Speech and Debate
Founded in 1885, ASU Forensics has a proud tradition of excellence and competitive success in speech and debate. We are one of the last full-service speech and debate programs in the country.
The school’s forensics team has won hundreds of awards and has consistently finished among the top 20 teams in the nation every year in both speech and debate.
Any Arizona State University undergraduate student is invited to participate in the collegiate forensics program. Participating students need not be a communication major and you are not required to audition to become a member of the team. We welcome all levels of experience. You can join us if you have four years of high school experience or if you have never even seen a round of competitive forensics.
Collegiate competition is similar to high school competition with a few distinct differences. The team supports all 11 AFA speech events and several types of evidence-based debate, including College Public Forum and Policy Debate.
- In college you can enter in as many events as you want, in fact, we encourage competition in multiple events!
- You can travel a lot or a little. We compete both regionally and nationally. Our national competitions take us all over the country!
- Our debate team and individual events teams travel to tournaments both together and separately.
- You set your own coaching hours with the coaches.
- Our squad room has tons of resources for you to use in preparing for competition and for schoolwork.
Awards and HighlightsTournament Invitations Debate Resources
If you are interested in pursuing forensics at a collegiate level and would like to join the program contact:
Adam Symonds, Director
Office: Mathews Hall 112B
Email: asymonds@asu.edu or symonds77@gmail.com
Twitter: asuforensics or acsymonds
Mary Joseph, Assistant Director of Forensics
Email: Christina.Joseph@asu.edu
Spring 2023 Schedule
NFA Lincoln-Douglas
Riverfest Swing, Kansas City
Diablo Valley College, CA
Fall Finale (online)
Big Tent (online)
Policy Debate Schedule
January 20-22 Southwestern College (CA) Virtual
January 27-29 U Minnesota
February 4-6 U Texas Austin
April 7-10 CEDA Nationals @ Houston
Coalition for Advocacy, Research, and Debate schedule
January 27-29 U Minnesota
February 25-26 Western Washington U
March 11-12 Weber State U
April 21-23 U Oregon
Public Forum
February 11-12 Spring Opener Virtual
March 18-19 March Invitational
April 22-23 National Championships
Speech
January 23-27 OATS #5 (virtual)
February 10-12 CSU Los Angeles
February 17-19 WSCA hosted by ASU
February 25-26 Last chance and District tournaments (virtual)
February 27-3 OATS #6 (virtual)
March 15-18 PKD Nats
March 31-April 3 AFA Nationals in Santa Ana, CA
“Speech and debate is an excellent way of improving speaking skills and is particularly helpful in providing experience in developing a convincing argument. When you are in debate rounds, you are sometimes forced to argue against your natural point of view, and you realize that arguments, like coins, always have at least two sides. Debating builds confidence in your ability to engage with individuals on all sides of a topic regardless of what your personal opinion is on the topic.”
- Jodi Preudhomme, Title IX coordinator and special counsel at ASU.
Preudhomme was a member of the Forensics Team for three years as an undergraduate student at ASU.
Hugh Downs School doctoral student wins debate coaching award
Michael Tristano Jr., a doctoral student and a recipient of the Graduate College Completion Fellowship at Arizona State University's Hugh Downs School of Human Communication, received the 2019 Assistant Coach of the Year Award by the National Speech & Debate Association.