The Coolidge Foundation has operated a debate league in North Carolina and the mid-Atlantic since 2017. While it is a joint project of the Coolidge Foundation and the schools founded by Robert L. Luddy (the Thales Academies, Franklin Academy, and St. Thomas More Academy), tournaments welcome students in grades 6 through 12 from any school willing to travel to them.
The Coolidge Foundation plans and administers each Coolidge League tournament. To reach as many students as possible, we remove barriers by welcoming homeschool and independent entries, including students who lack formal support from their schools. Participation is free of charge to students, and we provide lunch during in-person league competitions. There is no formal membership or affiliation process. Independent and homeschool students may register using our webforms, while teams and clubs may register through each tournament’s Tabroom.com page.
The 2026-2027 Season
Format and Style
At the four Coolidge League tournaments hosted at the Luddy Schools, students will compete in the Coolidge 2v2 debate format. We strongly encourage those new to debating in this league to review our debate education resources, which provide information about the format, style, and rules used in Coolidge Debate.
Other Coolidge Foundation competitions listed above may use different formats. Students should review the individual tournament page for format, eligibility, and registration information.
Coolidge Cup Bids
The four Coolidge League tournaments hosted at the Luddy Schools do not award Coolidge Cup bids. The Coolidge National Declamation Contest is a separate speech competition that qualifies students for the declamation competition at the Coolidge Cup.
Several tournaments on the 2026-2027 calendar award bids to the 2027 Coolidge Cup National Championship. These include the Coolidge Fall Online Open, Coolidge Presidents’ Cup, Coolidge Winter Online Open, and Coolidge North Carolina Open, along with other Coolidge Open tournaments across the country.
The Coolidge North Carolina Open is both the final debate tournament on the league calendar and part of the Foundation’s National Tournament Series. Students who earn bids through qualifying tournaments are invited to compete individually in the Coolidge 1v1 debate format at the 2027 Coolidge Cup, held July 1-5 at the Coolidge State Historic Site in Plymouth Notch, Vermont.
Judges
We need volunteer judges for our debate tournaments! We welcome citizen judges of all types, including parents, grandparents, teachers, coaches, and other members of the community. Experience with debating or judging is not necessary. Those interested are encouraged to review our information for judges. On the morning of each tournament, we will hold a brief judge training session to provide all the guidance needed for the day and answer questions. Registration to volunteer as a judge is available on the appropriate tournament page.
Questions
Questions about the league may be directed to Coolidge Foundation Director of Speech and Debate, Jonathan Peele.
Students compete in a tournament at Thales Academy Flowers Plantation, September 2025.