Kentucky Debate reaches Sweet 16, prepares to host tournament
LEXINGTON, Ky. (April 25, 2025) —The University of Kentucky debate team wrapped up its competitive 2024-25 season recently with a strong showing at the 79th National Debate Tournament, hosted by Gonzaga University in Spokane, Washington.
For the seventh time in the past decade, Kentucky Debate advanced to the National Championship. Seniors Jared Adam and Lauren McBlain led the team, finishing preliminary rounds with a 6-2 record and earning the tournament’s No. 8 seed. Along the way, the partnership secured victories over top-tier programs including the University of California, Berkeley and Emory University.
In the elimination rounds, Adam and McBlain defeated Northwestern University in the round of 32 before narrowly falling to Wake Forest University on a 3-2 decision in the round of 16.
“The coaches and students have done an incredible job representing the program and university this season,” said Dave Arnett, director of the debate program. “Our strongest competitive outcomes are tied to collaboration and teamwork, and this year was a shining example of what Kentucky Debate should be.”
Capping off a year marked by excellence, Adam and McBlain concluded the regular season ranked as the sixth-best partnership in the nation.
Looking ahead, the team will shift focus to hosting the 53rd Tournament of Champions, one of the premier high school speech and debate events in the country. The tournament will be April 25-28 in Lexington.
More than 1,300 students from more than 300 high schools across 40 states and five countries are expected to compete in 13 events. The Tournament of Champions has long been recognized as a hallmark of excellence in high school debate and a launching pad for future collegiate competitors.
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.