November 15, 2012 by Charlie Eisenhood in News with 6 comments
Last week, we did a rudimentary analysis on the changes in cost to Pro and Elite Flight teams in next year’s Triple Crown Tour, based on where they traveled this season vs. where we expected them to travel for their required tournaments in 2013.
We now have a better sense of where those places will be. USA Ultimate put out their bid application for Triple Crown Tour events late last week; you can see below when and where they want the tournaments to be held. There are no real surprises. The Pro events will be held on opposite coasts, the US Open could be held anywhere that is considered a “destination location” with a “large community,” and the Challenge events will be held in the Central US.
The two Pro events will require a major undertaking by the tournament director and will be considerably more expensive to run than your average Ultimate tournament. Both will need a showcase field that seats at least 500 people along with an volunteer staff of at least 25 people, including a minimum of eight observers (who all have to have their hotel and travel covered). The US Open requires a minimum 75 volunteers. This will all contribute to showcasing the top events both to spectators and potentially a TV audience. It also means a higher tournament fee for teams attending the events.
Ultiworld spoke with a top tournament director who confirmed that, particularly due to the need for a large field complex with a showcase field, fees will likely become “per-player” instead of “per-team” due to the added expense.
As with most bid out USAU events, the vast majority of the planning and execution falls to local organizers. At Pro events, USAU will provide “at least one staff member or senior volunteer” to help, along with “radios, scoreboards, banners, and signage.” All Pro and Elite events will get scorekeeping materials and instruction, one game disc per team, and coordinated media coverage on the USAU website.
Here is a look at the details of each event:
| Tour Event | Preferred Date | Division(s) -- Men's, Mixed, Women's | # of Teams | # of Fields | Preferred Location/Notes | Other Notes/Requirements |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Open | July 4-7 | All 3 | 24 total (12 Pro; 12 Int’l) | 12 total | Destination location; large community | Showcase field; 75+ volunteers |
| Pro-Elite Flight Challenge | July 13-14; July 20-21; July 27-28 | Any or all of the 3 | 12, 24, or 36 total (12 per division) | 4-6 per division | Central US | |
| Pro Flight 1 | Aug 3-4; Aug 10-11; Aug 24-26 | All 3 | 24 total (8 per division) | 12 total | East or West Coast (alternate with Pro Event 2); large community; local Pro team(s) | Showcase field; 25+ volunteers |
| Elite-Select Flight Challenge | Aug 3-4; Aug 10-11; Aug 24-26 | Any or all of the 3 | 16, 32, or 48 total (16 per division) | 6-8 per division | Central US | |
| Pro Flight 2 | Aug 24-26; Aug 31-Sep 1; Sep 7-8; Sep 14-15 | All 3 | 24 total (8 per division) | 12 total | East or West Coast (alternate with Pro Event 2); large community; local Pro team(s) | Showcase field; 25+ volunteers |
| Select Flight Sanctioned Events | June 1 – Labor Day Weekend | Any or all of the 3 | Flexible (preference to Select teams) | Variable based on # of teams and format | All over | |
| Sanctioned Events (not flight-specific) | June 1 – Labor Day Weekend | Any or all of the 3 | Flexible (open to teams from any flight) | Variable based on # of teams and format | All over |
