The CDL’s National Circuit Program helps the the top debaters in the city to compete against the best suburban, regional, and national circuit programs in the country. The most advanced and ambitious CDL students develop their talent and debating skills against the very best high school debaters in the nation, at tournaments beyond the standard schedule.

The performance of CDL teams at these highly competitive tournaments, which feature debate teams from some of the most prestigious public and private schools from across the country, has been extraordinary. Students from the CDL have won the National Forensic League Nationals and IHSA Varsity State championship; taken part in round robins at Harvard and the University of Michigan; and have won elimination rounds at some of the largest and most competitive debate tournaments in the country.

While the CDC continues to seek funding support for these trips, the CDC will assist with the following for the 2012-2013 school year:

  • Providing tournament dates and links to further info on National Circuit tournaments – assisting with communication with tournament officials where necessary
  • Assistance with judge preference sheets – schools are responsible for entering these on time themselves, but David Song will offer advice and assist with these if provided enough lead time and sent early enough
  • Negotiating reduced entry fees for regional/Midwestern tournaments, where possible – negotiated discounts will be posted on this page of the CDL programming site
  • Recommendations on tournament travel and logistics

NC Program Tournament Results

2012-2013 In-State National Circuit Tournament Dates

  • September 14th – 16th (elims on 16th): Niles West (Varsity only, CDL discount of 50%, $30/Varsity team) [entry deadline 9/7 or until full, drop deadline 9/12 with $30/team drop fee]
  • October 5th – October 7th (prelims begin on Friday morning 10/5, elims on 7th): New Trier (Varsity only, CDL discount of 50%, $50/Varsity team) [entry deadline 9/26 or until full, drop deadline 9/26, 5 pm]
  • November 17th – 19th (registration on Friday night 11/16, elims on 19th): Glenbrooks
    • Maximum of 3 Varsity teams, 2 JV (second-year teams), and 1 Novice (first-year) team per school
    • $100/Varsity team; $90/JV team; $80/Novice team; Hired judge fee: $200/team
    • All online entries are waitlisted until receipt of entry fee – first schools to pay are those first entered
    • No refund of entry fees after 5 pm on 10/31; Penalty fee of $20/team dropped plus original entry fee amount for all drops after 5 pm on 10/31; $100 penalty fee for not entering names of registered teams by 5 pm on 11/10
    • At least one separate judge required in each division a school competes in (Varsity, JV, Novice) from the school
    • No hired judges available
    • All judges required to submit online judge philosophy by 5 pm on November 10th for a school to be able to fill out a strike sheet
    • Judge preferences available 11/13, due by noon 11/15
    • All judges should have constraints/conflicts listed (high school debated or coached for previously) or $40 penalty fee per judge
  • January 18th – 19th: Niles North Novice Tournament (first-year students only)
  • February 22nd – 24th: Homewood-Flossmoor
  • March 8th – 10th: Illinois Debate Coaches Association Novice/JV States, Northbrook (first and second-year students only)
  • March 14th – 16th: IHSA Varsity States – Illinois Wesleyan Univ., Bloomington
    • Schools should enter intent to compete on IHSA website by 11/1; entries must be submitted there online by 2/27
    • You can obtain your school’s Spring Activities login from your administration or Athletic Director, it’s the same username/password used to login for all IHSA sports and events
    • Maximum of 4 Varsity teams per school
    • $50 entry fee per team – checks payable to “Illinois Wesleyan University”
    • Late entry fee of $100 for teams registering online after 2/27
    • Entry fees frozen after 2/27 plus late withdrawal penalty of $125
    • 1 adult judge (at least a sophomore in college or 2 years from graduation from high school) required per team
    • No hired judges are available through tournament
    • Book hotel EARLY – every year, Bloomington/Normal hosts IHSA sports finals that same weekend and it gets very crowded

2012-2013 Out-of-State National Circuit Tournament Dates

  • October 26th – 28th (elims on 28th): Iowa Caucus, Cedar Rapids ($90/Varsity team, $50/Novice team, $250 per hired judge, fees frozen 10/19)
  • November 2nd – 4th (elims on 4th): University of Michigan
    • $100/Varsity or Novice team
    • entry deadline 10/9 or until full, fees frozen 10/9
    • judges and online drops must be entered 10/31 or face penalty fine
    • book hotel early – they fill up fast: less than 30 rooms left at $94/night group rate at Hampton Inn Ann Arbor South (tournament hotel), 734-665-5000
  • December 7th – 9th (elims on 9th): Dowling Catholic, West Des Moines, IA
  • December 14th – 16th (starts on Friday morning 12/14, elims on 16th): Blake School, Minneapolis, MN (Varsity only)
  • January 4th – 6th: Montgomery Bell Academy, Nashville, TN (Varsity only, one team allowed per school)
  • January 25th – 27th: Emory University, Atlanta, GA (Varsity only, two teams allowed per school)
  • February 16th – 18th (elims on 18th): Harvard University (registration opens December 1st)
  • February 16th – 18th (elims on 18th): University of California, Berkeley (registration opens September 21st, entry deadline 2/13 or when full, drop deadline and penalty fees 1/11)
  • April 5th – 7th: Great Midwestern Novice/JV Championship: Iowa City, IA
  • April 12th – 15th: National Debate Coaches Association Championships, Nashville, TN
  • April 27th – 29th (elims on 29th): Tournament of Champions, University of Kentucky, Lexington
  • June 16th – June 21st: National Forensic League Nationals and National Junior Forensic League Nationals, Birmingham, AL