[EricH]

Originally Posted by Abhishek R

Interesting, that might be why in the official FIRST database for every regional registration list it shows the sponsors under the category labeled name - a remnant from a previous time.

It's not a remnant. Not at all. Some teams STILL have numbers that were once assigned based on sponsor. 330, for example, was team 82 at one point... but that next year, Raytheon took over Hughes, and 330 dropped a couple hundred numbers. The teams in the 170 range were UTC teams. 190s tended to be Xerox. (I believe that that was also the year that rookies started getting numbers based on registration order.)

Let me make one thing clear: Without the sponsors, many teams would not exist. By having the sponsors as part of the team's official name, FIRST is choosing to recognize the sponsors' involvement and partnership with the teams to help inspire the next generation of engineers, teachers, technicians, and other future leaders. Specifically, the partnership. This isn't something to be taken lightly--these companies have made an investment in the future--and specifically, their future.