Yes. A team of 50–100 students is not small compared to many other programs the University proudly supports. Forensics is similar in size to athletic teams like rowing, tennis, or gymnastics, as well as choirs, theater productions, or honors cohorts — all celebrated for their excellence and impact.

But the influence of Forensics extends far beyond headcount. Students in Forensics are consistently overrepresented in leadership across the university — from the DFC and PFC to the ASUO. In classrooms, they elevate the academic experience for everyone: they arrive prepared, bring organized ideas, and infuse discussions, projects, and presentations with extra sophistication and scholarly depth.

The results speak for themselves. With about 70 students in the program this past year, 15 were selected as Morse Scholars — one-third of the total cohort, drawn from more than 23,000 eligible students. Forensics students are also consistently overrepresented among Stamps Scholars, and the program has produced Oregon Six recipients, Truman Scholars, Marshall Scholars, and several Rhodes Scholar finalists and semifinalists. Few programs of any size can point to such a record of academic distinction.

Unlike most other small programs, Forensics also travels nationally, raising the university’s profile among high school students, undergraduates, and graduate schools nationwide. Its annual high school tournament even creates a direct pipeline of talented students to Oregon. In this way, Forensics is a transformative experience for participants and a force multiplier — enhancing student government, classroom learning, and the university’s reputation.

This is not new. For nearly 150 years, Forensics has been one of the University of Oregon’s most distinctive contributions to higher education. In fact, as recently as two years ago, Oregon’s Forensics program was the largest in the nation. Its size is limited only by available resources — its impact has always been disproportionate to its numbers, and it continues to exemplify the excellence and distinction of the university itself.