2026 Tournament Information Now Available!
For official rules, deadlines, and updates, please refer to the competition organizer. Aralia provides competition information for student reference and is not affiliated with the competition organizer.
Harvard National Speech and Debate Tournament
The Harvard National Speech and Debate Tournament (old name: Harvard National High School Invitational Forensics Tournament), held in Cambridge each Presidents’ Day Weekend, is the largest and most prestigious high school speech and debate tournament in the country, providing opportunities for students to compete in Policy Debate, Lincoln-Douglas Debate, Public Forum Debate, Student Congress, and a variety of individual and duo speech events.
Aralia does not currently offer a preparation class for this competition.
Competition Overview
Eligibility
High school students
Entry Fee
Varies, starting from $85
Tournament Dates
February 14-16, 2026
Registration Timeline
December 1, 2025 – February 9, 2026
Competition Details
1. Competition Overview
Participants compete in various debate and speech events, and judges score them based on criteria like delivery, content, and argumentation. Top performers advance to the elimination rounds, with the final round determining the overall winners
2. Round Robins
Harvard will host round robins in Policy Debate, Lincoln-Douglas Debate (LD), Public Forum Debate (PF), and Congressional Debate (CX) prior to the main tournament.
Competition Dates:
- Policy Round Robin Date: February 12-13, 2026
- All other divisions: February 13, 2026
Registration Deadline:
- Congressional Debate: December 1-10, 2025
- LD, PF, and CX: December 1-21, 2025
3. The “Crimson Bearcat” Policy Debate Tournament
Hosted at Suffolk University (prelims) and Harvard (elims). For this year, Harvard will accept entries from clubs or other debate organizations if the school has no debate team.
4. The Public Forum Debate Tournament
Held at Cambridge Rindge & Latin School. There are 2 divisions: In-person divisions (Varsity, JV, Novice, Middle School) and 2 online divisions (Beginner and Open International).
5. The Lincoln-Douglas Debate Tournament
Location TBD. There are 2 divisions (Varsity and Junior-Varsity), and both will use the January-February National Speech and Debate Association topic and time limits.
6. The World Schools Debate Tournament
Hosted in Harvard Yard (Emerson Hall). There is an in-person division capped at 40 teams (one per school to start) and an online division with no limits. Teams have 3-5 members and can be hybrid in the online division. Both divisions have 6 prelims and break to quarters, with prepared and impromptu motions.
7. The Congressional Debate Tournament
There are 3 divisions (Varsity, Junior-Varsity, and Middle School), and only Varsity and JV will be in person. This tournament follows NSDA rules, with some Harvard-specific additions.
8. Speech Tournament
The tournament will feature competitions in 8 events. NSDA rules apply. Double-entry is allowed.
More information about all the competitions can be found here.
Class Recommendation
Prepare to compete at the highest level