2023-2024 Tournament Schedule
This tournament calendar and dates are subject to change, but we hope this provides a good snapshot of the year ahead. The most up-to-date information about any tournament will always come from the tournament hosts on their Tabroom.com homepage or invitation.
Anyone is welcome to register for regular season local NMSDA tournaments provided they attend practice or arrange for outside coaching and preparation the month before competition.
National circuit travel tournaments (capitalized and in italics) are largely reserved for seasoned members of the team and require an application for consideration.
Students are not expected nor encouraged to attend every tournament. We expect competitors to commit to at least one NMSDA local tournament per semester (outside of State and District Nat Quals) to be considered active members of the team.
Priority registration for travel tournaments, the State Championship, and the Nationals District Qualifier will go to students who have been actively competing.
Semester 1
9/30 (Sat) — East Mountain Top of the World Invitational (Sandia Park, NM)
9/29–10/2 (Fri–Mon) — JACK HOWE LONG BEACH (Long Beach, CA)
10/27–10/28 (Fri–Sat) — Navajo Prep Speech & Congress (Farmington, NM)
11/10–11/11 (Fri-Sat) — Cottonwood Classical (Albuquerque, NM)
12/2 (Sat) — Cibola (Rio Rancho, NM)
12/8–12/10 (Fri–Sun) — ISIDORE NEWMAN INVITATIONAL (New Orleans, LA)
Semester 2
1/5–1/7 (Fri–Sun) — ASU HDSHC INVITATIONAL (Tempe, AZ)
1/12–1/13 (Fri–Sat) — La Cueva Cave Classic (Albuquerque, NM — ONLINE)
1/26–1/27 (Fri–Sat) — V. Sue Cleveland Eye of the Storm (Rio Rancho, NM)
2/10 (Sat) — Novice State Congress / Varsity District Qualifier for Congressional Debate (Albuquerque, NM)
2/17–2/19 (Sat–Mon) — BERKELEY CALIFORNIA INVITATIONAL (Berkeley, CA)
2/23–2/24 (Fri–Sat) — ***NEW MEXICO STATE SPEECH & DEBATE CHAMPIONSHIP*** (Albuquerque, NM)
3/22–3/23 (Fri–Sat) — ***DISTRICT NATIONAL QUALIFIER*** (Albuquerque, NM)
6/16–6/21 (Mon–Sat) — *****NSDA NATIONALS***** (Des Moines, IA)
September 2023
Capitol Congress
Tournament date: Wednesday, 9/6 (This tournament is cancelled as the Capitol is unable to host us this year. Stay tuned for next year!)
Our first tournament of the year will be the Capitol Congress tournament hosted by the New Mexico Speech & Debate Association (NMSDA). This is a fantastic first tournament for anyone new to the team!
East Mountain — Top of the World Invitational
Tournament dates: Saturday, September 30th
Our first local tournament of the year will be the East Mountain Top of the World Invitational hosted by EMHS in Sandia Park, NM (Tijeras). It will offer all of our MAIN Speech & Debate events, but no Congress.
This tournament will be a great place to try out a new Speech or Debate event for our new members! New students are especially encouraged to attend, and varisty level / leadership team members are strongly encouraged to attend and support as well.
*Attendance at September practices is required to register unless other arrangements are made with coaching staff.
Long Beach — Jack Howe Tournament (Nat Circ)
Tournament dates: Saturday to Monday, 9/30–10/2
Our first national circuit tournament of the year will be the Jack Howe Memorial Tournament hosted by CSU Long Beach in Long Beach, California. It is a UKTOC bid tournament for all events we compete in.
This tournament is a great place for advanced and upper-level students to apply for consideration, particularly if they have put in extra time during the summer or early school season to be prepared to compete. Students must submit an application for consideration.
*Attendance at September practices is required to register unless other arrangements are made with coaching staff.
October 2023
Navajo Prep — Atsá Speech & Congress Invitational
Tournament dates: Saturday, 10/28 (overnight trip including a cultural celebration on eve of Fri 10/27)
The first away trip in-state and first Congress tournament of the year will be the inaugural Atsá Speech & Congress Invitational hosted by Navajo Prep in Farmington, NM. It will offer Speech & Congress, but no debate.
This tournament will be a great place for all members to consider attending — there will be a cultural celebration on Friday hosted by the Navajo Prep students, and debaters will benefit from “cross-training” with Extemp (Speech) or Congress. Plan to spend a night overnight in Farmington if you attend!
*Attendance at October practices is required to register unless other arrangements are made with coaching staff.
November 2023
CCPS — Cottonwood Classic
Tournament dates: Friday to Saturday, 11/10–11/11
The first two-day tournament of the season will be the Cottonwood Classic hosted by CCPS in Albuquerque, NM. It will feature all of the main Speech & Debate events we compete in, but no Congress.
This tournament is great for anyone who plans to compete in semester 2 to consider as it will allow you to experience the schedule of a two-day tournament with elimination rounds. It will be a great tournament for all members to consider attending.
*Attendance at October practices is required to register unless other arrangements are made with coaching staff.
December 2023
Cibola — Winter Classic
Tournament dates: Saturday, 12/2
The inaugural tournament of its kind, the final local tournament of the first semester will be the Ciboal Invitational hosted by Cibola HS in Albuquerque, NM.
This tournament is great for anyone who would like to get extra practice going into semester two, and particularly for those who want to support a first-time tournament host! We hope to use our time to help expand and support the rest of the New Mexico Speech & Debate community. Those with busier schedules are especially encouraged to attend as this is a one-day tournament.
*Attendance at November practices is required to register unless other arrangements are made with coaching staff.
Isidore Newman School Invitational (Nat Circ)
Tournament dates: Friday to Sunday, 12/8–12/10
Our second national circuit tournament of the year will be the Newman Invitational Tournament hosted by Isidore Newman in New Orleans, Louisiana. It is a UKTOC bid tournament for all events we compete in.
This tournament is a great place for advanced and upper-level students to apply for consideration, particularly seniors who will have completed the bulk of their earlier college applications. Students must submit an application for consideration.
*Attendance at November practices is required to register unless other arrangements are made with coaching staff.
January 2024
ASU — HDSHC Invitational (Nat Circ)
Tournament date: Friday to Sunday, 1/5–1/7
Our third national circuit tournament of the year will be the HDSHC (Hugh Downs School of Human Communication) Tournament hosted by ASU in Tempe, Arizona. It is a UKTOC bid tournament for all events we compete in.
This is our friendliest and easiest tournament to attend for students newer to the national circuit who wish to try national-level competition and is a great place for advanced and upper-level students to apply for consideration, particularly if they are willing to work over Winter Break ensure that they are prepared to compete. Students must submit an application for consideration.
*Attendance at December practices is required to register unless other arrangements are made with coaching staff.
La Cueva — Cave Classic
Tournament dates: Friday to Saturday, January 12th–13th
Our fifth local tournament of the year and the first of Semester 2 will be the La Cueva Cave Classic hosted by LCHS in Albuquerque, NM. It will offer all of our MAIN Speech & Debate events and a few additional supplemental events, but no Congress.
This tournament will be a great place for students to jump-start their semester 2 tournaments and help prepare for the State and District tournaments in February and March.
*Attendance at December practices is required to register unless other arrangements are made with coaching staff.
V. Sue Cleveland — Eye of the Storm
Tournament dates: Friday to Saturday, 1/26–1/27
Our sixth and final regular season local tournament of the year prior to the State and District tournaments will be the V. Sue Cleveland Eye of the Storm Invitational in Rio Rancho, NM. It will offer all of our MAIN Speech & Debate events and a few additional supplemental events, but no Congress.
This tournament will be a great place for students to complete their local competition and help prepare for the State and District tournaments in February and March.
*Attendance at January practices is required to register unless other arrangements are made with coaching staff.
February 2024
Congress District Qualifier / State Championship
Tournament date: Saturday, 2/10
Our first tournament in the end-of-season championships/qualifiers is the NM District Congress National Qualifier/Congress State Championship hosted by the NM District Committee at the Embassy Suites in Albuquerque, NM. The top-performing students will qualify for the NSDA National Championship in June and the top-placing student in each NM District Tournament Congress event (Senate & House) will be named the NMSDA State Champions in Congressional Debate.
This is one of the first pathways that students can pursue to qualify for Nationals, and our participation in this tournament helps maximize the amount of slots that the NM District gets generally to send students from New Mexico to Nationals!
*Attendance at February practices is required to register unless other arrangements are made with coaching staff.
Berkeley — Cal Invitational (Nat Circ)
Tournament date: Friday to Sunday, 1/5–1/7
Our fourth and final national circuit tournament of the year will be the Cal Invitational hosted by UC Berkeley in Berkeley, California. It is a UKTOC bid tournament for all events we compete in.
This is the most rigorous and prestigious national circuit tournament that we attend and is great opportunity for advanced and upper-level students to apply for consideration, particularly if they put in considerable time and preparation. Students must submit an application for consideration.
*Attendance at February practices is required to register unless other arrangements are made with coaching staff.
NMSDA State Speech & Debate Championship
Tournament dates: Friday to Saturday, 2/23–2/24
The culmination of our local NMSDA competition season, the State Speech & Debate Championship will be hosted the New Mexico Speech & Debate Association at V. Sue Cleveland in Rio Rancho, NM. It will offer all of our MAIN Speech & Debate events in an end-of-season championship showcase.
This tournament will be a great place for students to culminate their local competition season and attempt to earn a State Championship title prior to the District National Qualifier in March.
*Attendance at February practices is required to register unless other arrangements are made with coaching staff.
March 2024
NM District National Qualifier — Speech & Debate
Tournament dates: Friday to Saturday, 3/22–3/23
The final competitive opportunity of the year for students, the District National Qualifier for Speech & Debate will be hosted by the NM District Committee at Albuquerque Academy in ABQ, NM. Only students in grades 9-12 are eligible to compete in this qualifier for NSDA Nationals, and students must meet other eligibility requirements. See NSDA Nationals for more information.
This tournament is great for anyone who hopes to reach the achievement of qualifying for the National Championship, an incredible honor for high school students. Please note that the National Championship will require a one-week period of travel and availability from 6/16-6/22 for those who qualify and wish to attend.
*Attendance at March practices is required to register unless other arrangements are made with coaching staff.
June 2024
NSDA National Championship
Tournament dates: Monday to Friday, 6/17–6/21
The culminating tournament of our season is held the third week of June each year. Students who qualify to Nationals are eligible to attend this week-long national championship hosted by the National Speech & Debate Association (NSDA) in Des Moines, Iowa. There are multiple pathways for students to qualify to Nationals; see NSDA Nationals for more information.
This tournament is an incredible honor for any student to attend. Please note that the National Championship will require a one-week period of travel and availability from 6/16-6/22 for those who qualify and wish to partake.