National Forensic Association
The National Forensic Association is an American intercollegiate organization designed to promote excellence in individual events and debate. Founded in 1971, the NFA National Tournament is dedicated to a full range of literature interpretation, public address, limited preparation, and Lincoln-Douglas debate. The NFA sponsors the NFA National Tournament on an annual basis. The 2025 NFA National Tournament will be hosted by Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan.
Lincoln Douglas Debate
NFA is unique in its NFA-LD Policy format. High school debate is primarily divided into individual debaters engaged in values-oriented competition or teams of debaters in rapid-paced evidence-based policy analysis. Instead of choosing one of these formats, NFA offers evidence-based policy analysis in one-on-one competition.LD Policy Format
At the beginning of each year a topic area and corresponding resolution is voted upon and subject to the entire season's debate. Each round competitors find themselves assigned to affirm or negate the resolution. Rather than affirm general ideas or values, affirmative competitors propose a particular policy to adopt as a representation of the resolution. Negative competitors will generally attempt to either demonstrate a lack of need for that policy or argue that said policy's disadvantages outweigh its benefits.The first affirmative and negative speeches are constructive speeches, intended to put forth the arguments which will comprise the issues in dispute. A cross-examination period of three minutes follows each of these speeches in order to clarify arguments and gain information relevant to each competitor's position. Each competitor is then given a six-minute rebuttal in which their responses and development of the arguments are finalized. At the end of the round, the affirmative is given one final three-minute speech to review why their plan ought to be passed in support of the resolution. An assigned judge will then cast a ballot to affirm or negate the resolution.
Past LD Debate Resolutions
Previous National Tournaments
List of Speech Sweepstakes Champions
| Year | Pentathlon Champion | Team Sweepstakes |
| 1971 | Robert Reider, Ohio University | Ohio University |
| 1972 | Jim Molnar, Ohio University | Ball State University |
| 1973 | Dave Beal, Ohio University | Eastern Michigan University |
| 1974 | Bobbi Rowe, Stetson University | Ohio University |
| 1975 | Bobbi Rowe, Stetson University | Ohio University |
| 1976 | Irene Ziegler, Stetson University | Eastern Michigan University |
| 1977 | Michael Garcia, Eastern Michigan University | Eastern Michigan University |
| 1978 | William Allen Young, University of Southern California | Eastern Michigan University |
| 1979 | George Denger, Eastern Michigan University | Eastern Michigan University |
| 1980 | Jon Capecci, Eastern Michigan University | Eastern Michigan University |
| 1981 | Jon Capecci, Eastern Michigan University | Eastern Michigan University |
| 1982 | Theresa McElwee, Eastern Michigan University | Bradley University |
| 1983 | Mike Jones, Eastern Michigan University | Bradley University |
| 1984 | Brad Johansen, Bradley University | Bradley University |
| 1985 | John Broer, Miami University | Bradley University |
| 1986 | Greg Dolph, Bradley University | Eastern Michigan University |
| 1987 | Laura Duncan, Eastern Michigan University | Eastern Michigan University |
| 1988 | Brenda Dempsey, Eastern Michigan University | Bradley University |
| 1989 | Cam Jones, Cornell University | Bradley University |
| 1990 | Stephanie Kaplan, University of Wisconsin-Madison | Bradley University |
| 1991 | Karon Bowers, Bradley University | Bradley University |
| 1992 | Ronnie Stewart, Bradley University | Bradley University |
| 1993 | Jason Berke, Illinois State University | Bradley University |
| 1994 | Andy Wood, Berry College | Bradley University |
| 1995 | Jason Berke, Illinois State University | Illinois State University |
| 1996 | August Benassi, Bradley University | Bradley University |
| 1997 | Chris Grove, Illinois State University | Bradley University |
| 1998 | Grant Ward, Illinois State University Brendan Kelly, Eastern Michigan University | Bradley University |
| 1999 | Brian Davis, Arizona State University | Illinois State University |
| 2000 | Dan Hungerman, Miami University | Illinois State University |
| 2001 | Steve Zammit, Cornell University | Bradley University |
| 2002 | Eric Long, Bradley University | Bradley University |
| 2003 | Meredith Schnug, Miami University | Western Kentucky University |
| 2004 | John Coleman, Berry College | Western Kentucky University |
| 2005 | A.J. Moorehead, Arizona State University | Bradley University |
| 2006 | Paul Davis, Arizona State University | Western Kentucky University |
| 2007 | Kashif Powell, Morehouse College | Western Kentucky University |
| 2008 | Jessy Ohl, Kansas State University | Western Kentucky University |
| 2009 | Joele Denis, Western Kentucky University | Western Kentucky University |
| 2010 | Dan Glaser, Ohio University | Western Kentucky University |
| 2011 | Jacoby Cochran, Bradley University | Western Kentucky University |
| 2012 | Jacoby Cochran, Bradley University | Bradley University |
| 2013 | Kaybee Brown, Bradley University | Bradley University |
| 2014 | Andrew Neylon, Ball State University | Western Kentucky University |
| 2015 | Jerome Gregory, Bradley University | Western Kentucky University |
| 2016 | Farrah Bara, University of Texas at Austin | Western Kentucky University |
| 2017 | Jerome Gregory, Bradley University | Western Kentucky University |
| 2018 | Abigail Onwunali, University of Texas at Austin | Western Kentucky University |
| 2019 | Andrea Ambam, Western Kentucky University | Bradley University |
| 2021 | Derek Collins, Western Kentucky University | Western Kentucky University |
| 2022 | Fernando Cereceres, University of Texas at Austin | Western Kentucky University |
| 2023 | Doniven Hill-Bush, Illinois State University | Western Kentucky University |
| 2024 | Fernando Cereceres, University of Texas at Austin | Western Kentucky University |
| 2025 | Cecilia Alali, Western Kentucky University | Western Kentucky University |
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 tournament was canceled, resulting in no sweepstakes winners. However, the NFA permitted competitors in their senior year to submit recordings of their speeches for an asynchronous competition. The top performing student in each category was ranked as the Performance of Highest Distinction. Finalists in each category were not publicly ranked but were announced as Performances of Distinction. The Pentathlon award was replaced with the Performer of Highest Distinction award, which Saeed Malami won from Lafayette College.
List of Lincoln-Douglas Debate Champions
| Year | National Champion | Team Sweepstakes |
| 1991 | Kevin Minch, Wayne State University | - |
| 1992 | Cindy Weisenbeck, University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire | Ohio University |
| 1993 | Robert Mattingly, Western Kentucky University | Suffolk University |
| 1994 | Paul Higday, University of Pennsylvania | Ohio State University |
| 1995 | Mary Cunningham, Suffolk University | Western Kentucky University |
| 1996 | Robert Mattingly, Western Kentucky University | Western Kentucky University |
| 1997 | Scott Smith, Ohio State University | Colorado State University |
| 1998 | Mike McDonner, Western Kentucky University | Western Kentucky University |
| 1999 | Mike McDonner, Western Kentucky University | Western Kentucky University |
| 2000 | Sean Williams, Central Missouri State | Central Missouri State University |
| 2001 | Colleen Karpinsky, Saint Anselm College | Missouri Southern State University |
| 2002 | Lindsay Marquardt, University of Pennsylvania | Creighton University |
| 2003 | Jeremy Hollingshead, Missouri Southern State University | Creighton University |
| 2004 | John Henderson, Creighton University | Western Kentucky University |
| 2005 | Nick Dudley, University of Missouri | Western Kentucky University |
| 2006 | Nick Dudley, University of Missouri | Western Kentucky University |
| 2007 | Mike Storey, Creighton University | Western Kentucky University |
| 2008 | Spencer Harris, Drury University | Western Kentucky University |
| 2009 | Mike Storey, Creighton University | Western Kentucky University |
| 2010 | Kaleb Jessee, Western Kentucky University | Western Kentucky University |
| 2011 | Sarah Spiker, Western Kentucky University | Western Kentucky University |
| 2012 | Alison Stickland, Drury University | Truman State University |
| 2013 | Susan Taylor, Western Kentucky University | Western Kentucky University |
| 2014 | Spencer Orlowski, Western Kentucky University | Western Kentucky University |
| 2015 | Nefertiti Dukes, Western Kentucky University | Western Kentucky University |
| 2016 | Alex Glanzman, Kansas City Kansas Community College | Western Kentucky University |
| 2017 | John Sahlman & Mark Allseits, Western Kentucky University | Western Kentucky University |
| 2018 | Colten White, University of Nebraska–Lincoln | Western Kentucky University |
| 2019 | Anthony Survance, Western Kentucky University | Western Kentucky University |
| 2021 | Andre Swai, Western Kentucky University | Western Kentucky University |
| 2022 | Alex Webb, Lewis and Clark College | University of Nebraska–Lincoln |
| 2023 | Nick Wallenburg, University of Nebraska–Lincoln | University of Nebraska–Lincoln |
| 2024 | Cade Blenden, Washburn University | Washburn University |
| 2025 | Rae Fournier, Western Kentucky University | Western Kentucky University |
No team sweepstakes champion was crowned during the 2020 National Championship Tournament. However, The 2020 Performance of Highest Distinction in Lincoln-Douglas Debate was Alex Rivera from Western Kentucky University.