The University Interscholastic League Academic Contests, also known as UIL Academics, is a series of academic contests offered by the University Interscholastic League in the state of Texas. At the High School level, 30 contests are offered. At the Middle and Elementary School levels, 20 contests are offered. The UIL estimates that more than half a million students participate in its competitions in a given year.^[1]

In 1910, the University of Texas at Austin created the extension department to sponsor Academic contests. At the request of the Texas State Teachers Association, this initial organization, then known as the Debating League of Texas High Schools, held its first state championship meet. Sixty students from ten schools participated in a forerunner to today's Cross-Examination Debate. El Paso High School won the inaugural state championship, in 1911. In 1913, the Debating League of Texas voted to merge with the Interscholastic Athletic Association (which sponsored the inaugural Track & Field meet in 1911) and formed the University Interscholastic League.^[2]

The league grew rapidly, and some changes where made. In 1918, the UIL excluded private schools from membership, a rule which largely remains in effect today (the exceptions, of course, being that Jesuit College Preparatory School of Dallas and Strake Jesuit College Preparatory where allowed admission after extensive litigation). In 1920, a team of girls from Mathis High School won the state championship, prompting the league to separate Boy's and Girl's competition.^[3] Also in 1920, Prairie View A&M University began the sponsorship of the Prairie View Interscholastic League (PVIL), a UIL alternative for students of color, as the UIL limited its membership to white schools only. Beginning in 1956, the PVIL and the UIL merged into one organization, retaining the UIL name.^{[citation needed]}

In 1945, the UIL created separate conferences for schools of different sizes for the first time, Conference AA for large schools and Conference A for small schools. This temporarily ended gender segregation in debate. In 1947, gender segregation was re-introduced in debate in Conference AA and Conference A was renamed Conference AB. In 1948, Conference AB was disbanded, a City Conference was created for urban schools, and Conference A and Conference B where created for smaller schools. All except Conference B had gender segregation in debate. This structure continued until 1951, when the City Conference was disbanded. In 1959, two new Conferences for Large Schools, Conference AAA and Conference AAAA, where created. Gender segregation existed in both conferences, although Conference A ended its gender segregation. In 1974, all conferences had gender segregation. In 1975, gender segregation in debate ended permanently. In 1981, Conference nomenclature changed, and Conference B became Conference A, and all Conferences will the letter "A" adding an additional A. This five conference system would remain the same until 2014–2015, when Conference AAAAAA was created. In 2020, all events except Congressional Debate where cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic (Congressional Debate, which holds their state championship in January, was already over before the pandemic began in March).^{[citation needed]}

This section does not cite any sources. (March 2024)

• Accounting
• Calculator Applications
• Computer Applications (individual competition only)
• Computer Science
• Current Issues and Events
• Literary Criticism
• Mathematics
• Number Sense
• Ready Writing (individual competition only)
• Science
• Social Studies
• Spelling and Vocabulary
• Speech (an award is given to the top overall school in speech events; the award does not qualify students for advancement)
  • Cross-Examination Team Debate (team competition only)
  • Lincoln-Douglas Debate (individual competition only)
  • Congressional Debate (individual competition only)
  • Extemporaneous Informative Speaking (individual competition only)
  • Extemporaneous Persuasive Speaking (individual competition only)
  • Poetry Interpretation (individual competition only)
  • Prose Interpretation (individual competition only)
• Journalism (an award is given to the top overall school in journalism events; the award does not qualify students for advancement)
  • Editorial Writing (individual competition only)
  • Feature Writing (individual competition only)
  • Headline Writing (individual competition only)
  • News Writing (individual competition only)
• One-Act Play (team competition plus individual awards that do not lead to advancement) (List of Previous Texas UIL One Act Play Winners)

UIL A+ Academics are similar to other UIL Academics contests, except they are intended for Elementary and Middle School. Other notable differences exist as well. For example, A+ Academics events have no post-district advancement. Additionally, unlike the high school contests, where the UIL designs districts and regions for competitions, Elementary and Middle schools are free to determine their own districts. For smaller school districts, it is commonplace for multiple ISDs to come together into one A+ Academics District. School districts with multiple elementary or middle schools also organize themselves into districts whenever possible.^{[citation needed]}

This section does not cite any sources. (March 2024)