My team was hoping to start another FRC team this year and we wanted to hopefully get a number that would align with our team’s number, by my predictions that number should be coming into play that season and I wanted to know if there was any technique people used to get specific team numbers. I know this may be unheard of but one of the teams in my region the Zebracorns who’s team number is 900 registered a new team, Zebracakes, who’s team number is 9000, I highly doubt this is some massive coincidence so I just wanted to know if there’s a technique to achieving this.
You may have trouble getting the number you want depending on how you start the new team. IIRC, 2468 initially announced that their second team, Team Apprentice, would be assigned number 8000 before registration even opened, but they ended up with 2687 (a new number from the 2008 block) after the new team ended up not qualifying as a rookie team.
Basically
you could technically be able to time it so that someone registers a team with the number right before the number you want, and then rush in to register the team you want but it would be ridiculously tricky
To ask adjacent to OP. Determining when/how a team is formed is a little confusing. When does a new team get a number? Is it when they register or when they pay for the first regional? Also, if they are rookies initially if the next school year starts before comp can the team lose rookie status if more students/mentors join?
When they register, they get a temporary number. 2024XXXXX or something like that for next year.
When they pay they get their permanent number in order of payment.
As far as losing rookie status… It has happened. It’s not common. Work with HQ on that one.
I’m not sure about how team 9000 got their number, but I do know of at least one rookie team that was able to request a specific number: team 8393 (BrainSTEM, from Western PA). BrainSTEM has competed in FTC for many years under the team number 8393, and they’ve consistently been world-class. They decided to start competing in FRC in addition to FTC beginning in the current 2023 season.
Team number 8393 had already been assigned to a rookie FRC team from Onstead High in Michigan in 2020, as can be seen here: FRC Event Web : Team 8393 (2020). This original FRC team 8393 folded after the 2021 season.
I’m don’t know how the logistics worked with FIRST, but BrainSTEM was somehow able to request 8393 as their number for their new FRC team. You can see here: FRC Event Web : Team 8393 (2023) that BrainSTEM is now competing under this number as a rookie team.
Again, not sure how the logistics of requesting a number like this work; I just wanted to show OP that there is precedent for successfully asking for a specific team number as a rookie team.
I know that several years ago, FIRST wanted to promote the whole “FIRST team XXXX” thing and not “FRC Team XXXX” and had a system where if you were registering an FTC team, you could get your FRC number. It’s what happened with my Alum Team, CircuitRunners Robotics and our FRC team, and our first FTC team, both with number 1002. The FTC team was originally assigned a number in the 200s, but it was reassigned to 1002 with the number matching system.
I have known Marshall for several years now. His wife, too. Quality people.
That said:
I don’t think sad puppy eyes are a direction in which their faces can contort.
900 is known as much for their meme game as their technical accomplishments. Do you really think that if they were going to pull a stunt they wouldn’t aim for 9001 to get the obvious, all-timer meme?
Several dozen phone calls
A substantial amount of money changing hands
At least three carrier pigeons
A high stakes poker game with several recognizable figures
One meticulously planned heist
Madrid?
Oh and maybe some robots too.
Truly it is amazing what 900 gets up to in the offseason.
As an aside, it’s also impressive that HQ has continued as long as they have with team-hostile numbering practices.
I was told with Colin being a fellow Midwesterner, it’s now Euchre. I’ve been trying to find Texans to play with me so I can build my skills back up to secure team 9414, pair o’ deaux.
And instead of carrier pigeons, there’s a corn eat off. Been putting corn on a cob in a drill.
Assuming 418 makes it to district championship, I can fill in as your partner. I am sure we can get @EricLeifermann and @Orion.DeYoe from 3005 to play too.
Just remember to never turn down a bower as it is bad luck for at least an hour.
