunter Etienne/Kanden Randlet)
Liberty FG (Ethan Fitz/Jesse Garner) also went 4-2 and played a crucial role in the lockout after winning their quarterfinals debate. Shoutout to Liberty WW (Madeline Wallace/Beatrix Wiehe) for making it to novice Octofinals!
The individual performances were 🔥 too! Speaker awards:
🏅10th: Hunter
🏅9th: Jesse
🏅8th: Kaden
🏅7th: Ethan
🏅5th: Elijah
🏅4th: Landon
🥈2nd: Cole
🥇1st/Top Speaker: Elaine Yoon!
An impressive run all around—congrats to our novices for an impressive weekend! 🎉
#ludebate #goflames #libertyuniversity
🚨Co-Co-Co-Co-Champion Alert!🚨
Big Congratulations to our novice teams for an extraordinary achievement—LOCKING OUT IN SEMIFINALS. 🏆🔥 What does it mean to lockout? It means each Liberty team in Quarterfinals won their debate leaving only Liberty teams left standing to compete—an unstoppable force!
THREE teams went 6-0 UNDEFEATED, clinching the top three seeds:
🥇Liberty HY (Cole Heckel/Elaine Yoon)
🥈Liberty LT (Elijah Tooley/Landon Lugo)
🥉Liberty ER (Hunter Etienne/Kanden Randlet)
Liberty FG (Ethan Fitz/Jesse Garner) also went 4-2 and played a crucial role in the lockout after winning their quarterfinals debate. Shoutout to Liberty WW (Madeline Wallace/Beatrix Wiehe) for making it to novice Octofinals!
The individual performances were 🔥 too! Speaker awards:
🏅10th: Hunter
🏅9th: Jesse
🏅8th: Kaden
🏅7th: Ethan
🏅5th: Elijah
🏅4th: Landon
🥈2nd: Cole
🥇1st/Top Speaker: Elaine Yoon!
An impressive run all around—congrats to our novices for an impressive weekend! 🎉
#ludebate #goflames #libertyuniversity
🌟 Exciting news from the Harvard University Debate Tournament! 🌟 This week, we have 12 teams competing across Varsity, JV, and Novice divisions.
JV and Novice crushed prelims! 🎉 In JV, we had two teams—Liberty FS (Patrick Foos/Gabe Sanders) and Liberty HW (John Hoegerl/Kalani Wineman)—dominate with a 5-1 record, earning spots in the JV Quarterfinals!
In Novice, we truly shined with THREE teams going an impressive 6-0 UNDEFEATED! 🙌 Huge shoutout to:
- Liberty LT (Elijah Tooley/Landon Lugo)
- Liberty HY (Cole Heckel/Elaine Yoon)
- Liberty ER (Hunter Etienne/Kanden Randlet)
All received byes through Novice Octofinals! Additionally, Liberty FG (Ethan Fitz/Jesse Garner) went 4-2 and also snagged a bye, while Liberty WW (Madeline Wallace/Beatrix Wiehe), with a 3-3 record, is now set to debate Cornell in Novice Octofinals.
✨ Wish all our teams the best of luck as they aim to bring home some hardware! 🏆
In Varsity, we have Liberty LT (Emmalee Layton/James Turner) facing off against Cornell and Liberty CS (Michela Short/Jayden Cunningham) up against Kentucky in Round 7. Let’s finish prelims strong! 💪
#LibertyDebate #ludebate #goflames #libertyuniveristy
🌟 Exciting news from the Harvard University Debate Tournament! 🌟 This week, we have 12 teams competing across Varsity, JV, and Novice divisions.
JV and Novice crushed prelims! 🎉 In JV, we had two teams—Liberty FS (Patrick Foos/Gabe Sanders) and Liberty HW (John Hoegerl/Kalani Wineman)—dominate with a 5-1 record, earning spots in the JV Quarterfinals!
In Novice, we truly shined with THREE teams going an impressive 6-0 UNDEFEATED! 🙌 Huge shoutout to:
- Liberty LT (Elijah Tooley/Landon Lugo)
- Liberty HY (Cole Heckel/Elaine Yoon)
- Liberty ER (Hunter Etienne/Kanden Randlet)
All received byes through Novice Octofinals! Additionally, Liberty FG (Ethan Fitz/Jesse Garner) went 4-2 and also snagged a bye, while Liberty WW (Madeline Wallace/Beatrix Wiehe), with a 3-3 record, is now set to debate Cornell in Novice Octofinals.
✨ Wish all our teams the best of luck as they aim to bring home some hardware! 🏆
In Varsity, we have Liberty LT (Emmalee Layton/James Turner) facing off against Cornell and Liberty CS (Michela Short/Jayden Cunningham) up against Kentucky in Round 7. Let’s finish prelims strong! 💪
#LibertyDebate #ludebate #goflames #libertyuniveristy