[Alex2614]

The only problem with a two-tiered system is the team logistics. Many teams are just flat broke after getting all the way to champs. Many school districts limit the number of days students can miss for a single activity (our school board just did this this year).

This is why I like the World Festival/World Championship model. FLL does this quite nicely, actually. Qualification requirements for the World Festival (Or US Open, whatever you want to call it) are the same as you mentioned, but instead of then sending them onto a DIFFERENT championship, they're just done for the season.

I actually like THIS version of two championships better than the current one-championship model. This ensures more teams can go, but you still have one real world championship. The experience of going to the US Open isn't really any less than the world championship, just the value and the wight of the awards might be within FIRST. But sponsors will still love it, they won't care if it is the World Festival/US Open or the World Championship. So, more teams can get hardware, you've settled the geographic separation dilemma (each event will still feature teams from all over), and you make those that care about having one "true" world championship happy. It's like a win-win-win-win.