[Rick]

http://www.usfirst.org/aboutus/2017-first-championship-announcement

For the Houston Championship, Opening Ceremonies will be held in the Toyota Center, home of the Houston Rockets. Competition matches for all programs will be held in the George R. Brown Convention Center, followed by Closing Ceremonies in Minute Maid Park, home of the Houston Astros, which has a retractable roof.

For the Detroit Championship, Opening and Closing Ceremonies will be held in Ford Field, an enclosed domed stadium, which is home to the Detroit Lions. Competition matches for all programs will be held in Cobo Center...

Remember playing in the pits in 2011? That will be the norm in these new cities. Playing in the pits is not inspiring...

The walking distance between the convention center and dome in Detroit is 18 minutes. So matches in the dome are out of the question. Part of the experience for me is watching teams play in a professional stadium. Nearly every single person involved with FIRST would never step foot on a football field with thousands cheering them on. This is a big let down for me and my team.