About the UNLV Debate Team

The award-winning UNLV Debate Team, established in 2007, quickly grew into a national powerhouse in competitive policy debate, and was consistently ranked among the top debate teams in the nation. Beginning in 2020, the team began exploring other possible competitive formats, and participating in more public-interest debates in front of campus and community audiences. The team competes in debate tournaments held at universities across the U.S. UNLV debaters consistently win at both the regional and national levels. Undergraduate students from any major can participate on the team and hone their skills in public speaking, critical thinking, research, and cross-examination.

Debate team alumni work in higher education, law, politics, and the public and private sectors. The debate team is committed to creating an informed citizenry through public argument and civic discourse and working to improve access to debate for local students. The team mentors middle and high school students every year at a summer debate camp, advising hundreds of young debaters in the process. The debate team is housed in the UNLV Communication Studies Department in the Greenspun College of Urban Affairs.