Casper to be home for College National Finals Rodeo until 2037
Casper-RFP-072026
CASPER, Wyo. — Casper, Wyo., in the heart of the “Cowboy State” has been home to the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association’s championship event, the College National Finals Rodeo, since 1999.
Because of the dedication of the entire community, sponsors, athletes and schools, the organization and CNFR has seen steady growth. Ticket sales have increased with sold out performances on championship Saturday the past three years. During the 2026 CNFR a contract extension was signed that will see the best collegiate rodeo athletes making their way to Casper through 2037.
Jim Dewey Brown, NIRA commissioner, serves on the CNFR executive committee. It also includes Kim Furnival, Angela Berry, Gena Jensen from the city of Casper and Jim Milne representing Natrona County. The contract extension was presented to the NIRA board of directors in Casper. The board, which includes faculty and student directors from each of the 12 regions of the NIRA voted for the extension.
“I competed at the CNFR the first year it was in Casper,” Brown said. “I’ve watched this community embrace the event. We have volunteers that have been involved from the beginning. The support that we receive from Casper and Wyoming is unprecedented and it’s hard to think of one without the other.”
LOCAL EVENTS
There is a community steering committee that works on the event throughout the year and while the CNFR is the highlight, other local events, like the softball and golf tournaments, and the Special Olympics Rodeo give athletes plenty of options to stay busy.
“The athletes work hard throughout the school year to qualify for the CNFR,” Brown added. “But we couldn’t have this championship event without a great support system that includes the local community, our rodeo coaches and NIRA staff. For 10 days in June we all become part of the CNFR family. It’s very gratifying to have experienced the growth of college rodeo and its championships in Casper.”
The agreement is between the City of Casper, Natrona County and the NIRA and represents a long-term commitment from all parties to continue building on the event’s success. The 2027 CNFR will run June 13-19 at the Ford Wyoming Center.
