TAMUhack 2026

Any student aged 18+ can sign up to be a hacker. Regardless of your experience, education, or background, as long as you are excited about learning, building, and having fun, we'd love for you to attend.

If you are currently under the age of 18 AND do not attend Texas A&M, unfortunately we will not be able to host you at TAMUhack 2026, but we hope to see you next year!

The venue (MSC) will be open on Saturday, January 24th from 7 AM to 7 PM only. The venue will be closed on Sunday.

NOTE: There is NO overnight stay this year. Once the venue closes at 7 PM, all communication and support will move to Discord.

Absolutely zero! We want you here because you have a passion for creating, not because you're the most experienced hacker on the block. We'll have lots of resources including workshops and a bunch of mentors to help beginners get started. There'll also be plenty of people to learn from and help out!

Nothing. Nada. Zilch. It's completely free for all accepted hackers. To make it even better, we'll be giving out a ton of swag to every hacker, and prizes to our winners.

Please bring a valid student ID in addition to anything that would help you with creating your hack or making you comfortable. A laptop, charger, mouse, keyboard, hardware, light jacket, and any hygienic products should be helpful. Don't bring anything you wouldn't bring on an airplane.

NOTE: You are NOT allowed to bring sleeping bags or air mattresses.

Yes! We will provide lunch and dinner on Saturday.

Lunch: Piada & Kung Fu Tea

Dinner: MSY & Tiff's Treats

Hackers should be prepared to find their own accommodations. If you need help, let us know at hello@tamuhack.com. We may have hotel partnerships coming up, so keep an eye on your email for updates.

NOTE: Be aware of cancellation policies if you book accommodations yourself.

Teams are limited to 1-4 hackers. If you have a team in mind, make sure all members submit an application before the deadline. If you don't have a team and would like to be a part of one, no worries! We'll have a dedicated time for team formation before the opening ceremony. Teams are only finalized when the final Devpost submission is due.

We ARE allowing virtual teammates with the following conditions: at least half of your team must be present in person, and virtual teammates cannot be on the waitlist. Virtual teammates should RSVP 'No' on the registration portal.

If you have virtual teammates, email us at hello@tamuhack.com with the names of people attending in person and the emails used for registration.

We will be providing travel reimbursements to traveling hackers on a case-by-case basis. We'll send out a form after the event asking for proof of travel and Venmo/Zelle info.

NOTE: We cannot guarantee being able to cover the full cost of travel. For more details, reach out to us at hello@tamuhack.org.

Due to space limitations of the MSC, we are only able to accept 800 hackers. We will have a waitlist line for students who are not accepted. Starting at 11 AM, we will admit people from the waitlist line until the MSC capacity has been reached.

Yes! We will have Mentor Hours from 12-5 PM in the main room where you can get help on your project. We'll also have a Craft Corner from 12-5 PM in the food room, and a talent show mini-event.

Some workshops may be recorded or available online. Check the schedule on our website for the latest updates.

The schedule may be updated up until day-of. The updated tentative schedule will be pushed to the website on Friday. Check Discord for real-time updates during the event.

There are four parking lots available near the MSC for parking during the event. The first is Lot 67 at 119-179 Olsen Blvd, College Station, TX 77840. The second is Lot 70 at 301 Olsen Bl, College Station, TX 77845. The third is Lot 98 at Horticulture Rd, College Station, TX 77845. The fourth is Lot 114 at 264-272 Adriance Lab Rd, College Station, TX 77845. All lots are free to park in during the event.

All teams are REQUIRED to complete a Devpost submission for their project to be considered for judging. Submitting a 2-minute video demo on Devpost is MANDATORY!

Judging begins at 2 PM on Saturday and will be conducted virtually. Participants will create their own Zoom rooms, and judges will pop in and out to evaluate projects.

The specific setup and instructions will be communicated in person at the event.

Depending on whether you applied to software or hardware, your project will be eligible for the 'Best Overall Software' or 'Best Overall Hardware' track. In addition to that, you can apply to any other tracks that your project is eligible for, within your respective category.

A beginner hack is a project where 50% or more of the team members have never participated in a hackathon before. If you're not sure if your project qualifies, just ask us!

Participants will collaboratively design, build, and prototype hardware-based solutions within a timeframe of roughly a week. Unlike traditional hackathons, which often focus on software development, our hardware track emphasizes physical computing, embedded systems, and hardware design.

Due to venue changes, hardware demos and judging will NOT take place on the main event weekend. Hardware judging has been moved to Thursday, January 29th from 6-9 PM in ILCB 229, with a virtual judging session available for those who cannot attend in person.

Hardware participants are still required to check in on Saturday, January 24th and are encouraged to attend for food, merch, and day-of activities.

NOTE: You will have extra time to refine and prepare your projects before judging!

At this time, a team can only participate in one track, either software or hardware. The different tracks will be judged separately, by specialists in the respective field.

There is a question on the application form that asks if you want to participate in the hardware track. If you change your mind before applications close, you can log back in and edit your application.

TAMUhack is partnering with IEEE to provide dedicated hardware components for hackers. We will be loaning hardware supplies on a first-come-first-serve basis. We will have a dedicated hardware room available throughout the week where you'll be able to rent out our hardware. You'll need to provide your team name and project idea.

Additionally, the people at Starforge have kindly given us discount codes to help with prototyping. Participants will have reduced costs to use 3D printers, laser cutting, as well as woodworking tools, and a workspace. If you're interested, be on the lookout for these codes in the coming weeks!

NOTE: Hackers are not limited to just the resources that we provide, using personal/outside hardware resources is allowed.

Absolutely! Beginners are encouraged to try it out and mentors will be available to assist with the projects. Throughout the week of the hardware track, we will provide Discord office hours and mentors on-campus.

Teams may begin working on January 16th. Hardware judging will take place on Thursday, January 29th.

Hardware participants are still required to check in to the event on January 24th.