Championship Location Rumor

[Kit Gerhart]

Originally posted by Kevin Sevcik
I just did a search on Travelocity. The cheapest roundtrip flight from Richmond to Orlando at around the right time was 207. The cheapest to Houston was 277. I'd think that extra 70 would be offset by the cheaper hotel rates you're bound to get in Houston. Plus, while airfare might be a little more expensive for the Eastern teams, it will be that much cheaper for the Western teams.

The price of air fares, to a significant extent, depends as much on the nature of the place you are going as to how far it is. It is highly likely that it would be cheaper to fly to Orlando than Houston from many west coast airports, just as it is cheaper to fly from Indianapolis to Las Vegas than to many places closer. Since Orlando and Las Vegas are kind of "tourism capitals of the US," there are a lot of cheap flights to these places from about anywhere in the world.

Still, as many people have pointed out, the total cost of a non-Disney championships is likely to be less because we probably won't be buying such expensive meals and largely unused park passes. I guess we'll find out when we get to the new location how much we actually spend on food and off-time entertainment.

[Raul]

Originally posted by Gary Dillard
OK - our rumor source that said Houston also said it will be April 10-12, the week after the last regionals. Has anybody else heard this?

My info also pointed to the second weekend in April.

[Kevin Sevcik]

Nope I did a search on flying from LAX to houston and orlando, and houston was cheaper. As for travel times from airports to the astrodome area... Bush is around 45 minutes away. Hobby is probably 10-15, since it's on the southside of town to begin with. This is, of course, assuming non-rush hour traffic.

Originally posted by Shana


It depends on what airport you fly into. There are two in Houston, they consider 3, major airports there. Bush and Hobby are the better known. You probably flew into Hobby because it is only supposed to be 7 miles from the central business district of Houston.

Nope, it was Bush, I found my old boarding pass today while cleaning...

[Cory]

I seriously doubt that nats will be one week after the last regional. what about the even teams that qualify during that regional and want to attend? There is no way they can make arrangements in one week. Airfare would be like 1,000 dollars per person alone, plus you have to factor in hotel reservations and all that. I just think FIRST will do that.

[Ken Leung]

Originally posted by Melancholy
Will they hold Nationals during AP exams, SAT, ACT, or Easter weekend?

Starting the weekend after the last regional...

April 10-12 : ACT Test
April 17-19 : Easter weekend
April 24-26 : nothing that I can think of...
May 1-3 : SAT Test
May 8-10 : AP exams
May 15-17 : AP exams

April 24~26 looks like a great weekend to do it without much interferring with much of anything important for students. That's around when Nats was held this year. But if rumor says the 10th, then I guess that's when its going to be.

Not too many students take ACT test, right? Besides, they can always take it a little bit later at the beginning of senior year .

[Jeff Waegelin]

Originally posted by Ken L

Not too many students take ACT test, right? Besides, they can always take it a little bit later at the beginning of senior year .

Plus, the ACT and the SAT are both offered about 8 times througout the year. It shouldn't matter, since you could always take them a month earlier or later.

[dixonij]

PLEASE LET IT BE OVER APRIL 24-26!!! My birthday is April 25. that would be fun to be at Nats on my birthday!!! (BRING PRESENTS!!!)

[Jack]

Originally posted by dixonij
PLEASE LET IT BE OVER APRIL 24-26!!! My birthday is April 25. that would be fun to be at Nats on my birthday!!! (BRING PRESENTS!!!)

That would be way cool. And, if you won, i think that it would be the best b-day present ever!

[dixonij]

ooooohhhh... never thought of that... AWESOME!!! YOU WILL LET 87 WIN SO I CAN HAVE THAT AS A BIRTHDAY PRESENT. (OR ELSE I WILL SIC DIABLO ON YOU)

[Mike Rush]

I got "inside sources say that it will be in Houston at Reliant Center - April 10-12" from a non-inside source but it is reliable....

Take it for what it is worth.....

[RebAl]

On a scale from 0 to heard it from Dean, how sure are you guys with "inside sources" about TX?

[Mike Rush]

0 being absolute certainity and 10 being I threw a dart at a map, I would say that it is a 1. Put it this way, confirmation came by a complete accident, from a source completely outside the FIRST community, but someone who would know where teams would be "laying thier heads".......

But, remember this is the Rumor Mill so I make no warranty either expressed, nor implied.....


(pssst... It's still a 1... ssshhhhh......)

I just checked the FIRST 2003 Competition page, and the site is down and being updated....are they announcing it or could this just be maintenence??


*sits and waits patiently*

[Brandon Martus]

Originally posted by D.J. Fluck
*sits and waits patiently*

It was like that at 1:00 AM EST also.