Hello Teams!
As you kick off the Rebuilt season, we have some important updates to share with all of you.
Event Schedule: Starting this year, Day 0 will end at 9:00 PM. Day 0 (typically a Friday) is when teams load in, get inspected, take field measurements and calibrate their cameras. Day 0 previously ended at 10:00 PM, but will now end at 9:00 PM across all FMA District Events. Here is what the Day 0 schedule now looks like, though exact times may vary at the event based on field availability:
4:00 – 9:00 PM: Pits Open, Load In
4:30 – 9:00 PM: Robot Inspections
5:00 – 8:45 PM: Test Area Open (fully inspected robots only
6:00 – 7:00 PM: Field Measurements and Camera
7:00 – 8:30 PM: Field Test Matches for fully inspected robots (limit 2 per team)
8:30 – 8:45 PM: Off-Field Robot Connectivity Tests (all teams not fully inspected)
8:45 PM: Test Area closes
9:00 PM: Pits Close
In addition, the drivers meeting will take place prior to scheduled practice matches on Day 1 which is a change from previous years.
Public Agendas will be posted on our website soon for each event! The overall Public Agenda (non event specific) can be found here.
District Championship Updates
Number of Teams: As FIRST Mid-Atlantic continues to grow, we are committed to ensuring more students have the opportunity to experience the next level of the FIRST Robotics Competition. To support this goal and maintain a consistent ratio of teams advancing relative to our overall district size, the 2026 District Championship will expand to 66 teams. We are excited to welcome six additional teams and provide more students the chance to advance and compete at our premier event. More information about additional features at this event will come out soon.
Practice Field & Test Area: Based on the updated language defined by FIRST, the Test Area is a requirement by FIRST to have at each FRC event (including District Championships). As we are required to have the Test Area and have no additional space within Stabler Arena, there will be no full field practice field at the 2026 District Championship. We will have two Test Areas set up for teams to use.
Schedule: With the increase in the number of teams attending the District Championship, we have adjusted the event schedule to accommodate the additional matches. We will be open for full robot inspection Wednesday night. The schedule looks like this, though exact times may vary at the event based on how the day is running:
Wednesday – 5:00PM – 8:00PM: 6 Team Members to load in, set up and get inspected
Thursday – 8:00AM – 7:00PM: Field Measurements & Camera Calibrations, Practice Matches, Qualification Matches
Friday – 8:00AM – 7:00PM: Opening Ceremonies beginning at 8:15, Qualification Matches
Saturday – 8:00AM – 5:00PM: Opening Ceremonies beginning at 8:15, Qualification Matches, Alliance Selection, Playoffs and Awards
Public Agenda for the District Championship is now posted on our website!
Innovation Fair: We have secured the Field House at Lehigh and are planning on hosting an Innovation Fair during District Championships. More information to come in the next few weeks. If you are interested, or have a member of your team interested in helping develop this project, please have them contact Frank Farrell at [email protected]
Rosters and Badges
REMINDER – all students and mentors must be listed on your roster by February 1, 2026. Names for FMA event badges will be pulled on February 2nd. Any names added to your roster after this time will not have a badge and will be required to follow the visitor check-in process.
Woodie Flowers Award and Deans List Submissions
Submissions for both the Woodie Flowers Award and Deans List are due on February 5, 2026! Work with your teams to get your submissions in by the deadline.
If you have any questions, please reach out to us at [email protected].
-FMA FRC Program Committee