Invitation

Zoom link will go here

Live update doc will go here

Please direct all correspondence and inquiries before and during the tournament to: SauerDebateInvite@gmail.com.



Dear Colleagues:

The La Crosse Central Debate Team is excited to invite you and your students to (virtually) “Debate Under the Bluffs” at the Jim Sauer Invitational Tournament “at” La Crosse Central on Saturday, October 3rd, 2026. In order to provide opportunities for teams far afield, competition will be held virtually using Tabroom.com and the NSDA Campus platform. We are very proud to continue our tradition of honoring one of the fixtures of debate in the Upper Midwest, our former coach Jim Sauer.

We wish we could see you in person, but we’re excited to see you however we can!

Sincerely,

Ben Hamburger, Debate Coach

La Crosse Central High School

The Jim Sauer Invitational at La Crosse Central!

Virtual debate: This tournament will be hosted online via the NSDA Campus platform. We will follow the Wisconsin Debate Coaches Association’s Virtual Debate Rules and Recommendations.

Registration: Please enter using Tabroom.com. Registration is due and fees are finalized at 11:55pm on Thursday, October 1st. All students must have linked Tabroom.com accounts.

Divisions: We will offer both beginner and varsity divisions of CX, LD, and PF, depending on demand.

Open and Novice Policy Debate:3 rounds, 8/3/5, 10 minutes of prep. WDCA novice packet and rules are in effect for novice division. Topic: “Resolved: The United States federal government should establish a national health insurance in the United States.” $30 per team, 1 judge per 2 teams or fraction thereof.

Novice and Open Lincoln-Douglas Debate: 5 prelim rounds, 6-3-7-3-4-6-3, 4 minutes of prep. Sept/Oct topic: “Resolved: Outer space colonization is a moral imperative." $20 entry per debater, 1 judge per 2 teams or fraction thereof.

Novice and Open Public Forum Debate: 5 prelim rounds, 4-3-4-3-3-3-2, 4 minutes of prep. Sept/Oct 2026 topic: “Resolved: The United States federal government should enact a moratorium on hyperscale data center construction.” $30 per team, 1 judge per 2 teams or fraction thereof.

“Novice” is defined as first year debating in any high school division.

Judging: Teams are required to provide 1 judge for every 2 teams in any division, or fraction thereof. In other words, 1 entry requires 1 judge, 2 entries require 1 judge, 3 entries requires 2 judges, 4 entries require 2 judges, 5 entries require 3 judges, and so on.

Judges may be asked to judge across multiple divisions. If your judges would prefer to avoid this, please indicate this in their notes section. Please ask your judges to enter a paradigm, even if short it is very useful to debaters.

We MAY have a small number of hired judges available at $150 per obligation. Please contact Ben Hamburger directly at SauerInviteDebate@gmail.comif you absolutely cannot cover your judging obligations.

Fees: Policy and PF: $30 per team, LD: $20 per debater.

Please direct all correspondence and inquiries before and during the tournament to: SauerInviteDebate@gmail.com