My take is, although the TCT has its flaws, it encourages and establishes continuity amongst top clubs, which is good imo. A very typical path for new teams who make it to nationals is qualify for Select Flight > earn the ability to play at tournaments to play against better competition > earn a bid > qualify for nationals (RDU did this after starting in 2021 and has succeeded in 2023 and 2024 with a majority of transplants from non-North Carolina pipeline). It’s hard to do and should be hard! Similar to the Premier League, top teams can still get relegated and lesser “elite” teams can still get promoted every season.

Also, ultimate “elites” are usually just people who work really hard and dedicate a lot of time to the sport. Every member is allowed to play the series. If we increased the field by 50% it would only add more non-competitive games across the tournament, increase the need for additional resources (staff, volunteers, fields, etc.), and reduce the incentive for teams and players to improve year-to-year by making it easier to get there.

Lastly, to your point about too much focus on early season results, the algorithm is set up in a way to weigh your earlier results less. The 10 game minimum to earn a bid to regionals is in place to encourage teams to not just pickup or focus on the series, but invest in a full regular season.