RPA Guide: 2026–2027 RPA Season Planning Calendars

The RPA season calendar is your guide to navigating the FIRST LEGO League and FIRST Tech Challenge!

Note that RPA calendars are more detailed than the season overviews shared with teams. They focus on deadlines for planning regional event delivery and phases of the season. Read below for:

How to use the RPA Calendar
FLL RPA Season Calendar
FTC RPA Season Calendar

Using the Calendars

RPAs should use the calendar for their assigned program alongside their regional work plan and current guidance from FIRST Texas.

The calendars include three general types of dates:

Dates identified as TBD or anticipated are included to support advance planning. FIRST Texas will communicate confirmed dates and instructions when they are available.

RPA Planning Expectations

The calendars identify major checkpoints rather than every task required during the season.

As deadlines approach, RPAs should:

Confirm that required regional information is complete and current.
Update the regional work plan with progress, barriers, and next steps.
Identify decisions or support needed from FIRST Texas.
Communicate changes that may affect event agreements, team participation, capacity, or advancement.
Raise concerns early when a region may not meet a listed deadline.

Meeting a planning deadline does not mean every event detail must be finalized. The information should be developed enough for the next stage of work to begin. For example, an event that is ready for agreement processing should have a proposed date, venue, primary contact, expected capacity, and any known costs or special conditions.

Calendar Updates

Season plans may change as venues, systems, advancement allocations, and statewide event details are finalized. FIRST Texas may update these calendars during the season.

RPAs should use the most current calendar posted on the Partner Resources page and continue following updates shared through RPA calls, Slack, email, and regional work-plan conversations.

Program Calendars

FIRST LEGO League RPA Season Calendar

The FIRST LEGO League calendar includes planning deadlines for Challenge qualifiers, the Event Selection system, Regional Championships, Explore events, and major statewide season milestones.

FIRST Tech Challenge RPA Season Calendar

The FIRST Tech Challenge calendar includes Texas registration and event-planning milestones, national region and advancement deadlines, Regional Championship requirements, the FIRST Leadership Award timeline, and major competition milestones.