International Public Debate Association - Tournaments and Schools

Tournaments and Schools

IPDA tournaments are held approximately every other weekend from late September until early April. The first tournament of the year is usually hosted by Henderson State University and is called the Caddo Warm-Up. Other schools that host tournaments include the University of Arkansas at Monticello, Stephen F. Austin State University, Bowling Green State University of Ohio, Louisiana State University at Baton Rouge, Union University, Louisiana State University at Alexandria, the University of Central Arkansas, Louisiana State University at Shreveport, Har-Ber High School, East Texas Baptist University, Sam Houston State University, and Mississippi College. Other schools that actively compete in IPDA but do not currently host a tournament areTulane University, Louisiana College, the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, Louisiana Tech University, the University of Texas at Tyler, the College of Southern Idaho, St. Mary's University, Texas, Rogers Heritage High School, the University of Arkansas, Arkansas Tech University, and Tulsa Community College.

More recently, IPDA has spread to the Pacific Northwest, and many tournaments in the Northwest Forensics Conference now sponsor IPDA divisions, including Linfield College, Oregon State and Clark College.

Typical IPDA tournaments run over two or three days, usually containing six preliminary rounds and three or four elimination rounds, depending on the number of competitors.

The culminating event for the IPDA season is the annual National Championship Tournament & Convention. In 2012 the tournament will be held on the campus of Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, Texas. The National Championship Tournament features eight preliminary rounds and usually at least four elimination rounds. The final round for the either the Professional division or the Varsity division takes place at an awards banquet, where season-long sweepstakes awards are presented in addition to the tournament awards.