Furman will join the S.C. Demo-cratic Party and the S.C. Young Democrats as hosts for the debate, which will be held off campus in the Peace Center for the Performing Arts and moderated by "NBC Nightly News" anchor Tom Brokaw.

"Our tradition has been to engage the political process in South Carolina and the nation, and Furman has a strong track record of hosting a variety of prominent political events," university President David Shi said.

The debate will take place two days after the New Hampshire primary and five days before South Carolina's Feb. 3 "First in the South" primary. All nine Demo-cratic presidential candidates -- Carol Moseley Braun, Wesley Clark, Howard Dean, John Edwards, Dick Gephardt, John Kerry, Dennis Kucinich, Joe Lieberman, and Al Sharpton -- are expected to participate.

In co-hosting the event, Furman students will assist in a variety of ways including ticketing and directing media.

In addition to being broadcast live by NBC, the debate will be simulcast nationally on MSNBC, Telemundo and the NBC Radio Network.

The Peace Center holds approximately 2,100.

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