Michiana Premier Event Set to Host Robotics Teams from Across the Nation

South Bend, Indiana, is preparing to welcome 96 FIRST Tech Challenge teams from around the world for the second annual Michiana Premier Event Presented by GEARS, taking place from June 18-21, 2026, at the Century Center. This event serves as a capstone for teams completing their DECODE season.

Event Details and Schedule

The Michiana Premier Event offers a competitive platform for robotics teams, featuring 10 qualification matches per team, 10 practice fields, and two division fields. The event schedule includes:

• Thursday, June 18, 2026: Pit move-in and an Olympic-style Opening Ceremony with custom flags.
• Friday, June 19, 2026: Judging and three qualifying rounds, alongside open video games in the Bendix Esports Arena.
• Saturday & Sunday, June 20-21, 2026: Final qualifying rounds, a College Faire, Robot Finals, and Awards ceremonies.

Participating Teams

A diverse range of teams will be competing, including:

• 3311 Innovators Robotics (Dayton, OH)
• 5037 got robot? (Elgin, IL)
• 5189 Wolves Robotics (San Antonio, TX)
• 5385 Enigma Riddlers (Grand Rapids, MI)
• 5957 Sonic Eagles (Hartland, MI)
• 6189 High Voltage (Center Point, IA)
• 6294 Atomic Toads (Novi, MI)
• 6448 Blue Jays (New Orleans, LA)
• 7209 Tech Hogs Robotics (Springdale, AR)
• 7842 Browncoats (Huntsville, AL)
• 8142 Jr Mountie Megabots (Red) (Jackson, MI)
• 8417 ‘Lectric Legends (Winchester, KY)
• 8579 Classical Engineers (Temperance, MI)
• 9879 Root Negative One (Springdale, AR)
• 9880 Aftershock (Edmonds, WA)
• 9889 Cruise Control (Flanders, NJ)
• 10538 Team KILTS (Howell, MI)
• 10615 Jefferson CyDogs (Midland, MI)
• 11139 Knight Owls (Niles, IL)
• 11992 Radioactivity (Merrillville, IN)
• 12014 FireWires (Osceola, IN)
• 12670 Eclipse (Austin, TX)
• 12783 Norwalk RoboWarriors Purple (Norwalk, IA)
• 13414 Circuit Breakers (Kingman, IN)
• 13474 MARS: Curiosity? (Mars, PA)
• 14147 High Voltage Couch Bananas (Eagle, ID)
• 14179 Sushi Squad (Redmond, WA)
• 14259 TURBΩ V8 (Pleasanton, CA)
• 14469 HOW (Peoria, IL)
• 14481 Don’t Blink (Princeton Junction, NJ)
• 14596 XLR8 (Osceola, IN)
• 15789 RoboCats (Lovington, NM)
• 16158 V… (Further team list available on FTCScout)

Volunteer Opportunities

Individuals interested in volunteering at the event can register through the GEARS website.

About GEARS and FIRST Tech Challenge

GEARS is proud to host this event, providing a unique opportunity for teams to showcase their robotics skills, and innovation. The Michiana Premier Event is part of the FIRST Tech Challenge, a program designed to inspire young people to pursue careers in STEM fields. The Mechaneers, an award-winning rookie robotics team from Tupelo, Mississippi, are among the 85 teams expected to compete, having previously demonstrated success with their robot, “The Black Pearl.”

Event Information

Event Code: FPEMI

Venue: Century Center, 120 S Doctor M.L.K. Jr Blvd, South Bend, IN, USA

Website: https://gears.org.in/michiana_event/