Clarity for the 2026-27 Nebraska VEX IQ Season

Hello Coaches and Parents,

You may have seen news this spring about changes in the competitive robotics landscape. We want to give Nebraska teams a clear answer about the season ahead.

For the 2026-27 season, gainingSTEAM will sanction the Nebraska VEX IQ State Championship through VEX and the Global Robotics & Science Foundation — not the newly launched RECF Robotics Competition.

What changed

Following a May 29, 2026 Agreed Temporary Injunction signed by VEX Robotics, the REC Foundation (RECF), and a Texas court, there are now two separate competition pathways for the coming year:

RECF can no longer run VEX-branded competitions, and has launched its own RECF Robotics Competition with separate games, software, and registration.
VEX competitions are now sanctioned through the Global Robotics & Science Foundation (GRSF).

For families, the short version is this: the program you knew is continuing on the VEX side, and there is also a brand-new, separate program on the RECF side.

The two pathways at a glance

VEX & Global Robotics (the path we're taking)

Registration is live at events.vex.com
Team numbers and historical records continue
Tournament Manager software remains available
The 2027 VEX Robotics World Championship is the qualifying target
Backed by more than a decade of operational history

RECF Robotics Competition

A new RECF Engage program launched June 10, 2026, featuring a game called "Tier Takeover"
Registration runs through RECFevents.org
New event-management software, untested in live competition
A rules-clarification system listed as "coming soon"
The RECF STEM World Championship is the qualifying target

Why we chose the VEX & Global Robotics path

We weighed the two options using a simple likelihood vs. impact lens:

VEX path — high likelihood of delivering a stable season on proven infrastructure, and low impact if a problem comes up, because an established baseline already exists.
RECF path — uncertain likelihood, because the systems are brand-new and untested, and high impact if delivery falls short, because students would feel a compromised season directly.

We chose stability for our students. As we put it: the cost of being wrong lands on our teams mid-season, with little ability to recover it.

What this means for your team

Your investments carry forward — robots, team numbers, and competition history all stay with you.
Register through events.vex.com using your previous login credentials.
There's no need to start over with a new system.

A few important notes

This applies to 2026-27 only. We'll reassess both pathways after the season, once RECF has a track record to evaluate.
We respect other choices. Individual coaches and districts are free to pursue RECF's program on their own; we simply won't be coordinating with RECF for our State Championship.
We're staying engaged with both sides. Brandon Petersen plans to attend both the 2026 RECF Summit and the VEX Event Partner Forum to keep visibility into both organizations.