College National Finals Rodeo Canceled in Casper

It’s official: There will be no College National Finals Rodeo (CNFR) this summer in Casper.

The National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association (NIRA) and the CNFR committee announced, in a joint media release Wednesday, that the year-end rodeo will not be held June 14-20 at the Casper Events Center because of coronavirus COVID-19 concerns.

“As everyone involved with this event can testify, this is not the outcome we were hoping for, but public safety during the COVID-19 pandemic is our most important concern,” the NIRA and the CNFR committee said in a joint statement. “We know that every student-athlete, coach, school administrator, parent and fan grieves the loss of this special event. This is devastating for all of us, but mostly for the NIRA athletes. We share your grief. This is unprecedented. May we all heal, extend grace and recover to a better world."

Last month, Central Rocky Mountain Region (CRMR) teams, including the University of Wyoming, announced that the spring season would be canceled. That meant the UW men’s and women’s teams were declared CRMR champions based on the fall season’s results.

“We are devastated to be making this announcement,” NIRA Commissioner Roger Walters said in a release. “We wanted to be competing in Casper this summer, but we have to do the right thing to combat this pandemic and keep our contestants and the state of Wyoming safe.”

UW Coach Beau Clark says the NIRA granted another year of eligibility for student-athletes who are seniors this spring.