[PayneTrain]

Man, I was thinking people would be knee deep in CMP talk instead of already jumping onto this ship. I need to put a rush on the paper I have been working on theorizing a post-2013 FIRST world.

I can foresee that after the FRC CMP contract in St. Louis runs out in 2013, there will be a big shake up in the way a lot of teams play FRC. I was talking to many members of the regional planning board in VA to see if they were considering it. Judging by FiM and MAR timelines the talks came 2 years before the implementation, so I'm calling 2014. In fact, some were calling out towns where the events would be held in addition to the Capital Championship ending at VCU (how can it NOT?).

It's not team dense in square miles, but the majority of teams are right on or around I-95 metro areas, which puts them minutes to a couple hours away from any regional in existence. I drove across Michigan this weekend... that place is HUGE, but the team concentration is obviously Greater Oakland.

I can see Texas and California and north midwest states being apprehensive because of the distances one must travel... I would hope FIRST would put in any sort of plan in the style of what I am working on. A comprehensive, controlled shifting to the district system across the contiguous US, with provisions for international/HI/AK teams.