[generalbrando]

Wow. I really like this solution. It makes a lot of sense. However, I feel shot down. All us even teams (my former 1020 and my current 246 for instance) had the conviction that they would have a free ride to the big event, like Jeremy pointed out. I can't help but feel left out, but at least I know that we'll get there in a few years if we don't qualify somehow else.

I can't help but wonder though... Is this a real long term solution? This year's rookie teams will flood in and when they reach the top tier, along with other teams that haven't been in a long time, there will be too many teams and not enough spots for them. Of course, they can just hold them off and have a small group of left out 7th or 8th tier teams that will get peference the next year. However, that fills up a few more spaces making an echo in the system, causing a 9th and 10th and so on. I like this idea, don't get me wrong. But I can't help worrying about the road ahead. Will we be on CD in a 4 or 5 years creating a swarm of discussion about how the system needs to be revised again?

As for the teams that haven't been yet, I'd assume that they just count up years of participation, right? Makes sense to me, but we'll have to have them clarify this for us.