Montana West District Qualifier

for the 2026 National Tournament

Montana West Districts Invitation

Montana West District National Qualifying Tournament

National Speech and Debate Association

Sentinel High School

February 13 and 14, 2026

Registration for the NSDA Montana West District Tournament opens at 8:00am on January 13^th, 2026.

NSDA requires registration within 7 days prior to the tournament; therefore, ENTRIES ARE DUE NO LATER THAN 8PM ON FRIDAY, February 6, 2026. They are very strict regarding deadlines, so NO LATE ENTRIES CAN BE ACCEPTED.

Registration will all be done electronically, via Tabroom. All drops and name changes may be completed directly in Tabroom up to 24 hours prior to the tournament. All changes must be recorded by 8:00pm on Thursday, February 12th.

Entries: The number of entries allowed is based on the “strength” of each school, which is determined by your school’s number of new members and degrees earned. The strength of your school can be found in your profile on the NSDA website.

YOU MUST ENTER ALL POINTS AND PAY ALL FEES OWED TO NSDA prior to Friday, February 6, 2026.

You may enter up to 4 in any given event. Partner events count as ONLY ONE ENTRY.

You will be charged $5.00 for each entry, and Missoula schools will assess a fee of $30 for each school to help with awards and preparation costs for the tournament.

Drops: Please record all drops or changes on Tabroom. Drops received after 8:00 PM on February 12th cannot be processed in Tabroom and must be emailed directly. jkHermanson@gmail.com

Double-Entry Expectations & Responsibilities: We will allow double-entry in all speech events–including both extemps. This is what needs to be considered with regard to double-entries:

Ø A student may double-enter in a DUO and solo speech event. However, if the student qualifies in both events, THEY MUST ATTEND NATIONALS IN THE DUO EVENT. As of 2023, if a partner in a qualifying event drops from the national tournament, the remaining partner will have an opportunity to attend in a different event.

Ø It is the student’s responsibility to notify judges of potential conflicts and make it to rounds on time. This is NOT the responsibility of the tab room or tournament host.

Ø Students/Coaches must complete all paperwork related to double-entry & auto-qualifiers and signatures must be acquired.

Rules: All NSDA rules will be strictly followed at the tournament. It is your responsibility to visit speechanddebate.org to download the CURRENT District Tournament Manual. Please examine these rules closely. Additionally:

Ø When you register, you must provide a title for ALL interp and memorized pieces.

Ø Please look at the entry paperwork closely. Most is now accepted online, but some may still need to be signed and submitted at registration.

Ø Incomplete paperwork may result in a rejected entry.

Student Congress

Ø See the additional “Congress Docket” document for more information.

Ø Congress legislation (up to three bills/school) is due to Kelli Rosenquist by 5PM on Tuesday, January 27th.

Ø After reviewing the congress legislation for legality, it will be returned for changes or you will be notified it was accepted. You will only be given 48 hours from notification of needed changes to edit and resubmit your legislation. Failure to do so will result in the legislation’s rejection.

Big Questions Debate:

Ø Big Questions Debate will be offered as a consolation event at districts. The top two finishers in BQ will qualify for Nationals.

Ø You may register up to four competitors (it doesn’t matter which four because you can name change later) in your initial registration in order to be eligible for the consolation event.

Ø Schools that have pre-registered for BQ may confirm registration for up to four students to compete in BQ. This will take place on Saturday morning from 10:00-10:30.

Ø Each school competing in BQ must provide a coach willing to judge. Coach judges cover up to 2 BQ entries, you must cover all your BQ entries or any fraction thereof.