ADA, Ohio (WLIO) — The Collegiate Robotic Football Conference held its 13th annual playoff and national championship this weekend at Ohio Northern University, showcasing a growing student competition that blends engineering with athletics.
Collegiate robotic football began in 2007 at the University of Notre Dame as a hands-on engineering challenge where students design robots to play football. Five years later, Ohio Northern fielded a team for the first intercollegiate matchup against Notre Dame.
The conference has since expanded to include about 15 universities from across the United States, with students gaining experience in teamwork and problem-solving both on and off the field as they work to improve their robots’ performance.
“At their job interviews, they bring up robot football, and it blows away recruiters,” said Jake Plocher, executive director of the conference. “Companies are seeing students who didn’t just sit in a lecture hall — they applied what they learned to solve complex, real-world problems.”
Each robot is built for a specific position, including quarterback, running back and wide receiver. Officials say the level of competition has steadily advanced over the years.
“I’ve seen the robots get more technical and become faster,” said referee Michael O’Connor. “Teams are doing more passing now, and the amount of equipment they bring has grown tremendously.”
As the conference continues to expand, organizers say they are seeking additional sponsors and universities to join the evolving sport.
