ONU hosts Collegiate Robotic Football Championships, April 11-12

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King Horn Fieldhouse at Ohio Northern University
609 W Lincoln Ave

By Adam Hussman
www.thecrfc.org/2026-crfc-preview

The 13th annual 2026 Collegiate Robotic Football Playoffs and National Championship heads to Ada, Ohio, on April 11 and 12.

This year, the festivities will be hosted at King Horn Fieldhouse on the campus of the back-to-back champions, Ohio Northern University. The 2026 installment will bring together top robotic football programs from across the nation for a weekend that combines engineering excellence with competitive fire.

Five full teams will compete for the National Championship: the University of Notre Dame, Ohio Northern University, Calvin University (2025 runner-up), Valparaiso University, and a combined Navy/Catholic University squad assembled specifically for the 2026 season. Plus, growing teams from Evansville, Trine, Penn State York, and Catholic University will be in the mix for showcases and side competitions.

Saturday kicks things off with opening round playoff games, a poster showcase, networking events, and a 3v3 Oklahoma Drill Tournament. Then on Sunday, it’s win-or-go-home with the semifinals, a 3rd place game, and the National Championship.

The 2026 Playoffs are made possible through the support of key sponsors. Special thanks to Title Sponsor Misumi for supporting the sport and its students all year long! Additional thanks to TAIT for hooking teams up with safety glasses and The Dime Lab for bringing the prize footballs.

Fans and followers can access the full bracket, detailed schedule, livestream, and preview coverage at https://thecrfc.org/future-events/.

With elite teams, cutting-edge technology, and a championship on the line, the 2026 CRFC Playoffs promise a weekend of high-level competition and innovation you won’t want to miss.

SCHEDULE

Time 

Saturday – April 11 

Notes

8:30 a.m. 

Doors Open 

Teams begin loading in and setting up

8:30–11:30 a.m. 

Measurement Checks 

(Rolling)

Teams must measure all robots intended for competition

10:00–11:30 a.m. 

Play-In Game (4 vs 5) 

Notre Dame vs. Navy/Catholic U

11:30 a.m.–12:15 p.m. 

Networking & Poster 

Showcase

Posters, demos, sponsor interaction; judging to determine best showcase

12:15–12:45 p.m. 

Lunch Break 

Catered Lunch

12:45–2:30 p.m. 

The Robot Football Trials 

Events for teams to compete with individual robots

2:30–4:00 p.m.  

Semifinal #1 

ONU vs. Valpo

4:00–5:00 p.m.  

Oklahoma Drill Tournament 

3v3 Tourney including full & partial teams

5:00–6:00 p.m.  

Downtime / Travel 

Buffer before evening event

6:00–8:00 p.m. 

Community Event 

Dinner at Old Route 69

This is a no-host event; food and drinks are available for individual purchase.

 

Time 

Sunday – April 12 

Location / Notes

9:00 a.m. 

Doors Open 

Teams begin loading in and setting up

9:30–10:30 a.m. 

Measurement Re-Checks (Rolling)

Remeasures for robots that were 

previously disqualified

10:30 a.m.–12:00 p.m. 

Semifinal #2 

Calvin vs. Play-In Winner

11:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m. 

Alumni Q&A Session 

Session for students from all teams including Partial teams

12:00–12:30 p.m. 

Lunch Break 

Catered Lunch

12:30–2:00 p..m 

3rd Place Game 

Semi 1 Loser vs. Semi 2 Loser

1:00–2:00 p.m. 

Alumni Q&A Session 

Session for students from all teams including Partial teams

2:00–3:30 p.m. 

CRFC National 

Championship Game

Semi 1 Winner vs. Semi 2 Winner

3:30–3:45 p.m. 

Championship Awards Ceremony

Trophies & awards presentation

3:45-4:30 p.m. 

Load-Out 

Clean up and travel safe

ONU Combine 2024

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