Be part of a full squad competitive debate team with a legacy of over 25 years of championship policy debate. Benefit from our full-time coaching staff and travel throughout the school year. Learn everything you need to join LU Debate and compete with a winning team at LU Debate Week.
Tuition scholarships are available for eligible first-year college debaters with or without experience, and returning junior varsity and varsity debaters.
With the Debate Team, you’ll learn how to grow in graduate-level research and presentation skills that will prepare you for your future. Get trained in critical thinking and argument strategy, and gain practical communication skills.
Debate has introduced me to a world of people, cultures, and ideas that have helped shape who I am. It has shown me that learning critical thinking and complex problem-solving isn’t just found in the classroom.
Dr. Amanda Koch
There is nothing like competitive debate to encourage deep research and sharp thinking while also building empathy with other viewpoints.
Dr. Zach Gautier
My experience doing college debate at Liberty was so practical in refining the key skills that I’ve needed in my career - critical thinking, research, writing, speaking, and the ability to see both sides of an issue. It also allowed me to manage the rigors of my master’s and doctoral work.
Travel With the Debate Team
The competitive debate season spans the entire academic year, so you can expect to travel multiple times each semester. All travel expenses are covered by LU Debate.
It’s hard to imagine Liberty debate without Vida Chiri.
If you’ve been around our program at any point over the last decade, you felt her impact whether you knew her as a coach, judge, teammate, or friend Vida has helped shape what liberty debate is today.
As a competitor, Vida establish herself as one of the greatest debaters in Liberty Debate history. She won an ADA national championship, qualified to the NDT three times, NDT elimination round three times, earned a first round NDT bid, competed in the 2016 CEDA national finals, and won numerous awards along the way.
And if that wasn’t enough, her coaching stats are just as good if not better.
Over the past 10 years, Vida has helped qualify more than 15 teams to the National Debate Tournament, coaching multiple teams to the elimination rounds. She has coached teams every level of success in having won numerous JV championships, Varsity teams receiving multiple national round robin invites, earning mutiple first round bids, consecutive CEDA Top Speakers and so much more.
But while, Vida has an exceptional record as both a competitor and coach her presence on this team is what we will miss the most. The wins and accolades are remarkable, but they were never be what defined her presence on the team it’s the countless conversations unwavering belief she had our students and the genuine care. She showed every person who walked through our debate room that made her truly unforgettable.
Vida has spent the last decade investing in people she challenge generations of Liberty debaters to think harder, work smarter, compete with integrity and become better people long after the round was over.
As this season came to a close, so did Vida’s final year with Liberty Debate.
While we’re heartbroken to see her go, we’re incredibly grateful for everything she’s given the program over the last 10 years. Her legacy is permanently woven into the fabric of Liberty Debate, and her impact will continue to be felt for years to come.
Thank you, Vida for everything you poured into this team. We wish you nothing but success, joy and blessings in your next chapter.
Whether you debated in the 90s, the 2000s, the 2010s, or just graduated, we want to see YOU back on campus for an unforgettable Liberty University Homecoming Weekend!
📅 October 30–31, 2026
Join us as we reconnect, reminisce, and celebrate the people, friendships, and memories that made Liberty Debate so special. We`re planning a special alumni debate event on October 31 that you don`t want to miss!
✈️ Book your flights. 🏨 Reserve your hotel. 📆 Mark your calendar.
Homecoming registration is officially OPEN! Don`t wait—register today so you don`t miss any of the weekend`s events. We can`t wait to welcome you back to campus!
Tag your former partners, teammates, coaches, and debate friends below and help us spread the word.
Go Flames! #libertydebate #libertyuniversity #GoFlames...
Last night we closed out the season the only way Liberty Debate knows how with our annual banquet and a whole lot to celebrate.
Shoutout to our award winners: Novice Outstanding Debater — Ava Ronchetti JV Outstanding Debater — Hunter Etienne Dr. Rakeem Robinson Team Spirit Award — Nova Koenig Most Improved — Elijah Tooley Newcomer — Will Spencer Alumni Award — Michael Harrington Public Service Award — Hannah Malbuff
All season long this team showed up, put in the work, and made it count and last night was about celebrating ALL of that.
Huge thank you to our families, friends, administration, and alumni for their continuous support throughout the season.❤️
Liberty Debate 2025–2026… You were SPECIAL 💫 See you next season!
