Recently, public higher education institutions have experienced an increase in requests from extreme political figures from both the right and left to speak on campus. College administrators must comply with laws and fulfill their legal responsibilities while addressing concerns about campus safety--including those held by students and faculty. This article is in three parts: The first reviews free speech principles and relevant legal cases; the second examines recent requests by controversial figures to speak on public campuses and steps institutions have taken to protect free speech; and the third recommends best practices that institutions should consider when responding to requests to host controversial figures on campus.