Our History
Since 1956, the Catholic Forensic League of Erie has provided a speech and debate platform to students in grades 6–12 from every type of school whether public, private, cyber, and homeschool. It was founded by the Sisters of Mercy under the National Catholic Forensic League (NCFL), its parent organization which has helped young people develop leadership through speech and debate since 1951.
Though "Catholic" is in our name, that's not a requirement to join. We serve all public and private, religious and non-religious middle and high schools within the Erie diocesan boundaries, which cover the northwest corner of Pennsylvania—from Erie down to Mercer County and east to DuBois. Any school in the region is welcome to join.
Competing with us
We begin planning at the start of each school year, and schools can join any year by December. Our season includes:
Seven after-school tournaments from November through February
A National Qualifying Tournament in March at Gannon University
A virtual National Tournament in April (for all middle school students)
The Grand National NCFL Speech and Debate Tournament over Memorial Day weekend (for qualifying high school students)
Member schools pay annual dues, and we work hard to keep costs low so any interested school can participate. Middle schools can compete independently or as part of their affiliated high school program.
Our sponsor
CFL of Erie is sponsored by Gannon University, which hosts our National Qualifying Tournament. Through this partnership, students can earn Gannon scholarships at each tournament—awards that accumulate throughout their years in the league—and Gannon also provides a donation to help run the league.
Join us
Speech and Debate is for everyone. Encourage your student to join their school's team today. If your school doesn't have a team, CFL of Erie can help you start one. Contact us to get started!
