The "goal" for Open and National is entirely different. For the Open tournament, the goal is to get the best 28 teams in the country competing against each other, regardless of geography. The National tournament, on the other hand, is designed more as a regional championship where the top team from each of the USAV regions competes for the championship (plus a few wildcards - the winners at the qualifiers and reallocation bids). Each region is free to award their bids (Nationals and American if they get them) in whatever "Fair and Equitable" manner they choose. Some regions allocate them based on the seasons body of work, some on the results of a Regional Championship event, and some on a separate competition for the bid.

While there are certainly exceptions to the rule, the OPEN division generally has the best 28 teams in the nation (yes, I know the JVDA teams will take exception to this statement). The National tournament never claims to have the "best" 48 teams. It strives to present the best each region has in competition (after the open qualifiers, of course).