The first bid packets said they were due June 1. Now it says they are due July 23.

They also changed the preferred weekend for sectionals. Initially they preferred one weekend in February, about 3 weeks after registration ends. It sounds like there is enough trouble getting the lists of competitors from US Figure Skating when there are three months between cutoff and competition, with just three weeks the LOC might not know the competitors until the day of competition!

Now there is a range of preferred dates for sectionals between February and March.

The "initial" version was a mistake, not a preference.

That explains the updated bid packets.

Hi All,

The bid packages are indeed now available for 2011 AN. To quell rumors and false info, there are clubs that have expressed interest and are talking to USFS. Not to worry, we WILL have a location by mid August. Bids are due July 23.

Also, for informational purposes, ice cost is a major factor in a club's willingness to bid. For example, Bloomington ice was $175/hr and Grand Rapids was $75/hr. California ice costs $300 and up, making it far less likely that a CA club will bid.

One comment that was made was whether or not USFS should control the event. The reason this event is largely LOC run is because 95% of the events are non qual. Only 8 events are governed by the rule book. Most other national events are all qualifying.

Please feel free to ask me questions any time if you want to know more. I encourage you all to read the bid package and become familiar with how the process works. Hope this helps!

~ Lexi