FTC State Championship
FTC State Championship
March 6, 2027 @ 8:00 am – 5:00 pm
The 2026 FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) State Championships concluded in February and March 2026, marking the peak of regional competition for the archaeology-themed DECODE season. Local tournaments throughout the winter qualified top teams to advance to their respective state tournaments, which ultimately decided the teams that earned invitations to the 2026 FIRST World Championship in Houston. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
Key Highlights of the 2026 State Championship Season
- Theme & Mechanics: The DECODE challenge tasked teams (grades 7-12) with designing, programming, and operating robots to simulate archaeological digs—uncovering artifacts and decoding hidden structures through both autonomous functions and driver-controlled periods. [1, 2]
- New Advancement Rules: The 2025–2026 season introduced a point-based event management ranking system. Rather than strict traditional sequential advancement slots, a modified formula awarded points based on qualification ranking, playoff progression, and judged award tiers (such as the prestigious Inspire Award). [1, 2]