The Western Series
The “Western Series” seeks to spotlight online tournaments that are accessible and ensure high-quality judging. Our goal is to make it easy for coaches across the country to find online tournaments they can afford, but that will still be professionally run and high quality. Thus, UW will seek to sanction a few tournaments a semester as “Western Series” tournaments. Our hope is this will be a helpful resource for coaches navigating an evolving online tournament environment, especially those whose programs are interested in dipping their toes into national circuit debate.
Announcing the 2022-23 Western Series:
The Ivy Street Invitational (hosted by the Marist School), 9/24-26
Westminster, 10/15-17
The Heart of Texas Invitational (host by St. Mark's), 10/21-24 [Hybrid]
The Spartan Classic (hosted by Michigan State University), 12/2-4
The Conway Classic (hosted by Gonzaga University), 1/6-7 [Hybrid]
The Stanford Invitational aka Palm Classic, 2/11-13
The Digital Speech and Debate Series #2 (hosted by the University of Kentucky), 2/24-26
Tournament Details
The Ivy Street Invitational
Date: 9/24-26
Host: The Marist School
Modality: Online
Events: Policy, PF, LD
Policy TOC bid: Finals
Entry fees: $30 Policy and PF. $20 LD
Independent entries: yes
Westminster
Date: 10/15-17
Modality: Online
Events: Policy
Policy TOC bid: Semis
Entry fees: $20
Independent entries: no
The Heart of Texas Invitational
Date: 10/21-24
Host: St. Mark's School of Texas
Modality: Hybrid
Events: Policy, LD
Policy TOC bid: Octos
Entry fees (online): $50
Independent entries: no
The Spartan Classic
Date: 12/2-4
Host: Michigan State University
Modality: Online
Events: Policy, Congress
Entry fees: $25 Policy, $10 Congress
Independent entries: case-by-case
The Conway Classic
Date: 1/6-7
Host: Gonzaga University
Modality: Hybrid
Events: Policy, LD, PF, Congress, Individual Events
Policy TOC bid: Semis
Entry fees: TBD (updated fee structure posted on website by early fall)
The Stanford Invitational aka Palm Classic
Date: 2/11-13
Modality: Online
Events: Congressional Debate, LD, Parliamentary, Policy, PF, Speech (All), World Schools
Policy TOC bid: Semis
Entry fees: $100 with a 100% fee waiver to at-need schools upon expression of need
Independent entries: yes
The Digital Speech and Debate Series #2
Date: 2/24-25
Host: University of Kentucky
Modality: Online
Events: Congress, LD, PF, Policy, Speech
Policy TOC bid: Quarters
Entry fees: TBD (aiming for $25/student)
Independent entries: yes
*Honorable Mentions*
The Damus Hollywood Invitational (hosted by Notre Dame High School), 11/11-13. This tournament has a limited hybrid division- apply soon to ensure you get in if you're looking to compete online! Events include policy, LD, and WSD. This is an excellent tournament that is professionally run, has great judging and MPJ, and won't gouge you. It does not allow independent entries.
The Urban Debate Dragon Invitational (hosted by DC International), 11/11-13. This tournament promises affordable Hybrid entries in Policy Debate. Entries fees are still being determined and independent entries will be granted on a case-by-case basis.
First and Second Year Nationals hosted by Woodward Academy, 3/17-19. We decided to only announce regular season tournaments as Western Series tournaments, but Woodward's First and Second Year National Championship is an excellent tournament that will either be online or hybrid (Policy, LD, PF). It will likely $50 per entry, and independent entries are not allowed.
The Digital Speech and Debate Series hosted by the University of Kentucky. We have announced their second tournament (2/24-25) as a Western Series tournament, however they will also be hosting on 12/2-4 (semis bid) and 3/10-12 (quarters bid).
Background
In spring 2022 we hosted the first Western Series tournament at the University of Wyoming. Although we thought we put on a good show, our tournament was just the pilot project for the actual Western Series program. Our goal now is not to host a tournament, but to serve a spotlighting function. As in-person tournaments return in greater numbers, we want to help ensure that a limited but accessible and high-quality version of online high school debate outlasts COVID. The “Western Series” will seek to spotlight online tournaments that pledge to adopt low or no entry fees and ensure high-quality judging. Our goal is to make it easy for coaches across the country to find online tournaments they can afford, but that will still be professionally run and high quality. Thus, UW will seek to sanction a few tournaments a semester as “Western Series” tournaments. Our hope is this will be a helpful resource for coaches navigating a post-pandemic online tournament environment, especially those whose programs are interested in but not used to being able to access national circuit debate.
The pandemic had at least one silver lining in debate: teams interested in national circuit debate were no longer precluded from participation by exorbitant costs or travel. Our goal is to ensure that a place continues to exist where local debate can meet national debate without financial barriers.
Our view of post-pandemic online debate is that it is a useful tool to expand access to those that can’t afford national circuit travel; however, we believe that online debate cannot replace all the benefits of in-person debate. As such, we will not sanction more than a few tournaments a semester. As the pandemic winds down and we are able to return to in-person debate, we can see several possible futures for online debate. Two of those futures worry us. The first is a world of online debate dominated by for-profit tournaments that reduce the radical potential of online debate to increase access. The second is a scenario where online options exist but there are few competitions run by professionalized hosts. The Western Series hopes to put the spotlight on online tournament hosts that offer the best of both worlds.
We will only sanction tournaments for the Western Series that commit to low or no entry fees. We can imagine endorsing a variety of fee structures designed to ameliorate cost while retaining quality, including regional discounts, a strong waiver policy, etc. Western Series hosts will additionally be asked to take measures to establish high-quality judging pools, ensuring useful feedback for those who may not be used to getting any at all. While the Western Series is run by those of us in the West, it is not just for the West! We invite participants from anywhere and everyone. The "Western Series" stamp of approval merely signifies that an online tournament is either free or run budget-neutral and that effort is put into hiring judges to ensure quality feedback.
If you are interested in applying to be a Western Series tournament, please fill out the brief application found here: https://forms.gle/WoD78BtupL2C3ySSA
In order to evaluate applications and make a timely announcement, we ask that applications be in by 5/30/2022.
Thank you for your consideration!
Announcing the 2022-23 Western Series:
The Ivy Street Invitational (hosted by the Marist School), 9/24-26
Westminster, 10/15-17
The Heart of Texas Invitational (host by St. Mark's), 10/21-24 [Hybrid]
The Spartan Classic (hosted by Michigan State University), 12/2-4
The Conway Classic (hosted by Gonzaga University), 1/6-7 [Hybrid]
The Stanford Invitational aka Palm Classic, 2/11-13
The Digital Speech and Debate Series #2 (hosted by the University of Kentucky), 2/24-26
Tournament Details
The Ivy Street Invitational
Date: 9/24-26
Host: The Marist School
Modality: Online
Events: Policy, PF, LD
Policy TOC bid: Finals
Entry fees: $30 Policy and PF. $20 LD
Independent entries: yes
Westminster
Date: 10/15-17
Modality: Online
Events: Policy
Policy TOC bid: Semis
Entry fees: $20
Independent entries: no
The Heart of Texas Invitational
Date: 10/21-24
Host: St. Mark's School of Texas
Modality: Hybrid
Events: Policy, LD
Policy TOC bid: Octos
Entry fees (online): $50
Independent entries: no
The Spartan Classic
Date: 12/2-4
Host: Michigan State University
Modality: Online
Events: Policy, Congress
Entry fees: $25 Policy, $10 Congress
Independent entries: case-by-case
The Conway Classic
Date: 1/6-7
Host: Gonzaga University
Modality: Hybrid
Events: Policy, LD, PF, Congress, Individual Events
Policy TOC bid: Semis
Entry fees: TBD (updated fee structure posted on website by early fall)
The Stanford Invitational aka Palm Classic
Date: 2/11-13
Modality: Online
Events: Congressional Debate, LD, Parliamentary, Policy, PF, Speech (All), World Schools
Policy TOC bid: Semis
Entry fees: $100 with a 100% fee waiver to at-need schools upon expression of need
Independent entries: yes
The Digital Speech and Debate Series #2
Date: 2/24-25
Host: University of Kentucky
Modality: Online
Events: Congress, LD, PF, Policy, Speech
Policy TOC bid: Quarters
Entry fees: TBD (aiming for $25/student)
Independent entries: yes
*Honorable Mentions*
The Damus Hollywood Invitational (hosted by Notre Dame High School), 11/11-13. This tournament has a limited hybrid division- apply soon to ensure you get in if you're looking to compete online! Events include policy, LD, and WSD. This is an excellent tournament that is professionally run, has great judging and MPJ, and won't gouge you. It does not allow independent entries.
The Urban Debate Dragon Invitational (hosted by DC International), 11/11-13. This tournament promises affordable Hybrid entries in Policy Debate. Entries fees are still being determined and independent entries will be granted on a case-by-case basis.
First and Second Year Nationals hosted by Woodward Academy, 3/17-19. We decided to only announce regular season tournaments as Western Series tournaments, but Woodward's First and Second Year National Championship is an excellent tournament that will either be online or hybrid (Policy, LD, PF). It will likely $50 per entry, and independent entries are not allowed.
The Digital Speech and Debate Series hosted by the University of Kentucky. We have announced their second tournament (2/24-25) as a Western Series tournament, however they will also be hosting on 12/2-4 (semis bid) and 3/10-12 (quarters bid).
Background
In spring 2022 we hosted the first Western Series tournament at the University of Wyoming. Although we thought we put on a good show, our tournament was just the pilot project for the actual Western Series program. Our goal now is not to host a tournament, but to serve a spotlighting function. As in-person tournaments return in greater numbers, we want to help ensure that a limited but accessible and high-quality version of online high school debate outlasts COVID. The “Western Series” will seek to spotlight online tournaments that pledge to adopt low or no entry fees and ensure high-quality judging. Our goal is to make it easy for coaches across the country to find online tournaments they can afford, but that will still be professionally run and high quality. Thus, UW will seek to sanction a few tournaments a semester as “Western Series” tournaments. Our hope is this will be a helpful resource for coaches navigating a post-pandemic online tournament environment, especially those whose programs are interested in but not used to being able to access national circuit debate.
The pandemic had at least one silver lining in debate: teams interested in national circuit debate were no longer precluded from participation by exorbitant costs or travel. Our goal is to ensure that a place continues to exist where local debate can meet national debate without financial barriers.
Our view of post-pandemic online debate is that it is a useful tool to expand access to those that can’t afford national circuit travel; however, we believe that online debate cannot replace all the benefits of in-person debate. As such, we will not sanction more than a few tournaments a semester. As the pandemic winds down and we are able to return to in-person debate, we can see several possible futures for online debate. Two of those futures worry us. The first is a world of online debate dominated by for-profit tournaments that reduce the radical potential of online debate to increase access. The second is a scenario where online options exist but there are few competitions run by professionalized hosts. The Western Series hopes to put the spotlight on online tournament hosts that offer the best of both worlds.
We will only sanction tournaments for the Western Series that commit to low or no entry fees. We can imagine endorsing a variety of fee structures designed to ameliorate cost while retaining quality, including regional discounts, a strong waiver policy, etc. Western Series hosts will additionally be asked to take measures to establish high-quality judging pools, ensuring useful feedback for those who may not be used to getting any at all. While the Western Series is run by those of us in the West, it is not just for the West! We invite participants from anywhere and everyone. The "Western Series" stamp of approval merely signifies that an online tournament is either free or run budget-neutral and that effort is put into hiring judges to ensure quality feedback.
If you are interested in applying to be a Western Series tournament, please fill out the brief application found here: https://forms.gle/WoD78BtupL2C3ySSA
In order to evaluate applications and make a timely announcement, we ask that applications be in by 5/30/2022.
Thank you for your consideration!
