I don't think the roster limit will have much affect on the Chicago ultimate community, but had the number been lower - say 20 - I think the impact would have been great. Machine 25, Haymaker 26 , Briefcase 24, Nemesis ?, Gambit ?.
I think the most interesting aspects of a lower roster limit (say 20) are as follows:
Cons - it would probably slightly decrease the caliber of each individual team at the top (less rest/more fatigue for the top players on top teams) - on film/tv, the game may look slower and show less athleticisim (more points played per weekend = fewer spectacular plays, conservation) - division of talent = lower overall quality of top team from each area - if the limit were too low there could be challenges with scheduling/holding practices - missing players means you could struggle for 7v7
Pros - it might cause major metro powerhouse areas to have in-town rivalries (seattle, vancouver, san francisco, etc) - increasing competition, exposure, press, etc - potentially more teams at sectionals - what I wouldn't give for more teams at sectionals! - possible growth and increasingly competitive coed division (some would consider this a con) - possibly greater number of upsets - farm teams might be more prevalent
I wondered how it might affect Chicago if the limit were lower. I think it would narrow the competitive gap somewhat between Machine and Haymaker for instance IF those players joined Haymaker, but honestly I suspect it might have a greater impact on Briefcase and/or Indiana club teams. It would be interesting to see what would happen, but at 27, I don't think any of us will notice the limit. Will be interesting to see what happens over the next few years.
I honestly would like to see a number of about 21. This might force teams to change practice schedule, it might encourage teams to practice against each other team on occasion #1 and #2 from certain areas and hopefully would create more competitive teams. It would also give slightly more advantage to teams that did more conditioning. In general I think it might push the game back a bit more to skill based instead of just having the fastest 27 guys around and making them all specialists, more people would have to be able to do more things.