[EricH]

Originally Posted by P.J.

So I just want to clarify, to make sure I understand. So I'll craft a hypothetical situation:

Montana becomes its own region, and it has less than 64 teams. (I have no idea where to look that info up, I'm just assuming) So instead of a state championship, there is a "super regional" held. My team, in Michigan, decided to go to that instead of MSC. Is this allowed? How do the points work? Would we just apply and if we are in the top 64 (just using the same number of teams as MSC for arguments sake) of teams applying to the super regional we get to go to that one? Or is it based on if we qualify for our own state championship and just decide to go to the "super regional"?

I'm just not quite clear on the whole "super regional" concept.

First, I'll just say that Montana, Wyoming, and the Dakotas combined couldn't put together a 24-team elimination field. You'd need to bring in Idaho or Colorado to do that--and Idaho would go PNW. So I'm going to figure an area that includes the 4 states first mentioned as one site for a super regional.

We'll figure that 910 has qualified for MSC by normal processes.

Under what I'm seeing: 910 can attend MSC, or one of 2-3 super regionals scattered around the country, one of which is Center of Nation Super Regional(CNSR) in Rapid City, SD (as a central city to the above-named states). To qualify for CNSR, teams can, in order of precedence:

1. Be in the area that CNSR would be an area championship for, if there were anywhere near enough teams. These teams would have the option to attend district events, but the CNSR would be their only chance at Championship due to lack of an area championship.
2. Qualify for their area championship, but opt to go to CNSR instead. (910's route here.)
3. Teams that qualified for an area championship award (RCA and RAS) but did not have enough points to take their robot to the area championship, can request to play here on the basis of those awards, which would be judged at CNSR. (Or other arrangements could be made--something to be worked on. Also note that this one could be moot depending on whether a district system qualifies the robots as well as the team.)
4. Point comparison of all teams that want to go. Take from the high side until you have a full field.

A field of 40-50 or so many play at the super regional. The CNSR sends up to 12 teams to the Championship, namely 3 winners, 1+ RCA, 1 EI, 1 RAS, fill out the field with the top point-getters under the standard points system--but all teams playing at CNSR start with a clean slate pointwise. You gotta play your best to move on...

Another example would be from one in the Northeast, say New York. In that area, there would be multiple areas covered that have championships. Same qualification system, with the exception of the first point not being used. Same clean slate pointwise. Same number of teams going to the Championship--but a bigger area to cover, most likely.