Aug 7 to 8 · DEF CON 34, Las Vegas · and online
Àlàáfíà State UniversityLowvale, Àlàáfíà · Est. 1889
BIC Village 2026 · DEF CON 34

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Àlàáfíà State University

An experiment in the physics department has fractured time. Campus is bleeding across the decades, and the flags are scattered through all of them.

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Welcome back to (…the future…?)

Àlàáfíà State University sits in Lowvale, in Àlàáfíà, the 52nd state and the Deep South's best kept secret. "Àlàáfíà" is Yorùbá for peace, wellness, and wholeness, and since 1889 this campus has grown outward from a sacred willow the students call The Queen Mother. Rubbing her bark before exams is tradition. Legend says she has granted more than good grades.

This year the village becomes a campus for hackers, learners, and builders, and every corner of it is built to celebrate the brilliance of our community. The mascot is the Yorùbá Firebird, rising from its roots as a symbol of rebirth, resistance, and brilliance.

Our mission

Social justice and the Black experience in technology. This year we honor HBCUs, HBCU bands, and Divine 9 culture, trace the Black history of the Deep South, and ask what we are building next.

"Peace and power in our veins, bringing change, breaking chains!"

Fall 2026 course offerings

Every section runs its own challenges, in its own style. Take one, take all of them, or wander until something catches you. Nothing here is a prerequisite for anything else.

Play in person or from anywhere

This is a hybrid event. Every challenge is playable online, so you can compete from home, from your hotel, or from the floor. Nothing is gated behind being in the room.

If you are at DEF CON, come to the village anyway. It is a place before it is a competition: there is music, there are people worth meeting, and there is somewhere to sit down when your eyes give out.

Campus Bulletin
Playing online
Open to anyone, anywhere, for the whole event. All you need is a browser.
In person
BIC Village, at the Las Vegas Convention Center.
Contest hours
Friday, Aug 7 at noon through Saturday at 5pm.
Awards
At the DEF CON closing ceremony.
Homecoming party
Ask someone in the village.

How to compete

  1. Create an account. Free, and about fifteen seconds. You can play as a guest first and sign up later.
  2. Pick a challenge. Start anywhere in the catalog. Nothing is a prerequisite for anything else.
  3. Submit flags. Each category scores its own challenges. Scores post as they come in.
  4. Watch for the results. Announced at the DEF CON closing ceremony, and posted in the Discord for anyone who is not in the room.

What you need

  • CuriosityA wish to know how it actually worked.
  • PersistenceWillingness to read one more line.
  • A browserFor most departments, that is the whole toolchain.
  • Nothing elseNo degree, no experience, no prior CTF.

Getting help

  • DiscordThe BIC CTF Discord is the fastest way to reach an organizer, and where hints and results get posted.
  • In personAt DEF CON, find us at the BIC Village and just ask. Someone there can help.

Class is in session

Free, open to every attendee, and no experience required. Put the timeline back together. Go Firebirds.

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