The Rex Copeland award, inaugurated in 1989 for the team with the best performance over the whole season, is presented on the same occasion.
Wake Forest University maintains a list of champions, runners-up, and semi-finalists.
[1] University of Kansas The Rex Copeland award, presented on the eve of the NDT, goes to the team with the best season-long performance, ranked #1 among the 16 teams with automatic bids to the tournament.
[2] Rex Copeland, a debater at Samford University, was murdered by his debate coach, William Slagle, in 1989.
[3] Wake Forest University maintains a list of the top 5 finishers for the Copeland Award.