The University of Georgia debate team on Thursday took home a one-of-a-kind trophy as the winner of the University System of Georgia’s (USG) second annual Regents Cup Debate Series. Dalton State College’s John Davis also received honors as the tournament’s individual debate champion.
This year, in addition to trophies and bragging rights, individual debaters were awarded scholarships funded by philanthropic support.
Davis, a senior majoring in history whose family encouraged debate at home as a way to make change happen, received a $3,000 scholarship. UGA’s Lewis Cuello, a senior majoring in risk management and insurance, received a $2,000 scholarship as individual runner-up.
Georgia Tech’s Tyler Turner and Valdosta State University’s Gabbi Lorentz each received $1,000 as individual debate semi-finalists.
Lorentz was part of the Valdosta State team that won the inaugural Regents Cup last year, when the event also celebrated UGA’s Ansley Warnock as individual debate champion and Valdosta State’s Reagin Jones as individual runner-up.
“It’s more critical than ever that we as a university system cultivate an environment of civic engagement and civil discourse in which students learn to listen respectfully and think critically,” USG Chancellor Sonny Perdue said. “The Board of Regents has committed to supporting that fundamental right to express ideas and opinions without fear of being shouted down. With this debate series, we’re putting those words into action, and I congratulate our winners.”
The debate series, which launched in 2024 with six participating institutions, is intended to highlight how USG students can communicate and articulate from different perspectives in a persuasive, respectful way. The students competed in three rounds of debate, followed by semi-final and final rounds, using the International Public Debate Association structure.
In all, 13 USG institutions participated in the 2025 event, hosted on Middle Georgia State University’s Macon campus. In addition to UGA, Dalton State, Georgia Tech and Valdosta State, other participating institutions in this year’s contest included Augusta University; Georgia College and State University; Georgia Highlands College; Georgia Southwestern State University; Georgia State University; Kennesaw State University; Middle Georgia State University; University of North Georgia; and the University of West Georgia.
The students were presented with topics before each round and given 30 minutes to prepare initial arguments. This format encourages debaters to “think on their feet” and develop strong refutation skills. Debate topics included higher education as a matter of national security and restrictions on biosciences. The final round featured a debate over whether the U.S. government should recognize Somaliland as an independent country.
The event’s guest judges included USG Regent Deep Shah, USG Regent Haynes Studstill, state Rep. Carter Barrett and state Sen. Chuck Payne.
The winning team received a handcrafted trophy made by Ronny Just, a retired Georgia Power manager and craftsman, using historical wood from around the state.
