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Dates and Format

• January 17-18, 2026
• In Person at Starr's Mill High School
• Debate events will run on Saturday/Sunday
• Speech events will run Saturday only

Registration

All persons attending the GFCA State Tournament must be pre-registered. If you have an individual attending that is not judging or competing, they must be registered in the section "Attendees" - they will not be permitted access to the campus without this.

Meals

The GFCA will have two meals at the tournament on Saturday, which are included in entry fees. Schools can opt to purchase additional meals for Sunday.

Due to rising costs to host, all judges, attendees and coaches will be charged the meal fee. - again, schools cannot opt out of this expense.

• Meal information will be announced by December 1.

Events Offered

• First Year Lincoln Douglas Debate, Second Year Lincoln Douglas Debate
• First Year Policy Debate, Second Year Policy Debate
• First Year Public Forum Debate, Second Year Public Forum Debate
• First Year Dramatic Interpretation, Second Year Dramatic Interpretation
• First Year Extemporaneous Speaking, Second Year Extemporaneous Speaking
• First Year Humorous Interpretation, Second Year Humorous Interpretation
• First Year Original Oratory, Second Year Original Oratory
• First Year Program of Oral Interpretation, Second Year Program of Oral Interpretation
• First Year Informative Speaking, Second Year Informative Speaking
• First Year Impromptu Speaking, Second Year Impromptu Speaking
• First Year Duo Interpretation, Second Year Duo Interpretation

Guidelines for Combining or Canceling Divisions

• The GFCA will cancel a state tournament event if there are fewer than six entries and/or fewer than three schools when registration closes.
• Students in that event will then have an opportunity to transfer to other event(s) if desired and if their school has not reached the cap in the other event or alternately, students may participate in a scrimmage on those dates. (Bylaw 3.1.3)

Entry Criteria

• As a reminder, bylaws 1.2, 1.3, and 3.2.1.1 address the qualifications for attending.
• First Year students are defined as students competing in their first year of high school speech and debate activities.
• Second Year students are defined as students competing in their second year of high school speech and debate.
• It is the coach’s responsibility to affirm that their debaters are eligible to compete. EmailJeffrey Millerif you have questions about a particular student — I’m happy to help you figure it out in advance!
• Note: There isNO in-state invitational requirementto attend the First and Second Year State Championship. Anyone can attend!

Judging Qualifications — LD, Policy, PF, Speech

• For the First & Second Year Speech & Debate State Championship, current high school juniors or seniors in their third or fourth year of high school competition are allowed to judge.

• Juniors or seniors in their third year of high school competition may only cover first year entries in debate. Whereas, juniors or seniors in their fourth year of high school competition may judgefirst and/or second yearspeech and debate divisions.

• Students must be two years “out” of that division to judge — so a student in their third year of high school speech/debate can judge first year events only and a student in their fourth year or beyond of high school speech/debate can judge first or second year events. Please make sure to use the “judge notes” field to notify the tournament about student judges and their number of years in the activity.
• Please ask your judges to make sure they have an updated judge philosophy on Tabroom.com — it really helps the students that they are judging!

Hired Judging

• We will have a limited amount of judging available to hire from the tournament. You must request by January 6 in order to have your judges hired. You cannot cancel hires. Hired judging for policy debate is $75 a round, public forum/lincoln douglas $60 a round and $150 for a speech judge.

Forms to Submit

• Each school must submit a School Eligibility Form (one per school). This form is available on tabroom where you will also upload the completed form.

Topics/Argument Restrictions

• The First Year Policy divisiondoes notlimit students to debating arguments in the novice packet.
• LD will be using the January/February NSDA topic.
• PF will be using the January NSDA topic.