People, 2003 being my first year in FIRST, I don’t know much about the past history.
I was looking at the book about the 2002 and the 2003 games, and noticed that the earlier team numbers do not go in order by the rookie years, like I thought they would/should.
Like, for instance…
Team 1’s rookie year is '97
Team 45’s rookie year is '92 and
Team 21’s rookie year is '98.
What gives? In the past, did FIRST let you choose your own team number up to a certain digit? Is my theory correct? Is this all a huge error that desperately needs to be corrected?
In FIRST’s early days team numbers changed from year to year. Also, sometimes when a team changed sponsers, they changed team numbers. I don’t know which year FIRST changed to permanent numbers, or what rule they used to determine who got which number, but that is the basic answer to your question.
Stephen
PS. I’ve only been in FIRST for 3 years, so I am relating this information based on stories I’ve heard. Perhaps someone more steeped in FIRST lore can fill us in with details?
*Originally posted by robot180 *
**I heard that there were 800 teams this year. The team numbers are up in the thousands. **
Note: many teams have dropped out over the year and they never gave rookies team the old numbers that aren’t in use anymore.
Back in 1998 FIRST renumbered and grouped their teams by sponsors, alphabetically I believe
in 1998 Team 1 was sponsored by 3-Dimensional systems(?) (I think thats the name of that company)
21 is sponsored by Boeing I believe
Teams 44-49 (in 98 were all Delphi teams)
Now only 45 (Technokats), 47 (Chief Delphi) and 48 (Delphi E.L.I.T.E.) remain as Delphi teams.
64-68 are GM teams, Gila Monsters, Huskie Brigade, Willow Run HS (I think they are known as the Flyers this year), HOT team and Truck Town Thunder.
Team 69 is Gillette
and then 108 and 111 are Motorola Teams
Originally our team (45) was team 31 in 1997 and then became 45 in 1998. Kit Gerhart would be the right person to ask since he has been involved since 1996-ish
I heard the numbers were ordered alphabetically from 1992-1998. Depending what the first letter of your team name or sponsor name, that is the number you recieved for that year. In 1998, they changed it and allowed all teams to keep the number they have, so they would no longer change. So, if your rookie year was 1998, and your name started with an A you very well could have been team number 1.
*Originally posted by AJ Quick *
**I heard the numbers were ordered alphabetically from 1992-1998. Depending what the first letter of your team name or sponsor name, that is the number you recieved for that year. In 1998, they changed it and allowed all teams to keep the number they have, so they would no longer change. So, if your rookie year was 1998, and your name started with an A you very well could have been team number 1. **
There were no numbers until 1996 (I believe thats the right year)
In 1998 they ordered the teams alphabeticly by sponser. Since then, you get a number based on the order you sign up in. Teams that drop out do not have their numbers reassinged.
Some teams have droped out and come back and gotten their number back. RIT got 73 back this year.
*Originally posted by Wetzel * Some teams have droped out and come back and gotten their number back. RIT got 73 back this year.
Team 35 had a team several years ago, and they re-joined FIRST this year and got their team number back. That is what I was told by one of their drive team members…
*Originally posted by robot180 *
**My team is 180 and our rookie year was 1998. Team 179, Swamp Thing and our team, 180, SPAM, were both started by Pratt & Whitney. **
even better:
teams 173 through 181 are all sponsored by UTC
i think it would be neat to see all the UTC teams at the UTC regional one year…
what do ya think, SPAM and Swamp Thing? how’s a trip to new england in early march sound?
I been an X-Cat for only two years so I don’t really know how the numbers were dealt out “back in the day” but I saw one of our old robots has a 27 on it and another is a 151.
Very confusing.
One thing I did hear on our field at Nationals that kinda shocked me was that the announcer said “Well see…since these teams have lower numbers they’ve been in FIRST longer.” (it wasnt exactly like that, but close) I was actually kinda shocked that it was said by someone working for FIRST.
*Originally posted by Clark Gilbert *
**I was actually kinda shocked that it was said by someone working for FIRST. **
Not EVERYone from FIRST is a diety…:yikes: The statement is very true, even though teams under 208 were mixed up at one point or another, they’ve still been around the longer. All those teams have been around since 1998 or before.
Of course, he still may not know about the switches before 1999.
