This will be an interesting shift. 96 teams out of 160 will be in eliminations (with another 32 teams waiting in the wings as potential backups)…this is assuming 8 alliances per field.
Any idea how the divisions will be determined? Random sort? Some sort of placement based off of points? Get ready for all the analyses of the divisions after they’re announced! Should be fun.
Paging FiM Informer!
This means MSC is the size of a district and instead of playing with 100 different teams from around the state and fielding the alliances of the best Michigan can offer we’re now playing a tougher district. You’ll have repeat matches against the same teams in quals and results will likely be predictable. Huge disappointment IMO. Only upside is that scouting is a lot easier now.
Ooops. My bad. I thought you guys were sticking with DC characters.
Out of pure curiosity, will alliances that win their divisions receive medals and banners, similar to champs?
Maybe MSC will be allowed to use CMP playoff rules - for example, pick your own backup, choose your driver stations
It wasn’t something that was discussed (at least not that I was in the room for), not sure if they’ll opt for a Worlds-style sort or if they’ll try to balance the divisions some other way.
I like this idea.
If you’re asking me to analyse divisions once they’re out, to be honest I don’t really have time this year for the usual volume of posts. If you’re asking me how they’re going to sort, IDK. If you’re asking how they should sort, I’d just do it serpentine based on district points. Here’s what that would’ve looked like last year:
A B C D
33 67 2771 2834
1023 3604 3357 85
27 3688 3534 1718
2137 3620 3546 2767
5505 1918 3602 5050
5926 5114 5460 4384
4377 70 494 503
2619 3538 107 3618
2054 3452 3641 4391
123 5448 4216 5980
217 548 2337 6193
5907 5150 4381 3656
1481 74 3536 3655
4362 573 5053 6098
2474 5155 5878 68
6086 4967 3539 1701
5222 1250 2959 3707
1684 6075 3098 4680
2611 3770 858 4003
5084 3668 2612 5502
5166 3234 5167 3767
2586 1025 66 5230
3414 5048 5203 51
5712 3535 2832 308
2851 3542 4376 4392
1188 910 201 6097
1711 4810 4988 5194
4325 3658 5046 2960
469 4453 5567 6190
3617 1596 1506 4130
141 857 904 2620
1189 226 5843 5238
3322 703 2405 5710
6128 5610 862 6121
2604 4835 4956 5509
94 6085 6013 6002
245 4395 5162 5462
1076 302 3667 5534
5901 2075 4409 4776
3773 280 5675 5661
For comparison, I’ll do a stupid sort, let’s say based on team number. That would’ve looked like this:
A B C D
67 33 2771 3357
2834 2767 3604 1023
85 3620 3534 1718
27 3602 70 2137
3688 5050 503 4377
3546 4384 107 2619
5505 5460 3641 4216
1918 5926 4391 123
5114 494 5980 548
3618 3538 217 74
5448 2054 5053 3655
2337 3452 2474 6098
3656 5150 5155 4680
4381 1481 5878 3770
5907 4362 3539 858
3536 68 2959 5502
573 1701 2612 3668
6086 4967 3767 5084
1250 5222 5230 66
3098 3707 51 2586
1684 6075 4376 5203
5166 2611 6097 308
1025 4003 910 2832
3414 3234 1188 3535
5048 5167 1711 3542
5712 2851 4988 4392
4325 201 5194 2960
469 4810 4453 5046
141 3658 4130 5567
2620 904 1506 1596
862 5843 857 3617
5610 703 3322 5238
2604 2405 5462 226
4956 5509 5534 1189
6013 94 3667 5710
245 1076 302 4835
4395 4409 2075 6002
4776 5661 5675 6085
3773 280 4819 5162
5217 6090 6081 5901
The first set of divisions looked decently even to me. The second one is a bit off. Divisions A and B are stronger, but if those were the divisions, I don’t think many would complain (except Jim).
In general, this exercise made me less excited about having 4 divisions. If you look at the divisions above, I feel like they’ll be similar to some districts where you’re just waiting for the one or two inevitable powerhouse alliances to duke it out. But then, #16 beat #1 last year, so who knows.
What I’m curious about is whether this will change the schedule at all. I know for at least the last year or two matches had to start on Thursday to fit them all in. Since there are four independent fields of 40 teams each it would theoretically mean all matches should fit on Friday/Saturday, like a normal district, leaving Thursday as a pure practice day. This may be easier on volunteers who would need to take less time off of work. But matches on Thursday would allow for longer cycle times. So I wonder which way it’ll go.
Or more matches!
I would think you’d want to get the 12 matches (hopefully 12) in on Thursday/Friday; leaving Saturday for playoffs. There will have to be a break between the division championships and the playoff for the state championship, and I’m sure everyone is tired of not leaving the venue before midnight…
I’m putting my bets in for Divisions Ford, Buick, Kellogg and Wright.
I haven’t been to MSC of years previous, but after being completely tired out from several days of competition, sitting through hours of playoffs and awards without being involved in either was pain, especially being a driver on the way back, post-midnight, on a 2-hour trip. Not sure how Worlds compares though 
I was referring to your excellent analysis each year, but this is also a very good consideration of the actual division split. I think the serpentine draft would work well. I look forward to any and all posts you are able to do this year!
Looks like they named the divisions.
Dow
Consumers Energy
DTE Energy Foundation
Ford
Not exactly earth shaking but better than AAA, BBB, CCC and DDD.
Any word on what the event schedule is looking like? I can’t seem to find it on FiM’s website and we’re just about two weeks out from the event.
Where can this information be found? Not from Michigan but I have been following the teams and am excited for this event.
Don’t know about division names, but this press release suggests that pits and practice fields will be in the field house (football field) with the competition fields in the O’Neill Arena.