KU debaters beat Ivy League to top national standings

Debate coach Scott Harris

The KU debate team topped East Coast powerhouses Harvard and Dartmouth to end the year first in the nation based on National Debate Tournament varsity rankings for total points earned in competitions in the 2005-'06 season.

No other Big 12 Conference university placed in the Top 10. KU finished with 505 points, ahead of Dartmouth's 497 and Harvard's 495. Varsity rankings are based on a school's top two senior division team finishes at eight tournaments.

"Finishing No. 1 in the varsity rankings is an achievement we are proud of," said Scott Harris, KU debate coach. "It is a product of the efforts of the entire squad. All of the students made significant contributions toward this award over the course of a very successful season."

Robin Rowland, c'77, g'83, chair of KU's communication studies department, said, "We are very proud of the fact that in debate, KU is not only the top ranked public university but the top ranked university of any kind."

This is the first time KU has finished atop the national rankings since point rankings began in 1987.

KU debaters qualified for the 39th straight year for the National Debate Tournament in March and placed 19th overall in the 2006 tournament. Michigan State University won the tournament.

KU has sent more teams to the National Debate Tournament than any other college or university, Harris said. By qualifying 39 consecutive years, KU has the second-longest active streak of any college or university in the United States. Jayhawks have won the national title four times and reached the debate equivalent of the Final Four 13 times.

Debate facts and stats: http://www2.ku.edu/~coms3/facts_stats/index.shtml