New FIRST competition structure in Michigan

[Travis Hoffman]

Originally Posted by Jim Zondag

To comment on finances:

Many of the details of the financing of this project are not open for public discussion but I can tell you this:

A: The rest of FRC is NOT subsidising Michigan. The money we have from our sponsors and our teams will easily fund all of the Michigan Events in 2009.

Is it true, then, that team fees from Michigan teams in 2009 will go directly toward paying for Michigan events? If true, does that diverge from what I understand is the "norm" (and correct me if I am wrong) - that FRC team event fees do not directly support regionals, that instead they are used to pay for FIRST HQ "overhead"?

And if it is true that next year, Michigan team fees will be diverted toward the funding of Michigan team events, and given that there are well over a hundred Michigan FRC teams, would that not reduce by quite a bit the amount of money flowing to FIRST from Michigan to fund FIRST's "overhead"?

If all that I have asked to this point is true, then the last question I have is, will other FRC teams be asked/required to make up the difference via increased event fees, or will FIRST absorb this loss of "overhead" income such that other FRC teams aren't affected financially?

Just the facts, man. I'm just looking for the facts. If any or all of what I ask above is not the case, I gladly ask that someone who has definitive knowledge of the reality of this new system please communicate it to those of us who are not yet enlightened.