FIRST Robotics at McMaster – Faculty of Engineering
Team members in green gather around their robot, labeled 5406, as they prepare it on the field during a FIRST Robotics competition match.

FIRST Robotics at McMaster

McMaster University will be hosting one of Canada’s premier science, technology, engineering and math competitions for high school students on March 20 to 22, 2026.

Get social and tag #FirstAtMac

About Robots at Mac

McMaster University will be hosting a FIRST Robotics Canada Ontario District Competition, one of Canada’s premier science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) competitions for high school-aged students, from March 20 to March 22, 2026. 

Teams will compete using their STEM and collaboration skills to reimagine the past. In this REBUILT Presented by Haas challenge, teams will uncover the stories behind artifacts, innovations and works of art, revealing how the ideas of those who came before us shape who we are today. By digging deeper using modern tools and teamwork, teams will discover the potential within each of us to strengthen our communities and innovate for a better world.

The district competition is one of several in a series of successive events FIRST Robotics runs in Ontario. Teams must compete in at least two district events where they accumulate points, working toward competing at the Provincial Championship and possibly representing Ontario in a FIRST World Championship Event in Houston, Texas.

Below, you’ll find information on the venue, parking, schedule, team resources, and scholarship information as related the district event at McMaster University.

Statistics

  • 2,000+ students, parents, volunteers and sponsors

    expected on campus for the competition

  • 30 teams

    from across Ontario competing at Mac

  • Top 80 teams in Ontario

    will be invited to compete at the Provincial Championship

front entrance of David Braley Athletic Centre

Venue and parking information

Welcome to campus! Participating teams should refer to the “Team Resources” section below for additional details.

The event will be held at the David Braley Athletic Centre (DBAC) on campus. The main competition will be held in the Burridge Gym.

Upon entry into DBAC, from the main entrance off of Stearn Drive, an information booth with volunteers will be available to direct you to where you are going, share agenda details, and answer any questions.

Navigate to the David Braley Athletic Centre

Recommended lots closest to the event at David Braley Athletic Centre are Stadium Underground, Lot E, Lot G, Lot C, Lot D, Lot B, L.R. Wilson Underground. Other parking lots are available across campus if these are full. 

Gated lots will require you to collect a ticket upon entry and pay at station when you are ready to leave. 

  • Electronic signage installed outside the entrance to the lots will indicate the availability of spaces for visitors in the lot.
  • If the LED indicator for visitors reads ‘OPEN’ you may proceed to the entry gate. If the LED indicator for visitors reads ‘FULL’ you must find an alternate lot.

Open lots (Lot H) require you to pay with the HONK app once you park.

Learn more about parking prices and how to pay
Locate McMaster’s parking lots

Recommended lots closest to the event at David Bradley Athletic Centre are Stadium Underground, Lot E, Lot G, Lot C, Lot D, Lot B, L.R. Wilson Underground.

Other parking lots are available across campus if these are full. 

Locate McMaster’s parking lots
Lots A, B, C, D, G, H, I, Q, Underground Stadium, and Underground Wilson DurationCurrent Rate
Monday – Friday
6:30 a.m. – 11:59 p.m.		No charge within the first 15 minutes of the first hour, then first hour and all additional hours$6.00/hr
$20.00 maximum
Monday – Friday
4:00 p.m. – 6:30 a.m.		No charge within the first 15 minutes of the first hour, then Flat Rate$8.00 flat rate
Saturday-Sunday
and Statutory Holidays		No charge within the first 15 minutes of the first hour, then Flat Rate$8.00 flat rate

If you decide to park at Lots M and P, a shuttle bus is available on Friday and can drop you off at the student center (at Lot B) which operates till 11 p.m. The shuttle bus service does not operate on Saturday or Sunday and you will need to walk approximately 20 min with a part of the walk being uphill.

Shuttle bus details from Lots M and P
Lots M and PDurationCurrent Rate
Monday – Friday
6:30 a.m. – 11:59 p.m.		No charge within the first 15 minutes of the first hour, then Daily Flat Rate$8.00 flat rate
Monday – Friday
4:00 p.m. – 6:30 a.m.		No charge within the first 15 minutes of the first hour, then Daily Flat Rate$4.00 flat rate
Saturday-Sunday
and Statutory Holidays		No charge within the first 15 minutes of the first hour, then Daily Flat Rate$4.00 flat rate

Parking
Accessible parking spots near David Braley Athletic Centre (DBAC) can be found at any of our above ground lots. The closest to DBAC are in the following order: Lot D, Lot C, Lot E, Lot G.

There will be some Parking Services staff in yellow vests around the lots if you have questions.

Wayfinding
From the main entrance of DBAC, there are ramps available to guide guests to the Sports Hall and Burridge Gym viewing gallery and bleacher access. However, for accessible seating in Burridge Gym, please ask the staff at the Event Information Booth to guide you to the main floor of the Burridge Gym and or elevators.

Accessible Washrooms
– By Refueling Station/Booster Juice, follow the ramp up from the main entrance: Washrooms have accessible stalls
– Go down one level and proceed to hallway behind DBAC Customer Service Desk: Main change rooms have accessible washroom stalls.

All Gender Washrooms
– Go down one level and proceed to hallway past the the squash courts, continue down the hallway past the Burridge Gym ground floor: Part of pool area, all gender changeroom with accessible washroom and an all gender washroom.
– Track level has 2 single occupancy all gender accessible washrooms.

Please do not hesitate to ask for guidance at the Event Information Booth or the DBAC Customer Service Desk!

There are numerous on-campus food service locations however there may be limited hours over the FIRST competition weekend. Please refer to our Hospitality Services website for up-to-date information on locations, hours, and menus.

On-campus food locations, hours and menus

The following two food service areas, are the closest options to the David Braley Athletic Centre with the best-matched open hours with the competition weekend:

Refueling Station (David Braley Athletic Centre)

  • Friday – 9:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.
  • Saturday – 8:00 a.m. – 7:30 p.m.
  • Sunday – 8:00 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.

The Refuelling Station includes a Booster Juice.  It also offers coffee, cold beverages, variety of sandwiches, fruit, breakfast pastries, and other snacks.

Centro@Commons (Commons Building, second floor)

  • Friday 7:00 a.m. – 11:00 p.m.
  • Saturday & Sunday 10 :00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m.

Centro is McMaster’s largest dining hall offering a variety of food options in a market-style setting.

Off-campus options

Some restaurants may be able to accommodate larger groups for dining in but please phone ahead to confirm and make any reservations.

Westdale Village – near King St W & Sterling Street

  • Approx. 15-20 min walk
  • Includes Pita Pit, Monga Fried Chicken, Burrito Bandidos, Pizza Nova, The Burnt Tongue (soup and sandwiches), Smokes Poutinerie, Subway, Lazeez Shawarma, and more.

Across campus main entrance – Main St W

  • Approx. 15-20 min walk
  • Includes Starbucks, Quesada Burritos, Pinks Burgers, Sushi Shop, Subway, Gino’s Pizza, and more.

Food delivery services

  • If ordering for delivery to the athletic centre, please ensure you are indicating David Braley Athletic Centre (main entrance) as the delivery drop-off address.

Guest Wi-Fi will be available throughout the weekend. Please connect to the following Wi-Fi:

Wi-Fi name: Mac-Events
Password: Wi-Fi password coming soon

First Robotics Driving Robots

Schedule & activity details

Main Entrance to David Braley Athletic Centre

Entrance from Stearn Dr

  • Event information booth

Sports Hall

From main entrance/info booth, go left.

Safety goggles are required to enter the Sports Hall and are available to borrow as you enter the space

  • Team pits
  • Practice field
  • Pits administrative booth
  • First Aid station
  • FIRST Robotics Canada booth (Sat & Sun 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.)
  • Mac Eng student groups’ booths (Sat 12 p.m. – 4 p.m.)

Burridge Gym

From the main entrance/info booth, follow the ramp up all the way, and follow the path to the right to the end.

  • Competition field
  • Mezzanine area (overlooking the competition field)
    • Access to bleachers
    • FIRST Canada Robotics merchandise booth
    • VIP area by invitation only
    • Mac Eng student recruitment booth (Sat & Sun 12 p.m. – 4 p.m.)

The Hub

Connected to DBAC, follow the hallway from the Info Booth.

  • Multifaith prayer rooms (third floor)
    • The Multi-Faith Prayer Rooms are a mixed-gender and mixed-faith space. 
    • Please review the multifaith prayer room guidelines found on the Hub’s website.
    • Male and female ablution rooms are also available.
StartEndActivity & Details
2:30 p.m.4:30 p.m.Team Load-in (5 Team Reps)
4:30 p.m.Pits Open / Inspections
5:30 p.m.8:00 p.m.Filler Line Practice Matches (if field ready)
9:00 p.m.Pits Close
StartEndActivity & Details
8:00 a.m.Pits Open / Inspections
8:15Safety meeting
8:30 a.m.Drivers meeting
9:15 a.m.10:45 a.m.Practice Matches
11:00 a.m.Opening Ceremonies
11:30 a.m.1:30 p.m.Qualification Matches
1:30 p.m.2:30 p.m.Lunch break
2:30 p.m.7:00 p.m.*Qualification Matches
8:00 p.m.Pits Close

*Schedule subject to change. All times are estimated based on flow of rounds. See Pit Administration table for updated times.

Additional McMaster Engineering activities

McMaster Engineering (Mac Eng) student groups will be showcasing their clubs & teams and projects. A great opportunity to gain some insights to life at Mac Eng as a student and the areas are students get involved with.

  • Location: Pits (Sports Hall)
  • Time: 12 p.m. – 4 p.m.
  • Participating groups:
    • Coming soon!

Representatives of Mac Eng’s student recruitment team will be available to answer questions about our Faculty’s 4 program’s (BTech, CompSci, Eng and iBioMed), the Mac Eng experience, the application process, entrance scholarships available to students with FIRST involvement, and more.

  • Location: Mezzanine area overlooking the competition field
  • Time: 12 p.m. – 4 p.m.
StartEndActivity & Details
8:00 a.m.Pits Open
9:00 a.m.9:30 a.m.Opening Ceremonies
9:30 a.m.12:15 p.m.*Qualification Matches
12:15 p.m.1:00 p.m.Alliance Selections
1:00 p.m.2:00 p.m.Lunch
2:00 p.m.5:30 p.m.Playoff Matches
5:30 p.m.7:00 p.m.*Awards / Closing Ceremonies
7:30 p.m.Pits Close

*Schedule subject to change. All times are estimated based on flow of rounds. See Pit Administration table for updated times.

Additional McMaster Engineering activities

McMaster Engineering (Mac Eng) student groups will be showcasing their clubs & teams and projects. A great opportunity to gain some insights to life at Mac Eng as a student and the areas are students get involved with.

  • Location: Mezzanine area overlooking the competition field
  • Time: 12 p.m. – 4 p.m.
  • Participating groups:
    • Coming soon!


Representatives of Mac Eng’s student recruitment team will be available to answer questions about our Faculty’s 4 program’s (BTech, CompSci, Eng and iBioMed), the Mac Eng experience, the application process, entrance scholarships available to students with FIRST involvement, and more.

  • Location: Mezzanine area overlooking the competition field
  • Time: 12 p.m. – 4 p.m.

Learn more about participating teams at the FIRST Robotics Canada Ontario District Competition hosted at McMaster University and their 2026 stats.

  • 1114 – Simbotics – St Catharines
  • 1229 – Tidal Shift – Windsor
  • 1325 – Inverse Paradox – Mississauga
  • 2056 – OP Robotics – Stoney Creek
  • 2200 – BCR Blackout – Burlington
  • 2852 – DM High Voltage – St Catharines
  • 3560 – MechaWolves – Brampton
  • 4308 – ABSOLUTE ROBOTICS – Mississauga
  • 4327 – Q Branch – Battle Creek
  • 4907 – Thunderstamps – St. Thomas
  • 4917 – Sir Lancerbot – Elmira
  • 5032 – The Falcons – Mississauga
  • 5406 – Celt-X – Hamilton
  • 6135 – Arctos – Toronto
  • 6162 – Cap Alpaca 6162 – London
  • 6632 – Northview Robotics – Toronto
  • 6978 – QuickStrike Niagara – Saint Catharines
  • 7200 – Banting Robotics – Alliston
  • 7902 – Markham FireBirds – Markham
  • 8764 – Thunder Robotics – Thornhill
  • 8850 – Ed Bears – Scarborough
  • 9062 – Critical Circuits – Hamilton
  • 9098 – FireHawks – Oakville
  • 9262 – Humberside Huskies – Toronto
  • 9575 – Silver Robotics – Toronto
  • 9659 – Vanier Vikings – North York
  • 10167 – Jeunes Sans Frontières – Brampton
  • 10554 – Team VIPER – London
  • 11362 – RoBumpers – London
  • 11428 – Corpus Christi – Burlington
First Robotics Students Standing

Team resources

A guide containing information you’ll need to prepare for your FIRST at Mac experience with your teams.

Team robots will be loaded at the loading dock area of David Braley Athletic Centre/The Hub (off of Michell Crescent) on Friday from 2:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. 

  • Load-in will based on a assigned schedule given to teams by FIRST Robotics Canada.
  • Only five team members are allowed to help unload and one must be an adult.
  • There must be a driver in the vehicle at all times during unloading.
  • Each team will have 15 minutes to complete loading in.
  • Pack for quick load/unload using large bins or wagons to help you transport your items. No loose items.

Arrival, load in and team vehicle parking instructions:

  • Arrive from McMaster’s Sterling St & Forsyth Ave N entrance and proceed through Forsyth Ave N
  • Turn right into Mayfair Cres to loop back onto Forsyth Ave N.
  • We will have teams line up starting at the entrance of Stearn Dr & Forsyth Ave N to wait for their turn to go to the loading doc area to keep congestion around the athletic centre minimal.
  • A staff member will let you know when you can proceed towards the loading dock area.
  • Upon your turn, continue on Stearn Dr and at the 2nd stop sign, turn right on Michell Cres.
  • The loading dock area will be on your right where staff will instruct you how to pull in for unloading.
  • Once all items are removed from the team vehicle, the team vehicle can continue to parking lots.
    • Small trucks that are larger than a standard parking spot or trailer attachments can be parked at the gravel parking lot at no charge across from Lot H near the back fields. Continue down down Michell Cres to get to the gravel lot.
    • All other team vehicles and vehicles towing trailer attachments must detach and park at available paid parking lots throughout the weekend.

Please refer to parking details above in “Venue and parking information” section for parking lot locations and prices.

directional map for FIRST load-in vehicles

Please refer to the “Food on and nearby campus” dropdown as part of the “Venue and parking information” section above.

Weeks Home Hardware

101 Osler Dr, Dundas, ON
Phone: (905) 628-4508

Canadian Tire

119 Osler Dr, Dundas, ON
Phone: (905) 627-3533

Active Green + Ross Tire & Automotive Centre

1289 Main St W, Hamilton, ON
Phone: (905) 523-4323

Mr. Lube + Tires

1487 Main St W, Hamilton, ON L8S 1E1
Phone: (905) 777-0275

First Robotics Student Testing

Scholarships & travel subsidies

Scholarship opportunities for eligible teams and applicants to Level 1 Faculty of Engineering programs.

Does your team have at least three Indigenous team members and is located at least 350 kilometers away from Hamilton? You could qualify for up to $5,000 in funding towards your travel expenses!

Apply for the FIRST Robotics McMaster University District Competition Indigenous Travel Bursary.

FIRST @ Mac Indigenous Travel Subsidy

If you have any questions about this form, please email us at firsteng@mcmaster.ca.

Teams must be located a minimum of 350km from Hamilton to qualify.
A minimum of three Indigenous members is required to qualify.
Has your team been to an FRC event at McMaster University in the past?(Required)

McMaster University offers 10 McMaster FIRST Engineering Scholarships, each valued at $15,000 CAD to Grade 12 students planning to attend McMaster for any of the programs in the Faculty of Engineering (Bachelor of Technology, Computer Sciences, Engineering, Integrated Biomedical Engineering & Health Sciences).

Due Date: February 19, 2026 (for Fall 2026 enrollment)

Minimum Eligibility: Academic performance – Admissions average of 90% or higher. Demonstrated leadership experience and attributes, involvement in extra-curricular and/or volunteer activities in the named organization. Letters of reference verifying participation in named organization.

Learn more about how to apply for an undergraduate entrance scholarship