Regents' Cup

A celebration of free speech, civil discourse and democratic engagement at Arizona’s public universities, the annual Regents’ Cup engages students in rigorous debate anchored by respect and civil discourse. The Regents’ Cup provides an opportunity for students to compete through debate and public speaking for scholarships and course credit in an engaging competition showcasing the commitment of the universities to upholding the intrinsic rights of all students to liberty and freedom of speech.

Debate at public universities is a historic tradition that fosters leadership in students and rewards academic skills of questioning, sound argument and confident speaking. The Regents’ Cup competition is designed for students from all of Arizona’s public universities to engage in rigorous debate and public speaking.

Team members participate in either Oxford debate or persuasive storytelling rounds, sharing true stories from personal experiences. Participants adhere to a standard code of conduct, as defined by national benchmark standards. Judges score teams and declare first, second and third-place teams. Each team receives a portion of a scholarship purse.

Theme

The annual Regents’ Cup competition is a celebration of free speech and civil discourse. The theme for the 2023 Regents’ Cup is Liberty, Prosperity and the Constitution.

Applications are now closed for the 2023 Regents' Cup.

The 2023 Regents' Cup will be held on February 25, 2023. The University of Arizona is the host university. This tri-university competition features student team members engaging in debate and speech events that honor participants for articulating different points of view in an environment where competitors remain civil and respectful.

Students compete for first, second and third place awards in storytelling and Oxford events. They also receive generous scholarships to finance their education. All students who compete receive a monetary award. Students selected to take part in the Regents’ Cup may be eligible to receive either internship or course credit for their work.

2023 Winning University:

University of Arizona

2023 Oxford Debate Winners:

First place, $15,000 scholarship – ASU: Dhruv Dalmia, Zenobia Chevalier-Mossman
Second place, $12,000 scholarship – NAU: Hunter Larson, Sage Kaminski
Third place, $5,000 scholarship – ASU: Chase DiBona, Linus Ros; UArizona: Misty Knight, Jake Soulvie

2023 Storytelling Winners:

First place, $15,000 scholarship – UArizona: William Forte
Second place, $12,000 scholarship – UArizona: Alicia Hall
Third place, $5,000 scholarship – ASU: Omar Aljubouriy; UArizona: Amy Gaudet, Ciara Tetreault

2022 Winning University:

University of Arizona

2022 Oxford Debate Winners:

First place, $15,000 scholarship – ASU: Claire Mullings, Chase DiBona
Second place, $12,000 scholarship – UArizona: Finley Dutton-Reid, Tissiana Vallecillo
Third place, $5,000 scholarship – ASU: Jake Dean, Zane Encinas
Third place, $5,000 scholarship (tie) – UArizona: Josh Tashoff, Akash Satpathy; ASU: Abigail Spencer, Jordan Morris

2022 Storytelling Winners:

First place, $15,000 scholarship – UArizona: Celeste Lugo
Second place, $12,000 scholarship – UArizona: Raychel Hodges
Third place, $5,000 scholarship (tie) – UArizona: Gennie Obaid, Alicia Hall

2021 Winning University:

Arizona State University

2021 Oxford Debate Winners:

First place, $15,000 scholarship – ASU: Abigail Spencer, Langston Tillman
Second place, $12,000 scholarship – UArizona: Akash Satpathy, Joshua Tashoff
Third place, $5,000 scholarship – ASU: Jake Dean, Zane Encinas
Third place, $5,000 scholarship – UArizona: Nyah Fyfe, Marnie Gyorffy

2021 Storytelling Winners:

First place, $15,000 scholarship – UArizona: Daniel Gyorffy
Second place, $12,000 scholarship – NAU: Riley Smelkinson
Third place, $5,000 scholarship – NAU: Marjorie Nguyen

2019 Winning University:

Arizona State University

2019 Winners:

First place – ASU: Valielza O’Keefe and Joshua Pardhe
Second place – UArizona: Vincent Jasso and Finley Dutton-Reid
Third place – ASU: Jessica Carter and Logan Guthrie
Third place – UArizona: Nyah Fyfe and Marnie Gyorffy.

Sponsors may showcase their support for Arizona’s public universities and free speech through Platinum, Gold, Silver and Bronze sponsorship opportunities. Sponsor benefits include an invitation to the Regents’ Cup reception following the event competition, prominent logo display, brand recognition through social media promotion and news releases, and recognition on the event’s invitation.

Information about sponsorships is available by calling 602-229-2542 and through this document.

sponsor logos

Judges are integral to the success of the Regents’ Cup. Judges for the event include leading figures from government, industry and academia.

Judge's Training Materials

OxfordStorytelling

Training Videos

Oxford TrainingOxford Moderator TrainingStorytelling TrainingStorytelling Moderator TrainingScoring Training

Theme

The annual Regents’ Cup competition is a celebration of free speech and civil discourse. The theme for the 2023 Regents' Cup is Liberty, Prosperity and the Constitution.

Applications are now closed for the 2023 Regents' Cup.

Requirements:

  • Full-time students (first-year through graduate students) at one of Arizona’s public universities at the time of the Regents’ Cup
  • 2.5 or higher cumulative GPA
  • Application and essay submitted to Arizona Board of Regents’ website
  • Meet university expectations for preparation and participation
  • Participate in Regents’ Cup on February 24-25, 2023 at the University of Arizona. This event is planned as an in-person event, though could become a virtual event should pandemic protocols change.

Arizona Board of Regents

2700 N. Central Avenue, Suite 400
Phoenix, Arizona 85004

Sarah Harper: sarah.k.harper@azregents.edu | (602) 229-2542

* Universities select team members based on university criteria. Submission of the application does not guarantee selection.