Published on February 19, 2025  
Aaron Gill and Laurel Pack
Aaron Gill and Laurel Pack

For the 38th time, the Samford University debate team has secured an invitation to the prestigious National Debate Tournament (NDT). The duo of Laurel Pack and Aaron Gill ranked among the top five teams in the Southeastern Region, earning their place in the competition hosted by Gonzaga University in April.

Samford has a longstanding tradition of excellence in intercollegiate debate. The university first competed at the NDT in 1973, when the team of Georgia Fleming and Steve McDonald, coached by T. Brad Bishop of Cumberland School of Law, qualified through the Southeastern Regional. Since then, Samford has been a consistent presence at the tournament. Notably, the university won the regular season championship in 1983 with Melanie Gardner and Erik Walker, coached by Skip Coulter.

With 38 NDT invitations, Samford ranks among an elite group of institutions, surpassed by only 15 universities, including debate powerhouses such as the University of Southern California, the University of Kansas and Northwestern University. This year marks Samford’s eighth consecutive trip to the tournament.

This will be Pack’s first appearance at the NDT and Gill’s second. As they prepare for the tournament, Samford’s squad will also compete in the American Debate Association National Tournament at the University of Houston and the National Junior Division Debate Tournament in Overland Park, Kansas.

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Samford is a leading Christian university offering undergraduate programs grounded in the liberal arts with an array of nationally recognized graduate and professional schools. Founded in 1841, Samford is the 87th-oldest institution of higher learning in the United States. Samford enrolls 6,101 students from 45 states, Puerto Rico and 16 countries in its 10 academic schools: arts, arts and sciences, business, divinity, education, health professions, law, nursing, pharmacy and public health. Samford fields 17 athletic teams that compete in the tradition-rich Southern Conference and ranks with the second highest score in the nation for its 98% Graduation Success Rate among all NCAA Division I schools.