Oxford, AL – The City of Oxford is set to host the inaugural Calhoun County Robotics Tournament on Friday, April 11, 2025, at the CREATE Technology and Innovation Center, located at 1 Cliff Garrett Drive. The event will kick off with a special ceremony at 9:15 a.m., followed by competition beginning at 9:30 a.m.
This first-of-its-kind tournament in Calhoun County will provide students with an opportunity to showcase their innovation, teamwork, and robotics expertise in an exciting competitive format. Registration for the tournament was offered at no charge to students within the county.
The competition will feature two levels of participation: the V5RC Division for students in grades 7-12 and the IQ Division for students in grades 5-8. High school teams will compete by maneuvering robots to place rings on stakes, move mobile goals, and climb a tower in a test of strategic precision and skill. Meanwhile, elementary and middle school students will take on challenges in the Rapid Relay, where two robots work as an alliance, the Robot Skills Challenge, which focuses on scoring as many points as possible, and a Coding Skills match that requires programming proficiency with minimal human interaction.
Oxford has been an active supporter of robotics competitions, recently hosting its fourth consecutive VEX Robotics competition, which served as a qualifier for regional championships.
Oxford Mayor Alton Craft expressed enthusiasm for the tournament, emphasizing its broader impact beyond competition.
“I and the city council are proud to assist and support bringing these unique opportunities to our local students,” Craft said. “This goes well beyond being just a competition. This encourages new career pathways with new technologies and, with the addition of the new CREATE Workforce Development Center, helps to ensure our students have the tools and experience they need to have access to good, high-paying jobs – many of which are becoming more available here at home with our expanding industrial landscape.”
Craft also noted the regional benefits of events like the robotics tournament and the CREATE Center’s role in strengthening workforce development.
“I have always said working as a region gives us a stronger platform from which to attract new industries,” he added.
With the growing prominence of robotics and automation in modern industries, the tournament serves as an exciting gateway for students to engage with cutting-edge technology while preparing for future career opportunities.
