Debate Team

Join the Debate Hawks

The Debate Team has approximately 40 members and participating in debate is a great way to make new friends while honing transferable skills to careers in law, politics, business, and education. No previous debate experience is necessary. 

See the Latest Debate Hawks Happenings

The Monmouth University debate team has been competing in regional and national debate tournaments since 2008. Through debate, students gain critical thinking and public speaking skills which helps prepare students for careers in law, business, education, and other fields. Debate is also a great way to make lifelong friendships! During the 2026–27 year, debaters will research foreign policy issues, prepare for tournaments through practice scrimmages, and travel across the country to approximately six weekend tournaments.

A few years back Monmouth debaters broke into the CEDA/NDT national rankings, finishing 21st in the nation in a policy debate league that includes over 100 colleges and universities. The team also finished first nationally in the novice points division in 2022 and once again in 2020. 

In addition to competing in debate tournaments, the team also enjoys venturing out to unexpected places to share the debate experience. For example, the team in 2026 competed in the National Prison Debate League against debaters incarcerated in a maximum-security prison in Connecticut. The team in 2024 (and 2021) also traveled to Kolkata, India to teach the debate activity to low-income children through our debate mentoring program.

Approximately 35 Monmouth students per year compete in policy debate tournaments, and some have even competed in up to 20 debate tournaments over their four years at Monmouth. But no debate experience is necessary to join. In fact, almost all Monmouth debaters start out with no debate experience and compete in the novice division.

We’d love to have you on the team! Please email Professor Joe Patten if interested in joining or learning more about the team.