You and your students are cordially invited to attend the 47th Newman Invitational, which will be held in person on December 12-14, 2025. We provide a unique and diverse competitive experience. We are excited to welcome you to our campus in New Orleans, LA. Join us this year for a wonderful celebration of 47 years of forensics excellence.

I. Registration Overview

A. Schools are capped at 8 entries per event. Additional entries will be put on a waitlist and will only be accepted if room permits.

B. Varsity debate events are capped at 84 entries, Novice debate events are capped at 60 entries, Speech events are capped at 60 entries, Congress is capped at 80 entries.

C. All schools must complete the School Verification Form (by December 5). See details by clicking on the yellow button for School Verification Form on the right.

II. Events Overview

We are pleased to announce that we are a qualifying tournament for UK's TOC in all events they host. Students advancing to the designated place will earn one bid to the 2026 National Tournament of Champions hosted by the University of Kentucky.

We plan to offer 6 preliminary rounds of debate in novice and varsity divisions of Policy, LD, and PF. We plan to offer 6 preliminary rounds of World Schools Debate, 2 preliminary sessions in Congress, and 4 preliminary rounds in all Speech events; however, students will not be able to cross-enter debate and speech events. Speech competitors can enter up to 3 events within the speech category, but no triple entry within a pattern.

LD will debate the 2025 Nov/Dec NSDA Topic. This applies to BOTH Novice and Varsity divisions. The Newman Invitational does NOT use the NSDA Novice Topic.

PF will debate the 2025 Nov/Dec NSDA Topic

Policy will debate 2025-2026 Topic

IMPORTANT NOTE ABOUT WSD: We will permit hybrid teams (where team members do not attend the same school). However, you must submit a school authorization form that gives permission for students to compete in a hybrid manner.

We will tabulate all events on tabroom.com. All postings will be available online and emails/browser notifications will be blasted. All contestants and judges must have a linked tabroom account. All judges must have devices to complete online ballots and watch/listen to rounds.

Continuing in 2025
This year we will adjust the debate schedule so that the first full elimination round will be on Sunday morning. This means that ALL debate judges will be obligated for at least the first round on Sunday morning. Judges who miss this round on Sunday will be subject to a more significant fine than other missed obligations. We would ask you to make travel arrangements accordingly.

PF: PF will flip for sides and speaker order in all preliminary and elimination rounds.

UPDATE 2025: WSD is now bid granting for the UK Tournament of Champions. Please note that to be eligible for a bid students must compete under their school name.

Summary of events and TOC qualification status

*semis bid for the Silver division and finals bid for the Gold division

If you have any questions about the tournament, please do not hesitate to ask.

Thank you,

Christopher Vincent
Tournament Director

Greg Malis and Alma Nicholson
Associate Tournament Directors