RPI regional

[Kevin Leonard]

Well this is gonna be awesome!
Nice to finally have an event where travel time is less than three hours!
Hopefully this will raise interest in the community and support the growth of FRC in more of our local schools.
Looking forward to it!

[Koko Ed]

Depending on what date the event is and FLR date is it would make a nice second regional for teams in Western New York!

[JackS]

Originally Posted by Koko Ed

Depending on what date the event is and FLR date is it would make a nice second regional for teams in Western New York!

I wouldn't be surprised to see these events in back to back weeks. Last I heard FLR was switching to week 3 because RIT is changing its spring break week and RPI's spring break is week 2.

While this regional is great news for Capital District teams, not being able to compete in 2 districts in NE is still a nuisance for us budget wise.

[ThunderousPrime]

Originally Posted by Koko Ed

Depending on what date the event is and FLR date is it would make a nice second regional for teams in Western New York!

I was thinking the same thing! It gives Western NY teams another nice regional to consider attending. Also, are the X-Cats thinking about attending multiple regionals next year?

[Koko Ed]

Originally Posted by ThunderousPrime

I was thinking the same thing! It gives Western NY teams another nice regional to consider attending. Also, are the X-Cats thinking about attending multiple regionals next year?

We'd love to but as of right now we don't have enough money to go to the championsips so we need to get busy raising a whole lotta money.

[Chris is me]

Some details from a recent e-mail blast:

• Show Ready says that RPI's ECAV as well as Robinson Gym (the Armory) are suitable venues for a 40 team max event. In addition, nearby Hudson Valley CC is also a suitable venue. Exact location should be decided soon.
• The regional is currently named the Tech Valley Regional.
• The event is expected to host 35-40 teams. With about a dozen local teams, there is PLENTY of room for Western NY, MAR, and NE FIRST teams.

I haven't heard anything official about this but I believe every attempt is being made to ensure this regional does not fall on the same week as Finger Lakes. As it is the only "local" "option" for Albany area teams, it's all but certain that many of us will attend it next year. So we end up on the road for about the same number of hours next year - it's just that they are all at once and we probably can't get away with leaving for a regional on Thursday morning anymore.

[Kims Robot]

Originally Posted by JackS

I wouldn't be surprised to see these events in back to back weeks. Last I heard FLR was switching to week 3 because RIT is changing its spring break week and RPI's spring break is week 2.

From this document (just a google search), RIT's 2014 Spring Break is March 24-28, which actually makes it a week 4 or week 5 event. If I remember right, they traditionally go at the end of spring break so that they can do the traditional Thurs/Fri/Sat event... which could make it a week 5 event. Quite a change from their traditional Week 1/2 event!

Hoping to make it out to check out the Albany Regional, but it's definitely going to depend on NE's final District Event schedule... Glad to see some momentum towards an Albany event!

[Joe Ross]

Originally Posted by Kims Robot

From this document (just a google search), RIT's 2014 Spring Break is March 24-28, which actually makes it a week 4 or week 5 event. If I remember right, they traditionally go at the end of spring break so that they can do the traditional Thurs/Fri/Sat event... which could make it a week 5 event. Quite a change from their traditional Week 1/2 event!

RIT is switching from a quarter system to semester, so the later spring break is likely to stay.

[Banderoonies]

Please post when you know the date. The New England teams are moving to the district model next year but depending on dates some might be interested in still traveling to a Regional...who knows

[KrazyCarl92]

Originally Posted by Chris is me

• The event is expected to host 35-40 teams. With about a dozen local teams, there is PLENTY of room for Western NY, MAR, and NE FIRST teams.

How about our friends to the north? They're certainly welcome as well!

[JamesBrown]

Originally Posted by Chris is me

Some details from a recent e-mail blast:
[*]Show Ready says that RPI's ECAV as well as Robinson Gym (the Armory) are suitable venues for a 40 team max event. In addition, nearby Hudson Valley CC is also a suitable venue. Exact location should be decided soon.

Just curious, what email blast did this come from? I would hate to go to a regional at the Armory or ECAV. ECAV would be much more crowded than WPI and the Armory seating would be terrible, parkin will stink (and it leaks in bad weather). The HFH would have pit space but not much seating, it is half the size of the Verizon center and had 2500 less seats than the Agganis arena. The only place in the capital region I would think could host a good regional would be the TUC (Pepsi Arena? I don't know what it is called anymore)

[KrazyCarl92]

Originally Posted by JamesBrown

Just curious, what email blast did this come from? I would hate to go to a regional at the Armory or ECAV. ECAV would be much more crowded than WPI and the Armory seating would be terrible, parkin will stink (and it leaks in bad weather). The HFH would have pit space but not much seating, it is half the size of the Verizon center and had 2500 less seats than the Agganis arena. The only place in the capital region I would think could host a good regional would be the TUC (Pepsi Arena? I don't know what it is called anymore)

ECAV would definitely outclass WPI for seating from 2010-2012. Parking for ECAV is the same as HFH. The Verizon Center uses like 1/5th of its seats at best for GSR. TUC would be nice, but it is a tough venue to book. Also folks haven't mentioned the Glens Falls Civic Center, but that is a reasonable size venue for an FRC event and about an hour north of Albany.

Regardless, the venues as discussed in this thread are the ones that are seriously being considered as far as I know. Hopefully we will have more details to share in the near future.

[Chris is me]

Originally Posted by JamesBrown

Just curious, what email blast did this come from? I would hate to go to a regional at the Armory or ECAV. ECAV would be much more crowded than WPI and the Armory seating would be terrible, parkin will stink (and it leaks in bad weather). The HFH would have pit space but not much seating, it is half the size of the Verizon center and had 2500 less seats than the Agganis arena. The only place in the capital region I would think could host a good regional would be the TUC (Pepsi Arena? I don't know what it is called anymore)

I got the info from a forwarded message from our RD.

ECAV is bigger and has more seating than the pre-2013 WPI Regional, with plenty of parking even if you have to walk around HFH.

I would guess the Armory works with supplemental bleachers and a slightly scattered pit area. I don't think it's ideal, but it would probably work for a smaller event.The Armory has some parking, particularly during break when the regional would probably be if hosted at RPI (around march 15th / week 3).

The Houston Field House is more than big enough for a regional this size, with plenty of seating as long as the field is parallel to the long side of the ice rink. However, it's hockey playoffs, so the field house probably isn't available.

Hudson Valley also has a reasonable arena, with a decent amount of parking and accessibility.

[seg9585]

Originally Posted by Chris is me

The Houston Field House is more than big enough for a regional this size, with plenty of seating as long as the field is parallel to the long side of the ice rink. However, it's hockey playoffs, so the field house probably isn't available.

Well if it's hockey playoffs, then the Houston Fieldhouse should definitely be available then!

Kidding, kidding -- haven't followed the team in awhile. Go Red! And Clarkson still sucks...

[Kims Robot]

Originally Posted by seg9585

And Clarkson still sucks...

Oh don't start that now.... At least Clarkson has a FIRST team!!!

And I'm pretty sure the saying goes RPI sucks and SLU... well we just won't talk about it...

[Though I will admit it unfortunately does look like RPI has done better than Clarkson in the last couple of years...]