A look back in the history books reveals a 77-year history of the College National Finals Rodeo (CNFR), however the sport's roots run far beyond 1949, when the inaugural CNFR took place in San Fransisco. Following the Civil War, cattle ranching would develop into a competitive endeavor, influences by the Spanish rodeo, which was more stylistic compared to the largely speed-focused rodeo which was adopted in the United States. College rodeo was originally conceived at Texas A&M in 1920, when a band of college students organized a rodeo as a fundraiser. This set the stage for a new division of rodeo, and soon after, college rodeos proliferated across the country. In 1949, a group of college students officially founded the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Associate (NIRA). Now, over 135 colleges across 12 regions are represented in the organization. 

So, what makes college rodeo unique? Perhaps the much easier, and quicker questions to answer, is what makes college rodeo the same as other collegiate athletics? It's the hope for a national championship, and the prospect of a future as a professional athlete. There remain other similarities, such as maintaining good grades to stay eligible for competition and balancing schoolwork with practice schedules. However, the list of dissimilarities proves to be extensive. Among the typical responsibilities of any student athlete, college rodeo requires students to care for and transport their own horses, provide their own trucks, trailers, horse feed, and equipment, and pay for veterinary care and entry fees into every rodeo in which they compete. Moreover, rodeo athletes don's have to get drafted in order to go to the pros. Many athletes compete in both college rodeo and professional rodeo simultaneously, holding memberships in multiple associations. 

For every region, the competitive season consists of 10 rodeos in which athletes compete against the colleges within their respective region. Athletes earn points based ont their placing at each rodeo. By the end of the 10-rodeo sprint, the points are tallied up, and the top 3 point-earning athletes in each of the 10 events get to make the trip to the National Finals in Casper, Wyoming, for their chance at a national title. Among multi-event competitors, the All-Around is highly coveted. At the end of the regular season, the two athletes with the most combined points in multiple events will compete in more than one event, with sights set on the esteemed All-Around championship. Though a predominately individual sport, college rodeo distinguishes itself as maintaining the team aspect. At the end of the season, the top two teams in the rankings will also earn the opportunity to send a roster of point-earning athletes, four women, or six men, to the CNFR to contend for a team championship. 

You won't just find prominent four-year universities at the CNFR. Throughout the year, colleges of every size compete against each other for regional and national titles, from junior college to division-! powerhouses. No divisions, just rodeo. The size of the school doesn't determine the strength of the athlete, and the proof is in the performance. However, resources still matter. 

While still maintaining a romance of the West, rodeo is garnering momentum in the sports industry, and is now becoming a mainstream sport. College rodeo athletes are unique in a variety of ways due to the nature of the sport, however they remain student athletes nonetheless. With the rapid changes taking place within the college-sports ecosystem, college athletes are witnesses to the increasing resources at their disposal, and college rodeo athletes are beginning to reap those benefits as well.
 
Enter Learfield College Rodeo. Learfield’s impressive media, data, and technology services provide a platform to form revenue-generating partnerships. These partnerships open the door for  brands to step into the western lifestyle, while welcoming old and new fans to be a part of a sport that represents the Western heritage and culture.
 
Of twenty Learfield schools, fourteen of those schools will be represented at the CNFR. Nearly five hundred individual athletes will be vying for the most prestigious titles in college rodeo, and ninety four of those athletes hail from Learfield College Rodeo Schools. Four rounds of competition across seven days will determine who will hold the National Champion gold buckle, and whose names will be etched into the history books. A CNFR Championship is the culmination of everything for which a college rodeo athlete has prepared and dreamed.
 
Aside from the prizes, titles and goals achieved and lost, the CNFR will likely be the week when athletes forge lifelong memories, form meaningful relationships and connections, and collect the necessary tools for building the next step in their lives. Fans will fill the seats with rowdy anticipation, parents will pace the concourse in hopes of dispelling second-hand nerves, and athletes will put their preparation to the fire. The CNFR is for the competitors, it’s for the fans, and it’s for a sport which has evolved, yet remains true to its roots.