College National Final Rodeo, or CNFR, is one of the super bowls in the College Rodeo event, USA. Since 2001 this event has been held in the month of June every year. Since 2001 this event has been hosted in Casper, Wyoming.
Casper Event Center is the address where the competition takes place in all its seasons; men and women rodeo athletes take part in the competition.
The topper athletes are honored to be the national champions of their own respective events.
How Does CNFR Work?
For over twenty years, CNFR has built a legacy of rodeo athletic legend. The College National Finals Rodeo is one of the unique athletic events in the world.
You will not ever see this type of competition where college athletes go with animals head to head in the dirt to win the title of the national best.
CNFR is considered the best of the best in college rodeo. National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association honors champion crowns for individual events like saddle bronc riding, bareback riding, bull riding, tie-down roping, steer wrestling, team roping, barrel racing, breakaway roping, and goat tying.
National team championship awards are also given to both men’s and women’s teams. More than 400 cowboys and cowgirls from over a hundred universities and colleges come to fight in the CNFR competition every year.
Individual athletes compete in three rounds; the top 12 performers come for the final championship round. After the final round, the individual event champions, men’s and women’s all-around champions, and national champion teams are honored by the champion’s crown.
Here, time and scores are very important elements, but team titles are also based on a point system.
The athletes compete in any of the NIRA’s 11 regions to participate in the final CNFR. The top three participants in each event and the top two men’s and women’s teams from the NIRA’s 11 regions break the qualifying rope for the CNFR.
What Are the Athletic Events at CNFR?
The College National Finals Rodeo celebrates Western athletics tradition and excellence. The championship consists of nine athletic events those are:
- Saddle Bronc Riding
- Bareback Riding
- Bull Riding
- Tie-down Roping
- Steer Wrestling
- Team Roping
- Barrel Racing
- Breakaway Roping
- Goat Tying
CNFR 2023 Schedule
As previously, CNFR will occur in June 2023 at the Casper Event Center, Casper, Wyoming. The schedule for the championship is set from 11 June to 17 June.
| 11 June, Sunday | 12 June, Monday | 13 June, Tuesday | 14 June, Wednesday |
| 10:00 am – Cowboy Church Service Location: Fairgrounds 12:00 pm – Tradeshow Opens Location: Ford Wyoming Center 1:00 pm – “Bulls, Broncs & Breakaway” – Matinee Location: Ford Wyoming Center 4:00 pm – “Bulls, Broncs & Breakaway” – Evening Location: Ford Wyoming Center | 6:30 am – Tradeshow Opens Location: Ford Wyoming Center 7:00 am – Slack Location: Ford Wyoming Center | 6:30 am – Tradeshow Opens Location: Ford Wyoming Center 7:00 am – Slack Location: Ford Wyoming Center 5:30 pm – Tradeshow Opens Location: Ford Wyoming Center 7:00 pm – 1st Performance 1st Go-Round Ring Presentation after Steer Wrestling Location: Ford Wyoming Center | 9:00 am-3:00 pm – Softball Tourney Location: Softball Field 5:30 pm – Tradeshow Opens Location: Ford Wyoming Center 7:00 pm – 2nd Performance 2nd Go-Round Ring Presentation after Steer Wrestling Location: Ford Wyoming Center |
| 15 June, Thursday | 16 June, Friday | 17 June, Saturday | |
| 8:00 am – Sporting Clay Shoot Location: Casper Shooting Clays, Skeet, & Trap Club 9:00 am – Golf Tournament Location: Paradise Valley 5:30 pm – Tradeshow Opens Location: Ford Wyoming Center 7:00 pm – 3rd Performance Location: Ford Wyoming Center Ribbon Night at the Rodeo – Cancer Awareness | 8:00 am – NIRA Coaches Breakfast Location: Ramkota Hotel & Conference Center 9:00 am – NIRA Alumni Reunion Location: Ramkota Hotel and Conference Center 3:30 pm – NIRA Alumni Reunion Hospitality Suite, Informational gathering Location: Ramkota Hotel and Conference Center 5:30 pm – Tradeshow Opens Location: Ford Wyoming Center 7:00 pm – 4th Performance Location: Ford Wyoming Center | 8:00 am – Short-go leaders TV headshots Location: Ford Wyoming Center 9:00-10:30 am – Special Olympics Rodeo Location: Ford Wyoming Center 11:30 am – Cinch Style Show Location: Ramkota Hotel & Conference Center 2:00 pm – Cowboy Church Service Location: Fairgrounds 5:30 pm – Tradeshow Opens Location: Ford Wyoming Center 7:00 pm – Championship Round 3rd Go-Round Ring Presentation after Steer WrestlingChampionship awards immediately following the rodeo Location: Ford Wyoming Center |
How to Watch CNFR: College National Finals Rodeo
The College National Finals Rodeo (CNFR) is officially live broadcasted by ESPN on their channel ESPN3 from the Casper Event Center, Wyoming.
The channel is also available on WatchESPN and the WatchESPN mobile app. You can also watch the national championship of rodeo online for you have to access the channel through a few selected devices; those are
- WatchESPN.com
- Apple TV
- Chromecast
- Roku Like
- Fire TV Stick
Final Words
The College National Finals Rodeo championship has occurred every year since 2001 though it was canceled once in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This is one of the most prestigious championships for Western athletics.
This arrangement not only honors the traditional excellence of athletics but also inspires the generation to hold on to the traditional games.
