Re: 2013 Predicted Events Calendar
 

Make of this what you will.

Re: 2013 Predicted Events Calendar
 

There's a MAR conference call tonight - expected to address the district events and championship event. Last I heard the plan was 6 qualifying events (up from 5), and a week 7 championship event due to scheduling issues.

Re: 2013 Predicted Events Calendar
 

Hopefully Midwest and Milwaukee aren't stacked again this year. We missed seeing a bunch of our buddies in Chicago!

Re: 2013 Predicted Events Calendar
 

I think Chesapeake will see a lot of 'normal' antendees turn away if it is a week 7 event; for whatever reason.

Re: 2013 Predicted Events Calendar
 

I found this site:
https://sites.google.com/site/tennesseefirst/
That is counting down the days until 2013 regional. The countdown puts it in week 5.

Re: 2013 Predicted Events Calendar
 

Word on the street says there's going to be a new MI district at Grand Blanc High School in Week 4.

Re: 2013 Predicted Events Calendar
 

Here's what was just shown/discussed at the MAR teleconference. Trying for 6 district events with ~36 teams each depending on rookies and 3rd event registration.

Verified:

Week 1 - Hatboro-Horsham - March 1-3 (FSS)
Week 3 - Springside Chestnut Hill - March 14-16 (TFS)
Week 4 - Lenape - March 22-24 (FSS)
Week 4 - Mount Olive - March 22-24 (FSS)
Week 7 (CMP) - Lehigh University - April 11-13 (TFS)

Tentative/Unverified:

Week 3 - The College of New Jersey - March 14-16 (TFS)
Week 6 - Bridgewater-Raritan - April 5-7 (FSS)

Re: 2013 Predicted Events Calendar
 

This is an awesome tentative schedule. Thanks for the update Scott!

Re: 2013 Predicted Events Calendar
 

I REALLY hope there is an event at TCNJ. Not just because I go there but, they are (from what I found from talking to professors/previously switching majors research) more than extremely interested in FIRST students.

Re: 2013 Predicted Events Calendar
 

With more events hopefully it will be easier for teams that would like to sign up for three to do three events. Does anyone know if there was discussion of this during the meeting?

Re: 2013 Predicted Events Calendar
 

There are no Week 2 MAR District Events...?

Re: 2013 Predicted Events Calendar
 

...or week 5.

Re: 2013 Predicted Events Calendar
 

Easter is on week 5 and the thinking was to avoid this weekend. It also allows teams the week off to attend an outside regional if they desire.

But in truth, the driving factor in making the schedule is more based on when the schools are available. Frank Larkin and his committee has been working very, very hard on this. Thank him when you see him next.

Week 7 championship at Lehigh isn't totally verified yet, but the odds are it will be there.

When a event is listed as FSS or TFS (which are the days of the week - duh) that means the first day is setup day. So a FSS even will have competition on Saturday and Sunday.

Re: 2013 Predicted Events Calendar
 

Using the process of elimination you can determine when the Duluth, MN regionals will most likely happen... This is their schedule for March via this link.

1 - 2 UMD Mens Bulldog Hockey vs. Alabama-Huntsville Bulldogs Hockey 7:07PM
8 - 9 UMD Mens Bulldog Hockey vs. Nebraska-Omaha Bulldogs Hockey 7:07PM
9 Duluth Superior Symphony Orchestra DSSO 7PM
22 - 23 MN Ballet | Firebird MN Ballet 7PM

The first event with UMD vs. Alabama eliminates the first weekend in March, the second events UMD vs. Nebraska and the Symphony Orchestra eliminate the second week. There is nothing scheduled the third weekend and the fourth weekend is taken up by a Ballet. I have also eliminated the fifth weekend as that is when the 10K Lakes and North Star regional typically occur.

I would like to remind everyone that it sounds like Duluth will be turning into a double regional this year exactly like the Minneapolis double regional. One will take place in the DECC arena and the other in the AMSOIL arena (From what I understand).

I realize it has been previously stated that the events will be taking place during week two but I fail to see where two regionals will take place if there are hockey games and an orchestra playing... I could always be wrong though.

It appears to me that the Duluth Regionals will be taking place from March 14th-16th, or week 3.

Re: 2013 Predicted Events Calendar
 

They discussed it for a good amount of time. The cost is $1000 for the 3rd event - there was some talk about reducing the cost but decided to stick with $1000. I think it was partly a FIRST restriction and partly not wanting to use grant funds for anything but MAR CMP / World CMP.

They were definitely talking about more slots being open for 3rd event registration. The range is somewhere between 216 and 240 total slots (36-40 teams per event). 36 teams seemed to be the ideal they were shooting for, but some events are able to support more. We had 99 teams last year, so that eats 198 slots, and then add rookies (they were projecting 8).

The schedule this year might pose a problem, since it's pretty condensed, with only 4 competition weekends. We're still thinking that we want to attend an out of state regional, but it's hard to plan with 3 separate registration periods, and district registration coming first.

The week 7 CMP is one of the few bad parts of the district model, but apparently there wasn't a suitable venue to be found week 6.

It's going to be interesting how FIRST transitions as more regions go to the district model.