Arkansas Regional - Would You Come?

[Meredith Novak]

After being alone in Arkansas for 16 years, we finally have a little company. We have been working very hard to get Arkansas "on the map" with FIRST and the years of struggle seem to have at last gotten some movement. Thanks to the jcpenney grants, we have 2 rookies and are expecting several more next season.

My question to this community: Would any of your teams consider coming to a regional event in Northwest Arkansas, likely at the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville? I realize it would largely depend on the schedule, but nothwithstanding that, might you?

Although we are working to get several rookie teams to compete, we are not interested in hosting a "rookie regional." I would like to feel confident that we can attract enough veteran teams to at least outnumber the rookies by 2 to 1 before I would be willing to go forward with the event.

Let me know if you have any questions. No commitments, just an interest inventory.

Thank you, Meredith

[Jeffy]

We are always looking for a closeby second regional. I'm sure 2410 would consider going.

[Alpha Beta]

We'd be interested. We base our 2nd regional on what week it is in, and how far away it is. We also like to see new places. Fayetteville would be right around 4 hours away from KC. We have not attended Oklahoma City ever or St. Louis recently because they have been inconvinient weeks for us. This year we are headed back to Denver, marking the first time that we have ever been to a regional venue for a 2nd time other than KC.

We also like the opportunity to meet teams who do not normally attend KC. Fayetteville could draw in Dallas and OK City teams that we do not get to meet much.

[GaryVoshol]

Only if Arkansas became the 17th district of Michigan ...

Seriously Meredith, this would be an ideal situation for an outlying district in a combined OK/KS and surrounding areas "confederation" (bigger than just one state) championship, like the Michigan district/championship model. I believe they want you to have about 80 teams included in the championship area.

[DonRotolo]

Probably not, it's past our driving limit. Not that we wouldn't want to though.

[EOC]

1208 would love to come to the Natural State for a regional! Just as long as it is not back to back with the St. Louis Regional.

[James Tonthat]

I think we'd be interested, it's about 9 hr drive from where we are but if the stars line up and it's during our spring break, I think we'd be very interested in attending.

Keep us updated if any details might come up.

[vhcook]

I think we'd give you serious consideration. We skipped OKC and St. Louis this year due to back-to-back scheduling with KC, and you would be in that same nice distance bracket.

There are also a couple of rookies this year in south central Missouri that I would assume might be interested from a pure range perspective.

[Meredith Novak]

We would do whatever possible to make sure it would not conflict or be back-to-back with GKC, OKC, or STL. That is one of the reasons for this thread: to determine the teams who would be interested, so we could avoid the scheduling conficts.

We would also have to avoid a conflict with Midwest as that is the Bomb Squad's "home" regional because of the Baxter sponsorship.

Scheduling is certainly tricky!

[rclothier]

1723 would definitely consider coming, especially if it were later in the season, like week 5. We're going to back to back competitions in KC and St. Louis this year, and we'd rather have an extra week or two in between. Arkansas would be the next closest location for us.

[JTN]

I don't know if I could make it...

[LightWaves1636]

Well Meredith, after talking to the team, if the Arkansas Regional comes round....

...we are so totally fund raising to go!!

[treffk]

Yes, team 1802 would consider it. Our student members are looking to do out of state regionals.

[Matt704]

I think that you might get a some Texas teams there that want to compete in two regionals, but due to TSTA grants being given to a ton of rookie teams in Texas there are not enough openings in Texas to compete in two regionals. Arkansas would give another option to teams.

Our team would probably consider it, were going to Oklahoma this year, but if there was a Arkansas regional we would defiantly talk about going there. As long as it isn't in conflict with the Dallas Regional.

[dodar]

I'd say you would grab some Florida teams too