Kentucky Debate partnership earns automatic NDT bid, sets school record
LEXINGTON, Ky. (Feb. 20, 2024) — University of Kentucky Intercollegiate Debate members David Griffith and Jordan Di have received one of the coveted 16 first-round bids to the 2024 National Debate Tournament hosted by Emory University in April.
This year’s bid marks the ninth consecutive year that at team from UK has earned an automatic bid to the national tournament, a new school record. UK’s previous record was eight automatic bids between 1984-1991.
Each year, the top 16 teams in the country are ranked by a National Debate Tournament committee and awarded an automatic bid. David Griffith becomes the second debater in UK history to receive four first-round bids. He joins T.A. McKinney who accomplished this feat from 1988-1991. Jordan Di joins a select group of three-time first-round bid recipients.
As the state’s flagship, land-grant institution, the University of Kentucky exists to advance the Commonwealth. We do that by preparing the next generation of leaders — placing students at the heart of everything we do — and transforming the lives of Kentuckians through education, research and creative work, service and health care. We pride ourselves on being a catalyst for breakthroughs and a force for healing, a place where ingenuity unfolds. It's all made possible by our people — visionaries, disruptors and pioneers — who make up 200 academic programs, a $476.5 million research and development enterprise and a world-class medical center, all on one campus.
In 2022, UK was ranked by Forbes as one of the “Best Employers for New Grads” and named a “Diversity Champion” by INSIGHT into Diversity, a testament to our commitment to advance Kentucky and create a community of belonging for everyone. While our mission looks different in many ways than it did in 1865, the vision of service to our Commonwealth and the world remains the same. We are the University for Kentucky.