So it looks like RSR is going to be held on August 23rd - 24th. Registration will be open before Championship ends. Pricing will be $200 until June 15 and $250 after that.
I have an opinion poll that needs to be taken though. We could either hold it in our gym, which has two separate areas and room for 1500 in the bleachers or at LSU in one of their multipurpose stadiums with room for 15k. In the gym we control the concessions and security and such, at LSU they run concessions and we pay for security and such.the cost for LSU is not really a factor in the decision… so what would you do?
I doubt more than 1500 people come to an off season but it would be great if I’m wrong.
How about parking at both venues, are they comparable? Will setup or takedown be easier at either one? Will the pit sizes be the same? Can more teams come to the LSU event?
I would think we would get a bit more walk in foot traffic from hosting it at LSU but I could be wrong about that as well.
My only thought is that one of the nice things about Ozark was the fact that the college offered a lot of support including tours. If teams are traveling from out of state they’re likely to be staying for a day or two, so easy access to the university for tours might be nice.
The only problem with that is school will be starting that following Monday or Tuesday. That weekend should be busy with students moving on campus and such. I know for a fact Saturday will be a very busy day on campus.
Allen - There is plenty of parking near any one of the stadiums. The only problem would be on Fridays when the campus is closed to drive from 7:30 AM to 5 PM.
MysterE - Which stadium were you looking at on campus to use? I’m not sure if the PMAC would be available for Saturday since Sunday is the Chancellor’s Welcome. I think the Indoor Track Field House would be the best bet because of the size but I know for a fact that the Tiger Band should be using that building for band camp. They did for all 3 years I was apart of it.
Also, I would say if you aren’t already, try getting in touch with the College of Engineering and see if they could help out as well. I know they are really interested in supporting FIRST in the area.
A few issues someone raised in a PM: Hosting it at Woodlawn HS would give more recognition to the school and we would have more control over the event as a whole - including the all important Concessions. My counter issue is that the location of hotels and such is a bit distant from the school (which is on a side-road and a bit in the middle of no-where). Also - there is no loading door directly into the gym. We would have to load out into our theater and carry the equipment through the school to get into the gym itself.
I plan on calling over to LSU today to see what they have to offer. If we did it there, I may be able to bump the date of the event back into September - which would be great for teams who do not start school until after Labor Day.
Also - Parking would be comparable (considering the number of people that will be coming) in both events. I’m sure LSU would love to provide tours - considering that they would want to market to the students. Come to think of it, I’ve been approached by the Mech. Engineering college about wanting to start a larger robotics program at LSU itself. Hrmmm…
Strange… I’ve been trying to start a robotics program at LSU for the past 2 years. I guess I should have been speaking with them instead of the Computer Science department. But that’s a conversation for a different thread. :ahh:
A September date wouldn’t be a bad idea either as long as you get a Saturday that’s an away game for LSU football. To get access to any of the stadiums on campus, you will have to go through the athletics department but I’m sure the College of Engineering wouldn’t mind helping.
I’ll be glad to help you contact people on campus since I’m still a student and can get there fairly quickly.
Side Note: If LSU doesn’t work out, I can see about possibly using our gym (University High) to host it. We’ve got a small gym and brand new big gym which are both big enough for an FRC field. One could be used as the pits and the other for the field. I believe the cafeteria is in the same area as well if they don’t let us use the big gym
I think this is a great idea and we (2992) would love to participate and help out! Let us know when and where things going to be and if you need any help at all.
I’ve also got two seniors who will be at LSU next year in the Mech. Engineering department. I’m sure they would love to come see the competition.