Exterior image of Las Vegas High School makes it look big but looks can be deceiving. Yes the field could fit in the main gym but the aux gym can only handle 30 pits max (with no room for even a quarter practice field. Additional halls or cafeteria on other side of outside multi-level quad area where you might fit more pits require elements exposed trip across the quad where ramps are...yes it does rain in Vegas (only on event days of course
). Remember, we were told we have to plan to have at least 40 teams to keep the regional (in addition to increased funds).
School pictured is one of almost 20 clones and same as Cimarron-Memorial HS, home of my High Rollers. Believe me we have pitched the idea of the event in our own school. Costs for usage and generators needed add up to venue costs at current Cashman Event Center, many times bigger. All other schools smaller or similar size with same usage constraints. I wonder, by the way, how many out of state teams (like many teams from across the country or ocean who have competed here) would come all this way to compete in a gym? As stated, however, the main concern is difficulties garnering financial support...and there are strong efforts in the works to ensure sufficient funding for the event.
One sad irony of this that FIRST appears comfortable with doing away with an event that has cost them $20-30k yet
netted them at least $160k in mostly all second/third event registrations...