corps in first DCI Championship

[Bob984]

1972 was DCI's first championship.  It is well known that one goal that DCI had was to have a championship with every major competitor in attendance.  Prior to 1972, there were many big shows, and VFW Nationals and AL Nationals were probably the two biggest.  That said, not everyone went, and location and travel expenses, along with the actual date, were all big factors.

   There were 39 corps at DCI's first championship prelims.  Whereas there were still many corps at that time, and thus many who did not go to DCI,  there were some strong national competitors who chose not to go to the first DCI Championship in Whitewater.   They were; Blessed Sacrament, Blue Rock, Saint Rita's Brassmen, Toronto Optimists, Boston Crusaders, Racine Scouts.  There was a good chance that two or even more of these corps would have made finals.

   Was the issue strictly cost/money?  Just curious.  Some did go to DCI in subsequent years, but did not fare out well competitively.  In fact, only Toronto Optimists (who. through a merger, became the Seneca Optimists) would make finals......Boston eventually did, but it took 27 years.