FIRST Tech Challenge INTO THE DEEP Premier Events
December 23, 2024
Celebrate your season, play with (and against) some of the best teams around, explore some of the best of what the New England region offers, and cheer on the best of New England as we see which FIRST Robotics Competition teams will represent us at the FIRST Championship Event in Houston! The New England Premier Event is always evolving. Starting with a simpler concept in 2024, the original New England Invitational was an opportunity for the best teams across New England who did not advance to the FIRST Championship to come together, play with (and against) teams from outside their region, and celebrate their success.
FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) teams in New England usually play in or near their state, going from state championships directly to the FIRST Championship in Houston. By creating an invitational that would play alongside the largest FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) event in our region, the New England District Championship, teams were offered the chance for a unique gameplay experience.
When we heard about Premier Events, we realized we had a unique opportunity to have even more teams from all over the world join our “celebration of success” alongside the best of New England!
If you haven’t been to “The Big E” before, you’re in for a treat. The New England Premier Event is hosted at the Eastern States Exposition, also known as The Big E, in West Springfield, Massachusetts. Every September, The Big E hosts essentially a state fair for all of New England—there is even a road of replica state capitol buildings on the fairgrounds.
The New England Premier Event is very intentionally co-located with the FIRST Robotics Competition New England District Championship, and NE FIRST takes pride in creating an environment where all of the FIRST Programs can come together on one campus. In addition to FTC and FRC competitions, the NE FIRST Expo fills a building in the middle of the action. FIRST Scholarship Providers, NE FIRST Sponsors, FIRST LEGO League Challenge and Explore, Battlebots and more fill the Expo. It is a truly integrated STEM experience!
The first New England Premier Event will feature 56 teams across two divisions, with each team competing in nearly double the amount of qualification matches they would get at League and Qualifier Tournaments. The divisions are named COURVILLE and ANDERSON, in honor of local scientists who specialize in fields related to the oceans:
- Zoe Courville is a Research Mechanical Engineer for Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory (CRREL) and professor at Dartmouth College’s College of Engineering
- Paul Anderson is a Scientist in Residence at Mystic Aquarium and founder of the Coral Reef Aquarium Fisheries Campaign.
Naming divisions for New England natives or residents who excel in their field is part of a tradition at New England District Championship that the Premier Event is proud to uphold. These local luminaries connected to the season theme are invited to attend the event in person. Zoe Courville will be present for the start of the event.
Teams coming to the New England Premier Event will find several local attractions to enjoy. Springfield is the birthplace of the sport of Basketball, and is fittingly home to the Basketball Hall of Fame. The Springfield Museums includes 5 exhibits for one entry fee, most notably the Amazing World of Dr. Seuss Museum. Six Flags New England will be open for the first weekend of the season on Sunday, April 6, after the event. If a team has time in Boston before or after the event, many historic sites, museums and the New England Aquarium await in the city.
The New England Premier Event is a unique gathering of volunteers from across New England, and the world, including teams of Key Volunteers from different states. Our Event Committee has stakeholders from each of the five FTC regions and six states of New England involved in the planning process and execution of this event. While NE FIRST has encouraged collaboration and communication among each distinct entity, this event, including its prior incarnation as the New England Invitational, has brought New England FTC Program Delivery Partners, Key Volunteers, and teams together in a way that we had not seen before.
We’re building our own FIRST Championship experience here in New England! On behalf of the New England Premier Event Committee, the New England District Championship Planning Committee, and NE FIRST we’re so thrilled to welcome 56 FIRST Tech Challenge teams to help make it special.. With the FIRST Robotics Competition teams in New England at the height of their competition season and vying to qualify for FIRST Championship; FIRST LEGO League Explore and Challenge teams demonstrating their creations and presenting their projects; and FIRST Tech Challenge gathering teams from across North America and the world for this competition and celebration of their season…we know this event is going to be something no one will want to miss!
As the only Premier Event scheduled before the FIRST Championship, the Event Committee knows this is an important opportunity to showcase our unity as a geographic region, celebrate our FIRST Tech Challenge Teams, give competing teams a taste of the FIRST Championship Experience potentially closer to home, and be a guiding light for the Premier Events to come. We look forward to welcoming and meeting all of the teams who chose to come to West Springfield, Massachusetts, for the New England Premier Event!
For more information about the New England Premier Event, visit nefirst.org/ftc-premier.