Split Champs assignment

[mwmac]

Originally Posted by mwmac

Just for fun, I tried a rough cut of geographic assignments based on 2015 FRC registration numbers. The goal was to create an approximately even split of teams while trying to cluster around the two venues. 2908 FRC teams registered last year. Selecting the Dakotas, NE, MO, TN and NC and all states south and west of them, (and including AK, HI, western Canada and Mexico, Israel, Brazil, Australia, Germany, Turkey and China yields roughly 1320 +or- teams that could be assigned to the Houston venue or about 140 shy of an even split between venues.

I do not envy this committee or the task they will confront. Whatever their recommendation, it is likely to leave many dissatisfied. That said, I wish them well in their deliberations...

Looks like I guessed pretty close to how the split would go...in September!
Disappointed that HQ/BoD still have not come to grips with the opt out mechanism.

[Monochron]

Really disappointed that NC got assigned to Houston. The trip to Houston is around 200 miles further than to St. Louis and 400 miles further than to Detroit. We will be looking at significantly high bus/flight costs (not to mention possibly needing a third driver if bussing) as well as increased travel time.
I understand the need to balance the teams, but an additional 400 miles (or more from other places) is a massive burden to put on teams looking to grow.

[mwmac]

"However, to maintain balance between the two events, not every team who asks may be able to move to their “non-home” Championship. Specifically, FIRST may limit the quantity of teams allowed to change from one event to the other for various reasons."

I am willing to bet that the terms "balance" and "various reasons" will effectively bar e.g. 1114, 2056, 33, 67 from opting to go south in the same year (or 254, 1678, 118, 148) regardless of when each team initiates the opt out mechanism. Subjective granting of opt out requests will rule....

Was hoping for much better.

[Billfred]

Originally Posted by Chief Hedgehog

They do include this paragraph on the Website:

"As noted above, our primary goal is to ensure teams have the ability to attend their “home” Championship, which in most cases will be closer to where they live than their non-home Championship, thereby hopefully minimizing travel costs and transit time. However, we recognize that some teams may desire to attend their non-home Championship for a variety of reasons. Hence, we are working to finalize a mechanism whereby FRC teams can elect to attend their non-home Championship. However, to maintain balance between the two events, not every team who asks may be able to move to their “non-home” Championship. Specifically, FIRST may limit the quantity of teams allowed to change from one event to the other for various reasons. As noted above, details on this program are still being worked out and will be communicated at a future date. Due to the processes by which FTC, FLL and FLL Jr. teams qualify for Championship, those Programs will require teams to attend their home Championship."

My hope is that they take the simplest solution here:

STEP 1: Team that wants to jump pays their registration for their home Championship.
STEP 2: They email FIRST (or select in TIMS, or whatever) to indicate they want to switch. They go on a first-come-first-served list. They know where they are in the list, and there's a button to give up their place on the list.
STEP 3: They wait for a team to perform Step 2 going in the other direction.
STEP 4: They're switched.

[Tim Sharp]

I'm interested in how the logistics of filling the CMP slots will work. I hadn't considered the fact that teams competing at the same regional/district event could earn spots at different championship events.
The possibility exists that one event could fill up faster than the other, resulting in a large difference in the # of wait list slots available in one event over the other,

[AndrewPospeshil]

Ability to attend your “non-home” FIRST Championship
As noted above, our primary goal is to ensure teams have the ability to attend their “home” Championship, which in most cases will be closer to where they live than their non-home Championship, thereby hopefully minimizing travel costs and transit time. However, we recognize that some teams may desire to attend their non-home Championship for a variety of reasons. Hence, we are working to finalize a mechanism whereby FRC teams can elect to attend their non-home Championship. However, to maintain balance between the two events, not every team who asks may be able to move to their “non-home” Championship. Specifically, FIRST may limit the quantity of teams allowed to change from one event to the other for various reasons. As noted above, details on this program are still being worked out and will be communicated at a future date. Due to the processes by which FTC, FLL and FLL Jr. teams qualify for Championship, those Programs will require teams to attend their home Championship.

I read this as "No, not every powerhouse team is going to go to the same Championship." Which, while a bummer, is probably for the best.

I'll probably be looking at a list of the Houston teams and crying softly to myself for the rest of the day.

[TDav540]

Originally Posted by AndrewPospeshil

I read this as "No, not every powerhouse team is going to go to the same Championship." Which, while a bummer, is probably for the best.

I'll probably be looking at a list of the Houston teams and crying softly to myself for the rest of the day.

That's what I read into this too. As much as it could be super simple, they're probably going to make an overly complicated system to make sure the events are approximately balanced.

We're set to go to Houston, but I'm pretty excited for it. The event might not be as strong (or at least, that's what it seems like most people think), but it has almost every major international area, in addition to teams from both coasts of the US. That's going to be fun.

[Pauline Tasci]

Guess we will be in Houston, missing our East Coast, Canadian, and some International buddies.
I know I say this a lot,
but man FIRST really $@#$@#$@#$@#ed up with this call.

[Hallry]

So when's the next time you'll see your alliance partners from last week ever again?

[Ruaridh]

Originally Posted by paunatime

Guess we will be in Houston, missing our East Coast, Canadian, and some International buddies.
I know I say this a lot,
but man FIRST really $@#$@#$@#$@#ed up with this call.

Well, you do have all the Alberta teams....which is a real shame because it means we don't get to compete with all of our Canadian friends

[FrankJ]

Originally Posted by AndrewPospeshil

I read this as "No, not every powerhouse team is going to go to the same Championship." Which, while a bummer, is probably for the best.

It will be interesting to see if the option to change championships will weigh "Power Factor" or HOF status. Maybe only teams with OPR in a certain range will be allowed to switch?

[Lil' Lavery]

Naturally, I'm quite bummed we won't get to see many of the new Californian and PNW buddies we made while attending Championship this year. A lot of our pit neighbors are falling on the other side of the split, and that's a real downer. Getting to be in an aisle with so many top notch teams from the west was really awesome.

Selfishly, I'm pleased we have the later dates of Championship (and we get to hopefully return to STL next year).

On the other hand, knowing how much our students were impressed (and hopefully inspired) by the Championship experience, I'm hoping that FIRST's desired change comes to fruition. I'm hoping more teams will be able to experience Championship at a reasonable cost, and that both events will maintain the same level of inspiration at the singular event has achieved.

[guniv]

The Kentucky - Tennessee split is interesting; if there's a move to districts around here soon, it was assumed it would be TN- KY because of KY's small number of teams.

[jimv]

Interesting that the assignments change between the years. I hope that FIRST will use this new opportunity to put championships in spots that previously would have made travel hard for half the world.


Edit: Now I understand why it switched: It's in Detroit in 2018, not St.Louis. So not very exceptional at all. But I still hope for my second point.

[Chief Hedgehog]

Kind of bummed we miss out on the Cali and Texas teams.