[Marc P.]

I'll start by saying the ideal would be to allow all capable teams to attend, but I also know what a logistical and practical nightmare that would be, 700+ teams gathered in one place. With that in mind, I like the eligability layed out for 2005. It focuses more on the merrits of the current season than that of seasons past. The Chairmans award winners, the original teams, the Engineering Inspiration winners, and the 2004 champions all have earned the honor of attending, so by all means the first invitations go to them. The next level of qualification seems fair, as it places the eligability on performance in that current season, rather than the point system from last year. This makes sure the best alliances from each regional move on to the championship. And of course, with so many remaining slots open, we turn to the tier system. While not perfect, given the task of filtering out 600+ teams, it's only logical to base the tiers on time. The longer you've not attended nationals, the better chance you have of entering. Should the tiers be ranked by regional performance as well, rather than a random lottery?