An Undergraduate Student Organization at Harvard College
Excellence is the Standard.
Established in 1892, the Harvard Debate Council fields competitive teams at the National Debate Tournament and tournaments under the Cross Examination Debate Association, hosts internationally recognized workshops and competitions, and serves as a global ambassador for debate.
7x
NDT Champions
1892
Founded
50+
Years of Workshops and Tournaments
"Competing for the Harvard Debate Council is one of the most intellectually rigorous and rewarding experiences available to students at the College."
- Dr. Tripp Rebrovick '09, Coach of Debate
Generations of Harvard debaters have honed their rhetorical and intellectual skills, going on to careers of success, service, and national prominence. The challenge of public speaking builds sound judgment, self-confidence, and the capacity to make quick decisions under pressure.
What We Do
Competitive Team
NDT Team
At the heart of the Harvard Debate Council is its competitive team, which fields Harvard College students at the National Debate Tournament (NDT) and at major intercollegiate policy debate tournaments throughout the academic year governed by the Cross Examination Debate Association (CEDA).
National Debate Tournament Record
7
NDT Championships
5
NDT Runner-Up Finishes
74
NDT Speaker Awards
81
NDT Elimination Round Teams
70+
Consecutive NDT Invitations since 1954
5
Rex Copeland Awards
57
First-Round At Large Bids
No events at the moment
HDC Opens Season at Northwestern University
EVANSTON, IL — On September 12, the Harvard Debate Council (HDC) officially opened its 2026–2027 competitive season at Northwestern University.
It was a successful opening weekend across the board, with every HDC team securing enough victories to qualify for the elimination rounds.
The tournament marked the Harvard debuts for First-Years Russell Howard ’30, Jimmy Lin ’30, Salma Ghieth ’30, and Sitara Mazumdar ’30. Meanwhile, returning debaters Jayden Bodet ’28, Seiji Aoki ’28, Nanjaran Deshpande ’28, and Agastya Sridharan ’28 kicked off their junior campaigns with strong performances.
Debate Coach Dr. Rebrovick praised the team’s performance:
"I'm extremely proud of the hard work and effort the debaters showed at Northwestern. We look forward to building on this momentum and seeing the team's continued growth as we head to the University of Kentucky in a couple of weeks."
Congratulations to all our debaters on a great start to the season!
2026 NDT
HDC at the 2026 NDT
The Harvard Debate Council had a successful run at the 2026 NDT hosted by the University of Houston.
Two teams from Harvard, composed of Seiji Aoki' 29/Jayden Bodet '29 and Niranjan Deshpande '29/Agastya Sridharan '29, and a third team from the University of Masschussets, Amherst, composed of Jamie Levitan '30 and Maguene Moussavou '30, competed at the tournament.
Harvard DS had 5 wins with 12 ballots and reached the double-octafinals. Harvard AB finished with 4 wins and 11 ballots. UMass LM finished with 3 wins and 7 ballots.