Published on March 31, 2021 by Sean Flynt  
Some of Samford's many debate trophies
Some of Samford's many debate trophies

Samford’s debate program earned the rare honor of fielding two teams at the National Debate Tournament (NDT) March 26-30. Program leaders said that has occurred only about 10 times in the long and distinguished history of Samford debate.

The Samford team of Sawyer Emerson and Maddox Gates defeated teams from Harvard Â鶹ÊÓƵ, Purdue Â鶹ÊÓƵ and Southwestern Â鶹ÊÓƵ in addition to Liberty Â鶹ÊÓƵ’s top ranked squad.

The team of Alyssa Gregory and Joey Tarnowski defeated teams from Binghamton Â鶹ÊÓƵ, New York Â鶹ÊÓƵ and Indiana Â鶹ÊÓƵ, and held Harvard Â鶹ÊÓƵ to a split decision. 

The exceptional performance at the NDT punctuates an exceptional year. Samford qualified for the 2020 NDT, but the event was canceled due to COVID-19 restrictions. The debate program adapted quickly, offering its popular Summer Debate Institute online for the first time and taking part in virtual debates through the 2020-21 season.

Elevated to the 2020 Harvard Round Robin Tournament with only an hour’s notice, the debaters made the most of that opportunity and continued to shine, finally earning the dual NDT spots. Emerson and Gates ended the season ranked seventh in the U.S. by the American Debate Association. Overall, the Samford squad was ranked twelfth in the nation.

Director of debate Ryan Galloway said the program is already planning for 2021-22, with registration underway for the online Summer Debate Institute and the prospect of an exciting new mix of debaters. “We've had a truly historic season,” he said, “and we look forward to next year, with all of our returning debaters and new recruits.”

 
Located in the Homewood suburb of Birmingham, Alabama, Samford is a leading Christian university offering undergraduate programs grounded in the liberal arts with an array of nationally recognized graduate and professional schools. Founded in 1841, Samford enrolls 6,324 students from 44 states, Puerto Rico and 16 countries in its 10 academic schools: arts, arts and sciences, business, divinity, education, health professions, law, nursing, pharmacy and public health. Samford is widely recognized as having one of the most beautiful campuses in America, featuring rolling hills, meticulously maintained grounds and Georgian-Colonial architecture. Samford fields 17 athletic teams that compete in the tradition-rich Southern Conference and boasts one of the highest scores in the nation for its 97% Graduation Success Rate among all NCAA Division I schools.