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Announcing the Texas Cup

03.12.2021

FIRST® in Texas is proud to announce The Texas Cup, an in-person robotics competition to be held the week of June 15th-17th at the Alamodome in San Antonio. Planned with safety in mind, this will be an inclusive opportunity for teams in the Texas and New Mexico district to compete in a format more resembling a standard FIRST® competition season. The FIRST® in Texas staff alongside our incredible volunteers organized by Lucia Sevcik, have been hard at work ensuring the event is carried out with safety as a top priority.

Who Competes at The Texas Cup?

In a standard year, The Texas Cup will be an off-season event for both FIRST® Tech Challenge and FIRST® Robotics Competition. This year, The Texas Cup will stand as an in-person championship for the INFINITE RECHARGE game and will be the only in-person UIL robotics competition for 2021. Students from across the Texas and New Mexico area have worked hard to build their robots this season, this will be a great opportunity for them to get wheels on carpet and show off the fruits of their labor. All eligible students will be allowed to compete if they were classified as a senior or younger in the 2021 season.

The Texas Cup will also host the annual FIRST Access competition, which will be making its debut at the 2021 Texas Cup. FIRSTAccess is a collaboration with Special Olympics of Texas, spearheaded by our own Director of Impact and Evaluation, Jess Jankowitsch. To learn more about FIRST Access, click HERE.

Chris Caddel, Events and Logistics Coordinator at FIRST® in Texas, said this about the event,

“While this year will be limited in size and scope, we hope to provide an annual event that the FIRST® community in Texas/New Mexico will be proud of.”

Health and Safety Measures

This event will be voluntary and will be hosted according to CDC, Texas Health Department, and City of San Antonio guidelines:

  • Teams will be regulated to six in-person students and two mentors.
  • The event floor will be organized to allow participant to maintain safe physical distancing.
  • All students, mentors, volunteers, and staff will be required to wear an approved mask securely over their mouth and nose to be allowed entry to the event.
  • If a team requires a second faculty member due to district policies, accommodations can be made with the event hosts.

These rules and regulations are a precautionary measure to ensure the maximum level of safety for all involved.

Event Schedule (subject to change as needed)

 Monday, June 14th
8:00am-10:00pm – Load In/ Final Inspections

Tuesday, June 15th
8:00am-9:00pm – FIRST® Robotics Competition Qualifications
8:00am-6:00pm – FIRST® Tech Challenge UIL Championship

Wednesday, June 16th
8:00am-9:00pm – FIRST® Robotics Competition Qualifications
8:00am-6:00pm – FIRST® Tech Challenge Qualifications

Thursday, June 17th
8:00am-5:00pm – FIRST® Robotics Competition UIL/Texas Cup Championship
8:00am-5:00pm – FIRST® Tech Challenge State Championship

Future of The Texas Cup

FIRST® in Texas has scheduled with the Alamodome to host this event for the next three years and hopes to continue the partnership into the future.

How to Stay Updated

Sign up to receive real time updates from the FIRST in Texas – Texas Cup planning team by texting   JOIN TXCUP to 7262005828 (Message and data rates may apply)

Make sure to follow us on social media @FIRSTinTexas

Visit the Texas Cup Event Website:  http://thetexascup.net

How to Register

  • FRC teams March 15, 2021 at noon, Central Time.  Registration will be completed online here.
  • FIRST Access teams will open April 1, 2021 at noon, Central Time. Registration will be completed online here.
  • FTC teams will be coordinated through your local Program Delivery Partners after your Regional event.