[EricH]

Originally Posted by GaryVoshol

The style would indicate "Open Registration Capacity", as the Michigan Championship has "Open Capacity: 0". But 41 regionals could generate as many as 246 qualifiers (3 winners, Chairmans, EI, Rookie). Add 18 from Michigan, plus about 15 or so pre-qualifiers (HoF, 2008 champs, etc) and you're up to an event of nearly 480! FIRST is counting on some teams qualifying from more than one regional, and other qualifiers being pre-paid (part of the 190). I'm sure they base that on past experience.

Or else we're about to see a change in qualification methods... I think you're right, though. For example, 148 has two slots (original and 2008 champion). Then again, FIRST is still showing the 2008 criteria.

Oh, and there are a few more than 15 pre-qualifiers. There are at least 25 (and growing by one each year).

So 246+18+25+190= 479 teams. However, there are these factors:

--Double-qualifying, where a team gets more than one slot.
--Drop-out, where a team qualifies but can't make it.
--Wait-list, used to deal with the above... maybe not this year.