TAKING THE NEXT STEP: INSIDE COLLEGE RODEO

by Holly DeLaune

Many THSRA and TJHRA members have aspirations of college rodeoing after their high school career. To help our members understand how the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association (NIRA) is structured and what our members can be doing now to prepare for that next step, we visited with Dr. Al Wagner, Texas A&M University’s Rodeo Coach.

The first decision a high school Senior will make is where they want to attend college. If you are planning on attending a college or university in Texas then you will either be in the Southern or Southwest Region of the NIRA. These regions are divided by the I-35 corridor with the schools on the East belonging to the Southern Region and the schools on the West side belonging to the Southwest Region.

Each rodeo year is comprised of approximately 10 rodeos that are hosted by different member schools. Member schools are designated as school that have joined the NIRA, have 5-6 competitors and pay a member fee. Students who do not attend a member school can still rodeo as an independent athlete; an example would be Blinn Junior College in Bryan. This year a NIRA membership card was $260 for a competing membership. “Everyone who buys their NIRA card can enter and go to the rodeos, but there are 6 men and 4 women that are designated as team members for their school. These team member’s points earned at rodeos will be the only points that will count towards the overall school’s team points. Any point you win at the rodeo (whether you are on the team or not) will go to your individual point standing,” says Wagner.

There are a few differences from rodeoing in high school. One of the biggest differences would be the team aspect. “Students enjoy being a part of a team, it gives them a sense of belonging and community.” In a big university atmosphere you are one of thousands, but being a member of the rodeo team gives you the ability to develop friendships that will last a lifetime. “The team atmosphere is also promoted at rodeos by students wearing vests identifying their school and by team point standings,” said Wagner.

As in most rodeo associations, points become very important at the end of the year. The top 3 in each event qualify for the College National Finals Rodeo (CNFR) and the top 2 men’s and women’s team members in the region will also qualify for nationals.

Dr. Wagner says, “Travel money is different for every school. Some schools give money if you are on the designated team for that rodeo and some award money after the rodeo according to who earned the most points.”

The approximate entry fee is $100 for the first event and $70 for each event after for both men and women. “I always emphasize to every athlete that you are a STUDENT athlete. That is, student comes before hours each semester (PE doesn’t count as an hour) to rodeo.

The NIRA also has specific rules when it comes to transferring colleges that can sometimes be confusing. Dr. Wagner helped us understand the guidelines. If transferring from a junior college to a 4-year school you must have 48 hours completed, otherwise there is a transfer penalty of missing 3 rodeos. There is also an automatic 3-rodeo penalty for transferring from a 4-year school to a 4-year school. However, there is no penalty if you transfer from a nonmember school to a member school. Don’t worry if you already have college hours accrued during high school, these rules only apply to card holders. College rodeo is also different because athletes are expected to be responsible for themselves. Parents are not allowed in the arena, so athletes rely on their teammates for help. Athletes are also responsible for making sure their coach has entered them in the rodeos. The days of dad pushing your calf and mom entering you in all your rodeos has passed once become a NIRA member.

The NIRA also has a list of fines that can be given to athletes, so rodeo coaches advise each member review the rulebook to avoid getting a fine. Common fines are losing hat, parent in arena, drag rule, profanity, not wearing vest, no circle in front of the box, delay of rodeo rattling the chute and a few more.

When asked what our high school students should be doing now to prepare for college and college rodeo, Dr. Wagner said, “It is very important if you are taking college courses as high school student, that you make sure you get an original transcript (not a copy) and bring with you when you come to school in the Fall. The NIRA office requires an original transcript from any place you took a course for credit (if your college credit came from multiple schools you will need one from each of them). Another idea to avoid problems is to send the transcript directly to the coach as soon as you receive it, so you do not have to keep up with it.”

“Dr. Wagner suggests that if you are enrolling into college in the Fall, then make an appointment to visit the rodeo coach and the school the Fall before your Freshman year. Make sure you are aware of admission application deadlines so that you have everything in on time. Ultimately, it is never too early to start inquiring with rodeo coaches about their programs!”

Thank you to Dr. Al Wagner for taking the time to share this important information with our high school and junior high members as they prepare for their next step. For more information on the NIRA go to collegerodeo.com.

College Rodeo Team Standings

southern & southwestern regions

SOUTHERN REGION Standings as of Feb 06, 2023

MEN’S TEAM

1.TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY - COMMERCE

2. PANOLA JUNIOR COLLEGE

3. TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY

WOMEN’S TEAM

1. TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY

2. TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITYCOMMERCE

3. MCNEESE STATE UNIVERSITY

SOUTHWEST REGION

Standings as of Mar 1, 2023

MEN’S TEAM

1. WESTERN TEXAS COLLEGE

2. CLARENDON COLLEGE

3. TARLETON STATE UNIVERSITY

WOMEN’S TEAM

1. TARLETON STATE UNIVERSITY

2. CISCO COLLEGE

3. TEXAS TECH UNIV. - LUBBOCK

Western Texas

WEST COAST REGION

California; Nevada

Rodeo Events

MEN'S EVENTS: BAREBACK, SADDLE BRONC, BULL RIDING, STEER WRESTLING, CALF ROPING

WOMEN'S EVENTS: BARREL RACING, BREAKAWAY ROPING, GOAT TYING

MEN'S & WOMEN'S EVENTS: TEAM ROPING