Notre Dame Speech and Debate

09/18/2026

Official practice schedule for the 2026 fall semester!

08/31/2026

Join us tonight for our first team meeting of the fall semester!

This will be the recurring time for our weekly team meetings, and our official practice schedule will be released soon. If you can’t make it today, don’t worry—just make sure to send an email or text conveying your interest, and/or continue following our page to stay updated on our practice times!

08/20/2026

Meet your executive team for the upcoming year!

04/22/2026

Last few hours of ND Day! Take a look to see why you should support ND Debate!

04/21/2026

Today marks the beginning of ND Day! Please consider donating to ND Debate to support our organization! Click on the link in bio or scan the QR code to donate! Thank you to everyone for your generosity and support!! ☘️☘️☘️

04/21/2026

ND Day has officially begun! Please consider supporting Notre Dame's Speech & Debate program at the link below. Any donation, big or small, is much appreciated!

https://notredameday.nd.edu/organizations/debate-team

03/20/2026

Giving is now live for ND Day! Help support our team by scanning the QR code or following the link in the comments! Any gift, small or large, is appreciated and funds our team’s travel! Thank you to all who support ND Debate!

11/17/2025

On November 15th, the Notre Dame Speech and Debate Team won 1st place among universities in the National Online Forensics “Topaz Invitational” Tournament.

In IPDA Debate, Sophia Fung claimed first place, Z Zavala was the runner up, and the Irish won 6 of the 8 top awards.

In Individual Events, Sammantha Krahl earned a “Gold” in Persuasive Speaking (going straight 1’s) and Collin Gibbons won “Silver” in Extemporaneous Speaking.

Complete IPDA results:

Sophia Fung earned “Gold” and the 1st Place Speaker Award
Z Zavala earned “Gold” and the 2nd Place Speaker Award
Natalee Shipley earned “Gold” and the 3rd Place Speaker Award
Liam Sagucio earned “Silver” and the 5th Place Speaker Award
Xavier Williams earned “Silver” and the 7th Place Speaker Award
Tristan Alkire earned “Silver” and the 8th Place Speaker Award

The team was coached by graduate student Morgan Mannion and Dr. George LaMaster. This second online tournament completes the team’s season for now. Stay tuned for future adventures!

09/30/2025

On Sunday, September 28th, at their first tournament of the season, the ND Speech and Debate Team won second place overall against a field of 19 universities. At the East Coast Early Bird Tournament, hosted online by Queens College of New York, fourteen students competed live over Zoom. Jack Johnson was the tournament champion in Varsity Debate (IPDA), and Joanna Luan took 2nd place in Novice Debate (IPDA). Students also competed in Extemporaneous Speaking and Impromptu Speaking. Additional results appear below. Go Irish!

Quarterfinalist Novice IPDA – Sophia Fung
Semifinalist Novice IPDA – Xavier Williams
Quarterfinalist Varsity IPDA – Tristan Alkire (Holy Cross)
Semifinalist IPDA – Z Zavala
Jack Johnson – Tournament Champion in Varsity IPDA (and 3rd place top speaker)
Joanna Luan – 2nd Place in Novice IPDA (and 3rd place top speaker)
2nd Place Overall Team Sweepstakes

05/09/2025

It appears Pope Leo competed in high school. :)

Clipping found in The Holland Evening Sentinel published in Holland, Michigan on 10/24/1972. (Robert Prevost) Attends State Forensic Congress in Lansing