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1st and 2nd year teams are invited to compete at the Rookie Invitational hosted by the Lightsaders and St. Michael's. There will be judged awards with prizes as well as a full day of competition. This event is the week before our championship, so any 1st/2nd year teams that qualify for the championship that are looking for some extra driving practice are highly encouraged to come. This event is not limited to the Austin area.

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Find more details here: https://microchipsandqueso.com/quesobowl/

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Not sure what you need to do in order for your teams to compete this season? Check out our checklist! A guide on how to navigate the FIRST in Texas Season Fee is directly under this one.

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FIRST in Texas Website Coach Portal Guide

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FIRST in Texas Website Coach Portal Guide

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Quick Note: The Austin Kickoff starts at 10, not 9. The building will not be open at 9.

The official kickoff for the 2025-2026 Decode season will be on September 6th at 11 AM. There are 4 kickoffs in Central Texas. Find the closest one to you if you are interested in attending the in person kickoff. If you are unable to make it to a kickoff, there will also be a livestream of it online through FIRST's YouTube Channel.

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Any teams interested in a new scouting software for competitions is welcome to attend this online webinar hosted by team 12928 on Saturday.

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Blue numbers are directly to the Regional Championship, green numbers are the Semi Regional pathway.

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Coaches! Do you have an exemplary student in the 10th or 11th grade that participates in FIRST Tech Challenge in Texas? Then nominate that student for Dean's List!

Nominations for Dean's List open at kickoff and close on December 15th. Dean's List submissions are processed by FIRST HQ, meaning there are no exceptions to the December 15th deadline. The link will give you all the resources needed to submit your stellar student for this prestigious award including a guide on exactly how to do it.

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New Deadline for FIRST®Tech Challenge Dean's List Award Nominations

We're excited to announce some changes coming this season related to FIRST Tech Challenge Dean's List Award. In an effort to streamline the nomination process for teams, FIRST Tech Challenge will be implementing a single deadline for all Dean's List Award nominations globally.

Starting on September 6, 2025, at 12:00 p.m. ET, all regions will be able to access their dashboard to nominate eligible students on their team. All regions will have until Monday, December 15, 2025, at 11:59 p.m. ET to complete their nomination.

Dean's List Award Important Dates

September 6, 2025

Nominations open

December 15, 2025

Nominations due

December 15, 2025 - February 14, 2026

Interviews take place (dates vary)

February 15, 2026

Finalist selections due to FIRST (sent to FIRST from local Program Delivery Partner)

Various

Finalists announced at Regional Championship

April 2026

Winners announced at FIRST Championship

Why the Change?

In the past, FIRST Tech Challenge Dean's List Award had varying nomination deadlines depending on the region. This change to a single deadline for all regions will allow for consistent messaging from both FIRST® as well as local Program Delivery Partners (PDPs) to clearly communicate upcoming deadlines to teams.

The change also provides local PDPs and their Dean's List Award volunteers ample time to schedule Dean's List interviews in a way that is convenient for the region and best works around their tournament schedules. Teams will still be contacted directly from their local PDP to have their interviews scheduled anywhere between December 16, 2025 and February 14, 2026.

How to Nominate Students for the Dean's List Award

Please make sure to read the Dean's List Award Nomination Guide! This guide will walk through the award eligibility, what is needed to nominate a student or students, and provides a step-by-step walkthrough to complete the nomination through the www.firstinspires.org dashboard.

Have questions? Please send an email to FTCDeansList@firstinspires.org.

Good luck this season!

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Coaches, Mark your Calendars for the New FIRST Tech Challenge Dean's List Award Deadline

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We're streamlining your FIRST Tech Challenge Dean's List Award nominations with a single global deadline. Learn about the updated process and key dates for the 2025-2026 season.

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All things related to this year's season will be found here. Please read through the Competition Manual after kickoff so your teams know the rules.

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interest and participation in science and technology

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FIRST Tech Challenge 2023 - 2024 Game & Season Materials

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Notes: GEMS, X-Stream, and NSAHC are completely full.

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Central Texas League Assignments 2025-2026 Decode.docx

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Calendar by League can be found here if you want to see less of the other leagues: League Calendar Per League.docx

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Central Texas FIRST Tech Challenge 2025-2026 Region Event Dates.docx

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Subject to Change on Locations and Dates

Notable Changes:

SST/HSAT has changed to HSI Lobos, and now meets on the east side at one campus.

WA-Le is no longer. There is a new SWAT league at St. Michael's.

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Central Texas FTC League Locations - Google My Maps

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FTC Newsletter

FiT Discord

FIRST in Texas Website