State CX Debate Final Rounds to be Held at State Capitol

By Jana Riggins, Speech and Debate Director | Tuesday, February 07, 2012 8:41 AM

Photo by Jeanne Acton

Football has its Cowboys Stadium. Marching Band fills the Alamodome. Basketballs bounce at the Erwin Center. Track & Field sets records at UT’s Myers Stadium.

Now, the championship rounds of Cross-Examination Debate will have a new venue worthy of its competition. The UIL State Office is pleased to announce that the semifinal and final rounds of all conferences will be held at the Texas State Capitol.

Debate was the very first contest sponsored by The Debating League of Texas, an organization later known as the University Interscholastic League. At the first annual state meet on the University of Texas campus, preliminary rounds of competition were held in the Law School, with the final championship round held in the University Auditorium. The past few decades, tournament headquarters has been at the University Teaching Center, where final rounds have been conducted.

This year, the meet schedule will be altered on the second day of the tournament in order to hold the final two rounds at the Capitol. Roll call, Octafinal and Quarterfinal rounds will continue to be held in the UTC auditorium on Tuesday and Saturday, respectively. However, roll call will move up one hour to begin at 7:30 am. To confirm times for Team Check-in for both days of the tournament, coaches will want to download the CX State tentative schedule in the winner’s  packet: http://www.uiltexas.org/speech/debate/cx-state-2012-tentative-schedule, and then check the state meet program they will receive at registration to know the final schedule.

Following quarterfinals, the tournament will move from the University Teaching Center at 21st and Speedway to the Capitol building at 1100 Congress Avenue, a few short blocks away. State parking garages near the Capitol will be available for a small parking fee.

All UIL debates are open to the public, and it is our hope that qualifying schools will make plans to stay and watch the championship rounds. We also encourage coaches who are building programs or who want to give their students an educational field trip experience to bring students to Austin to watch the state finals, just like those championships in Cowboy Stadium, the Alamodome, the Erwin Center and Myers Stadium.