
Many consider the Tournament of Champions (TOC) to be the pinnacle of high school debate competitions in the United States. A bid to the TOC is a prestigious achievement that signifies a debater’s exceptional skill and success throughout the season. To qualify for this elite tournament, debaters must earn bids by excelling in designated national circuit tournaments, which are recognized for their high level of competition and rigorous standards.
Bids are allocated to tournaments differently across states, reflecting the varying levels of participation and competition. The distribution of policy debate bids by state highlights the regions with the most active and competitive debate scenes. Below, you can see each of the bid tournaments organized by state.
Samford University Bishop Guild Invitational | Samford University | Alabama | Semis |
Arizona State HDSHC Invitational | Arizona State University | Arizona | Quarters |
Cal Invitational UC Berkeley | UC Berkeley | California | Octas |
Damus Hollywood Invitational | Notre Dame HS | California | Quarters |
Jack Howe Memorial Tournament | CSU Long Beach | California | Quarters |
Peninsula Invitational | Peninsula HS | California | Quarters |
Stanford Invitational | Stanford University | California | Semis |
La Costa Canyon Winter Classic | La Costa Canyon | California | Finals |
Sunvite | NSU University School | Florida | Finals |
Barkley Forum for High Schools | Emory University | Georgia | Octas |
University of Georgia HS Bulldog Debates | University of Georgia | Georgia | Semis |
Westminster | Westminster | Georgia | Semis |
Marist Ivy Street Invitational | Marist School | Georgia | Finals |
Glenbrooks Speech & Debate Tournament | Glenbrook High Schools | Illinois | Octas |
Spartan Green and Gold | Glenbrook North | Illinois | Quarters |
Trevian Invitational | New Trier Township HS | Illinois | Quarters |
Niles Township Invitational | Niles West | Illinois | Semis |
Maine East Regatta | Maine East HS | Illinois | Finals |
The Paradigm at Dowling Catholic | Dowling Catholic | Iowa | Quarters |
Iowa Caucus Debates | Cedar Rapids Washington HS | Iowa | Semis |
Mid America Cup | West Des Moines Valley HS | Iowa | Semis |
Iowa City Cross River Classic | Iowa City West, Liberty, & City High Schools | Iowa | Finals |
KCKCC Policy Debate TOC Qualifier | Kansas City Kansas Community College | Kansas | Semis |
Washburn Rural Debate Invitational | Washburn Rural HS | Kansas | Semis |
Blue Valley Southwest | Blue Valley Southwest HS | Kansas | Finals |
National Speech & Debate Season Opener | University of Kentucky | Kentucky | Quarters |
TOC Digital Speech and Debate Series #2 (Online) | University of Kentucky | Kentucky | Quarters |
TOC Digital Speech and Debate Series #3 (Online) | University of Kentucky | Kentucky | Quarters |
TOC Digital Speech and Debate Series #1 (Online) | University of Kentucky | Kentucky | Semis |
Delores Taylor Arthur School Debate & Speech Invitational | Delores Taylor Arthur School for Young Men | Louisiana | Finals |
Isidore Newman | Isidore Newman | Louisiana | Finals |
Harvard National Speech and Debate Tournament | Harvard Debate Council | Massachusetts | Quarters |
Lexington Winter Invitational | Lexington HS | Massachusetts | Quarters |
University of Michigan HS Debate Tournament | University of Michigan | Michigan | Octas |
John Edie Holiday Debates | Blake | Minnesota | Octas |
Omaha Westside Warrior Invitational | Omaha Westside HS | Nebraska | Finals |
Golden Desert Debate Tournament | UNLV | Nevada | Quarters |
Meadows School Tournament | Meadows School | Nevada | Quarters |
NY Fall Faceoff at Mamaroneck High School | Mamaroneck HS | New York | Quarters |
Lakeland Westchester Classic | Lakeland HS | New York | Semis |
New York City Invitational Debate and Speech Tournament | Bronx High School of Science | New York State | Quarters |
JW Patterson Debates at Heritage Hall | Heritage Hall School | Oklahoma | Semis |
Jean Ward Invitational | Lewis & Clark College | Oregon | Finals |
Pennsbury Falcon Invitational | Pennsbury | Pennsylvania | Semis |
Taiwan Speech & Debate Invitational | Taipei American School | Taipei | Finals |
Billy Tate Southern Bell Forum | Montgomery Bell Academy | Tennessee | Octas |
Greenhill Fall Classic | Greenhill School | Texas | Octas |
Heart of Texas Invitational | St. Mark’s School | Texas | Octas |
Grapevine Classic | Grapevine | Texas | Quarters |
Longhorn Classic | University of Texas-Austin | Texas | Quarters |
University of Houston Cougar Classic | University of Houston | Texas | Semis |
Jasper Howl | Jasper HS | Texas | Finals |
Alta Silver & Black | Alta HS | Utah | Quarters |
Bingham PF Policy Invitational | Bingham HS | Utah | Finals |
Gonzaga University Conway Winter Classic | Gonzaga University | Washington | Semis |
Mount Vernon Invitational | Mount Vernon | Washington | Finals |
Georgetown Day School | Georgetown Day School | Washington D.C. | Semis |
Urban Debate Dragon Invitational | Washington Urban Debate League | Washington D.C. | Semis |