Hi to all PA FTC Teams and Volunteers,
Wow! This season has gone by soooo fast. The FIRST Championship is over, and we are now not only thinking of summer vacations but moving into our Off Season and Premier Events featuring our PA POWER Teams. We thought you may enjoy hearing about the success of our 6 teams that competed in Houston as well as the 12 teams that have been selected and invited to Premier events. Best of Luck and Congratulations to them all!
Before the details, and if you have not yet heard what was announced at the Championship is next season’s overall biodiversity-themed challenge called FIRST CANOPY™ and the FTC game is called BIOBUZZ™ presented by RTX. More to come from us in our next blast (#1 of the 2026-2027 season). Until then, please go to the following 2 links for previews of the challenge and game elements.
https://www.firstinspires.org/first-canopy
https://community.firstinspires.org/game-preview-field-elements
Here we go!
FTC Championship, Houston, TX – Apr 29th – May 2nd, 2026
56 Teams per division – 6 Divisions, 336 FTC Teams from around the world
Our six PA teams were distributed in 2 of the divisions. Details follow.
Summary – All 6 teams had a piece of the action!
- 4 of the 6 were Award winners or runner ups.
- Special recognition and congratulations to Team 7244 OUT of the BOX Robotics – Sustain Award and 14423 RoboCorns Inspire Award Winners, both in Lovelace Division.
- 5 of the 6 competed in their respective Division Playoffs
- Special recognition and congratulations to Team 8393 – The Giant Diencephalic BrainSTEM Robotics Team for their 1st place overall ranking in Franklin Division
Franklin Division – Two PA Teams
Team 8393 – The Giant Diencephalic BrainSTEM Robotics Team – Baden (BrainSTEM Learning, LLC/NXT Innovations, LLC & Neighborhood Group)
- Sustain Award 3rd Place
- Ranked 1st overall in Franklin Division
- Captain of Alliance 1 – Advanced to Lower Bracket Round 3 Match 9 before being Eliminated
Team 25650 – One Small Step for an Axolotl – Lititz (Google.org & Haas & Family/Community)
- Connect Award 3rd Place
- Ranked 14th overall in Franklin Division
- First Team Selected (by 8393) Alliance 1 – Advanced to Lower Bracket Round 3 Match 9 before being Eliminated
Lovelace Division – Four PA Teams
Team 7244 OUT of the BOX Robotics – (Family Friends)
- Sustain Award
- Ranked 9th Overall in Lovelace Division
- Captain of Alliance 7 – Advanced to Lower Bracket Round 2 Match 6 before being eliminated
Team 9791 – Divide by Zero – Lansdale (Family/Community)
- Ranked 13th Overall in Lovelace Division
- 1st Team Selected Alliance 1 – Advanced to Lower Bracket Round 2 Match 5 before being eliminated
Team 14423 RoboCorns – Exton (Downingtown Area Robotics)
- Inspire Award
- Ranked 35th overall in Lovelace Division
20153 Silver Wolves – Kennett Square (Gene Haas Foundation & Unionville High School)
- Ranked 12th Overall in Lovelace Division
- 1st team Selected (by 7244) Alliance 7 – Advanced to Lower Bracket Round 2 Match 6 before being eliminated
Premier Events
This season there are 12 global Premier Events. There are 12 PA teams that applied for and were invited to 5 of them. Please join us in wishing these teams the best of luck and safe travels as they continue to pursue excellence.
Run for the Robots – Alltech Arena at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, KY, May 29–30, 2026, 72 teams
- 8645 Robotic Doges – Hollsopple, PA
- 31623 Thunder Busters – Mechanicsburg, PA
Western Edge – Long Beach, CA, LONG BEACH CONVENTION CENTER, , May 28 – May 31, 2026 88 teams
- 18603 TeraBridges – Pittsburgh, PA
- 21364 First Try – York, PA
Canada Cup of Robotics Niagara 2026 – Hosted by Brock University, St. Catharines, Ontario, June 13–16, 2026, 96 teams
- 9242 GearHounds – York, PA
- 21324 Hackin Hounds – York, PA
- 10098 2 Eyed Illuminati – Chadds Ford, PA
- 12792 Sharon High Robotics Team – Sharon, PA
- 16468 Green Lemons – West Chester, PA
Michiana Premier Event, South Bend, IN @ Century Center South Bend, June 18-21, 2026, 96 teams
- 13474 MARS: Curiosity? – Mars, PA
- 22312 The Brobdingnagian Tritocephalic BrainSTEM Robotics Team – Baden, PA
Carolinas Premier Event – Salem Academy, Winston-Salem, NC USA, July 25, 2026 to July 26, 2026, 24 Teams. 24 matches, 24 Hours. NO Quit
- 17895 The Prodigiously Hemicephalic BrainSTEM Robotics Team – Baden, PA
Until the next email blast.
Tom and the PA FIRST Robotics Planning Team
Pennsylvania FIRST® Robotics
FIRST Tech Challenge® Program Delivery Partner
phone: (302) 383-9925
email: ftc@pennfirst.org
Website: www.FTCPenn.org