Forensics is consistently ranked as one of the best teams in the country. They moderate ASUO election debates, perform before various organizations and elementary schools and travel around the country to participate in debates. Approx. 20-30 students participate each term.
The University of Oregon Forensics Program was founded alongside the University in 1876. Initially the program consisted of two student formed forensic societies. These developed into “doughnut league” inter-dorm competitions in the 1890s. And in 1891, the UO began intercollegiate competition; starting with a debate against Willamette University on a labor topic. By 1911, the team was so successful we were able to charge admission to debates. One of our favorite points of history: proceeds from these early campus debates funded the start-up of the University of Oregon football program. The UO Forensics team holds regular campus debates to this day.
Any UO student can join the UO Debate and Speech Team. The team is largely funded by the Incidental Fee, and overseen by the Associated Students of the University of Oregon (the UO student government). To learn more about the ASUO and other student funded, student governed programs, visit asuo.uoregon.edu.
The UO Forensics Team is both a Debate and Speech Program. For more information on the events we offer, click here.
Every winter the team hosts the Bower Aly high school tournament. The largest in the Pacific Northwest, the Bower Aly Invitational brings over 600 high school students and coaches to campus to compete in various forms of competitive speech and debate.
In August the team hosts the Oregon Debate Institute. The ODI is a one-of-a-kind, two week institute offering all levels of education in the arts of parliamentary debate.
The team travels extensively throughout the United States, competing at 10-12 tournaments between September and March. These tournaments give Oregon students a unique opportunity to compete against and learn from some of the nations most critically minded students and professors as well as to travel to and experience college communities across the country.
