Casper Locked In As CNFR Capital Through 2037

When June of 2027 rolls around, Casper will be preparing to welcome back the nation's top collegiate rodeo athletes for the 78th annual CNFR. The history of the CNFR is pretty wild, and if you haven't really read up on it, I'll give you a quick recap.

In 1949, the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association was established, and later that year, the first CNFR was held. There were 13 member schools representing six states, including Wyoming, Colorado, Oklahoma, Arizona, and Texas.

During the 1950s, 60s, and 70s, it kept growing: sponsors were jumping on board, computer scoring systems were developed, more schools and regions were added, and the sport continued to grow.

In the 1980s, college rodeo was huge. Over 155 schools, 12 regions, and Wrangler came on as the national sponsor.

In 1997, the CNFR location changed from Bozeman, MT, where it had been since 1973, to Rapid City, SD. Then, just two years later, in 1999, the CNFR was on the move again, but this time, it would find its current home of Casper, WY.

That brief recap gets you to 2026. 

It was announced this year that Casper will continue to host the College National Finals Rodeo through 2037. That's fantastic for the city of Casper and the State of Wyoming. That decision just makes sense, right? Wyoming is the 'Cowboy State,' the official sport is rodeo, and Wyoming is a great place to visit in June.

According to a post on the NIRA's Facebook Page:

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.

NIRA Commissioner Jim Dewey Brown said of the contract extension.

I competed at the CNFR the first year it was in Casper. 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.

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. With the growth and improvements being made around the city, it's exciting to think about what the next 10 years of CNFR will look like.

The 2027 CNFR will run June 13-19 at the Ford Wyoming Center.