Midwest Regional Changing Venues?

I heard a rumor yesterday that the Midwest Regional is going somewhere else next year after spending the last 5 years at the Welsh-Ryan Stadium on the campus of Northwestern University? I guess the reasoning is that they couldn't get the venue booked on time and its full for the entire month of march. Can anyone else confirm this? Also if this is true, where are they going to hold it?

[Katie Reynolds]

Originally Posted by D.J. Fluck

I heard a rumor yesterday that the Midwest Regional is going somewhere else next year after spending the last 5 years at the Welsh-Ryan Stadium on the campus of Northwestern University? I guess the reasoning is that they couldn't get the venue booked on time and its full for the entire month of march. Can anyone else confirm this? Also if this is true, where are they going to hold it?

Windy City Fieldhouse?

[UlTiMaTeP]

Well, typically its not hard to get the Venue, colleges let FIRST use there stadium's for publicity of their engineering schools, and the fact that its always during the schools Spring Break, so they basically never need the Venue.

[Elyse Holguin]

i heard this too, and from what i heard, there are a good number of places in the city that they're looking at. i think FIRST is kind of outgrowning northwestern, but i'll def. miss eating at prairie joes

actually, i'd be very happy if it moved to a venue in the city. there would be more things to do for teams that spend the night after the competition.

[Amanda Morrison]

I believe the issue is more complicated than most of the reasons listed above.

If there are concerns, you should probably confirm rumors with Susan Lawrence, Regional Director, at sklsumgrad[at]comcast.net , or speak with members of the Midwest Regional Committee.

[Ricky Q.]

We can just move it to my house, its in the Midwest as well. We also have lots of open fields in Oconomowoc...

[Matt Leese]

Originally Posted by UlTiMaTeP

Well, typically its not hard to get the Venue, colleges let FIRST use there stadium's for publicity of their engineering schools, and the fact that its always during the schools Spring Break, so they basically never need the Venue.

It's not quite that simple. Not all schools donate the use of their facility. Some charge for use. Even among schools that are willing to donate or discount the use of their facility, there are often hangups with other events taking precedence (the NCAA tournament can be a problem). Also, schools like to hold a regional over their Spring Break. Unfortunately, most schools have the exact same Spring Break which makes it hard for FIRST to schedule the regional (not all the regionals can happen on the same weekend).

Matt

[JVN]

Originally Posted by D.J. Fluck

I heard a rumor yesterday that the Midwest Regional is going somewhere else next year after spending the last 5 years at the Welsh-Ryan Stadium on the campus of Northwestern University? I guess the reasoning is that they couldn't get the venue booked on time and its full for the entire month of march. Can anyone else confirm this? Also if this is true, where are they going to hold it?

DJ,
I'm not sure where you heard this rumor.
I'm also not sure why you would go public on CD with this rumor.

Honestly, this seems a tad irresponsible.
What exactly were you thinking?

John

[Andy Grady]

Originally Posted by JVN

DJ,
I'm not sure where you heard this rumor.
I'm also not sure why you would go public on CD with this rumor.

Honestly, this seems a tad irresponsible.
What exactly were you thinking?

John

With all due respect John....kinda defeats the purpose of a rumor mill, doesn't it? I think its grounds for good discussion...at least among the midwesterners.

-Andy Grady

Originally Posted by Andy Grady

With all due respect John....kinda defeats the purpose of a rumor mill, doesn't it? I think its grounds for good discussion...at least among the midwesterners.

-Andy Grady

I agree with Andy, thats what this forum is for. If FIRST doesn't want it discussed, have someone from that regional committee come and tell Brandon to shut it down, otherwise I don't see a problem here.


It still comes as a shock to me that they would be leaving after spending 5 years at the same place. So if this rumor is true, what is the reasoning behind it? I mean it could be something as minor as the school needed the venue and the committee couldn't get it booked...

I have no idea, thats all I know, it's just kinda odd that they'd leave after 5 years in the same building...

[suneel112]

Yeah if the rumor is true that would really stink. After three years I know that stadium...
Anyways another venue idea.
FIRST could rent a Lake Michigan crusie ship and we'll have it on the ship, in the middle of lake michigan. Or maybe that's a better nationals idea.

[Kevin Kolodziej]

Hmm...maybe this is the excuse we need to get a regional at the US Cellular Arena in Milwaukee - great location, great size, parking could get ugly, but only if there is something going on at the Bradley Center (Bucks game...).

That, or maybe the UIC Pavillion.

Either way, it'll be interesting to see if this is legit or not, and if so, where it goes. Perhaps with the regional at Purdue, Moving the Midwest Regional to Milwaukee would not be such a bad move. With Motorola's sponsorship dwindling, wonderful sponsors in the Milwaukee area that could possibly be persuaded, and the number of teams that pack into those pits at Welsh-Ryan, it actually seems like a really GOOD idea.

Teams that go to Midwest from the north and west of Chicago could go to the Milwaukee regional...Indiana and Michigan teams could go to West Lafayette...and all of the above can still go to the other regionals they used to go to as well. Or they can go to both really close regionals.

Time will tell.

Just remember that this IS indeed a rumor mill - this IS the place for rumors. In this forum, speculation like mine can be accepted OR rejected with good, clean, discussion. Nothing that I have said is fact nor do I have any insight into any of it coming true. Do not view this post as an additional set of rumors, just a decent analysis of the situation.

Kev