It's GO time!

There in only ONE entrance that allows teams to easily load in with their robots and tools. Coaches and adults should understand the maps in the following link before arriving at State.

• Only the entrance from Drane Street allows teams to load in on the first floor where the Pits are located.
• Only vehicles with equipment will be allowed to enter this lot during Load In times (12:00-2:00).
• Passenger only vehicles are asked to utilize the other marked parking lots.
• Teams will unload on the curb and only be allowed to move items inside AFTER their vehicle is moved from the Load In area.

One of the most stressful times for your teams may be Inspection. To ensure they get through quickly, be sure the following points of the checklist have been met before the State Championship.

• License plates must be mounted on opposing sides of the robot and easily visible without the opposing color showing through the robot. 3D printed plate holders in red or blue that cause confusion as to which alliance a robot belongs to will NOT pass Inspection per <R10.b> "It must be abundantly clear which color Alliance the Robot belongs to." Blue plates in a RED 3D printed holder with a solid RED back that mimics the back of a legal red plate can cause confusion on the field.

• Robots must be in size. <R4> 18"x18"x18" volume. An easy way to measure a robot's size without an official sizing tool is to place the robot against a flat wall. The furthest point from the wall can be measured with a straight edge tool, like a ruler, marked on the ground and then measured from the distance of the wall to that point.

• Robots with more than "a little bit" of plastic should provide a map of their plastic parts proving that all plastic can indeed be cut from a single 12"x24" sheet. <R19>

• Ensure that the firmware on the current brain of the current robot has the 1.1.5 version of firmware AND that the correct team number is on the brain. Only VEXos 1.1.5 will be accepted. <R15.b>

• Before proceeding to Inspections teams must fill out their Robot Inspection Checklist with TEAM NUMBER, circle the DIVISION they are in, have COACH SIGNATURE and INITIALS on their form.

For more insight to Robot Inspection check out this article.

Each team should take advantage of all three Driver and all three Autonomous Coding Skills runs. Should a team double qualify for Worlds at State, unfilled Worlds spots will flow down the Skills Ranking list from State.

• Teams will be able to "digitally" queue for Skills runs during peak Skills times. Teams 1, 2, 3 in line may be required to physically be in line, but any teams after that may utilize the Practice Fields until their team number is called. Teams will be called 3 times before they are removed from the digital queue.

• There will be first floor Practice/Skills Accommodations Fields available. These Practice Fields may be used by any team for 10 minutes at a time. Only teams who requested waivers will be able to use first floor fields for Skills.

• There is no time limit on the Practice Fields on the third level, however teams are expected to share a field with at least one other team.

• When possible, the Skills Division Manager may choose specific fields for Skills Practice only. Teams that are interested in that option should notify Margaret Trent.

Earning a spot to Worlds is thrilling and exciting, but it also comes with a few hard deadlines that can sneak up on you fast. All deadline clocks start ticking from the timestamp on your invitation - NOT from registration.

• Your invitation to register for Worlds will give you a specific deadline for registration. Be aware - your team's spot at Worlds is not guaranteed until your registration status is paid. There are a couple of items that you may need to complete before you register as well.

• Your team must book your lodging through TTS and be assigned a TTS pipe ID number before you register and pay for Worlds. All lodging for Worlds this year is being handled through Team Travel Source. Watch this video and check out the Q&A for more information on the process.

• Your team has 144 hours from the time of your invitation to sign up for your initial interview slot and be eligible for judged awards. This can be done before you've completed registration. Click here to learn more about deadlines. Once you're there, make sure to check out the various links on how to schedule the interview and submit the notebook, as well as this handy link with interview question and what to expect.

Once you have lodging, have registered, and have scheduled your interviews, take time to explore more on the VEX Worlds pages, including meal vouchers, badging for competitors and guests, and more! The whirlwind of registering for Worlds might initially feel overwhelming, but hopefully these tips will make it a little easier. Those of us at Volunteer State Robotics Foundation are looking forward to cheering for all the Tennessee teams!

An optional Rock, Paper, Scissors will be played as a fun and easy icebreaker to encourage relationships between teams that have come from every corner of the state. Some students only see each other once a year at State and while they usually have one another's team numbers memorized, they often don't know one another's names.

Game Rules

• Teams will be given ONE strand of beads per student
• Students must use the other student's name to challenge them
• The winner must win two-out-of-three rounds
• The winner gets to claim all the strands of beads that the loser has
• Winner takes all
• There must be another witness to the challenge
• The student from each division with the most number of beads at the end of their Qualification Matches will win a small prize.

Fine Designs, the official event merchandiser of the 2025 TN V5RC State Championship, is eager to customize your TN State Championship swag. Order early on Friday for the best selection of colors and sizes.

The APSU Athletics Department will be offering light concessions in the first floor lobby where the Practice/Skills Accommodation Fields are also located.