One cant blame PGF or ASA for the economics that impact team and family decisions with regard to expensive travel right now. That said, a 3 day trip to Colorado that gives a SoCal team better than a 50/50 shot to qualify to play Premier in HB is STILL cheaper than 7-8 days in Midland.
One option to consider in the future is to divide the country into regions and only allow teams in that region to play qualifiers in that region. A western region would still allow So Cal teams to travel to AZ, NorCal and WA. That should allow teams enough opportunities to qualify.
Just a thought...