The Coolidge Foundation has been building its own 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 will plan and administer each of the below listed tournaments. To reach as many students as possible, we remove barriers by welcoming homeschool and independent entries (students who lack formal support from their schools). Participation is free of charge to students, and we provide lunch during competitions.
The 2025-2026 Season
There are five league tournaments scheduled for the 2025-2026 season. The fifth and final tournament, the North Carolina Open, is also part of our National Tournament Series, and serves as a qualifier to the Coolidge Cup.
- September 6, 2025, at Thales Academy in Flowers Plantation, NC (Results)
- November 8, 2025, at Thales Academy in Apex, NC (Results)
- February 7, 2026, at Thales Academy in Holly Springs, NC
- March 7, 2026, at Franklin Academy in Wake Forest, NC
- April 25, 2026, at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, NC
Format and Style
At these five tournaments, students will compete in the Coolidge 2v2 debate format. If you are new to debating in this league, we highly recommend reviewing our debate education resources that provide information about this particular format, style, and rules.
Coolidge Cup Bids
The fifth and final tournament of the league calendar, known as the Coolidge North Carolina Open, will serve as a qualifier tournament for the 2026 Coolidge Cup national championship tournament which takes place July 2-4 in Plymouth, Vermont. Each individual debater from top four finishing varsity high school teams (based on wins and total speaker points) will receive an invitation to compete at the Coolidge Cup. Note that the Coolidge Cup uses a 1v1 format in which students compete individually.
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. If you are interested, please take a look at our information for judges. On the morning of the tournament, we will hold a brief judge training session, where we will give you all the guidance you need for the day and will answer all of your questions. Register on the appropriate tournament page to volunteer as a judge for the next Coolidge League tournament.
Questions
If you have any questions about the the league, please contact Coolidge Foundation Director of Speech and Debate, Jonathan Peele.
Students compete in a tournament at Thales Academy Flowers Plantation, September 2025