Thick green smoke drifted across the arena as pyrotechnics fired and roaring announcers welcomed thousands of fans to Colorado State University’s Canvas Stadium in Fort Collins, Colo.
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Instead of the world’s best professional bull riders, the first athletes introduced at the 2026 Professional Bull Riders (PBR) Bulls & Beats event this past weekend were the college rodeo competitors taking part in the inaugural Collegiate All-Star Rodeo.
The event combined college rodeo with the PBR Teams season opener, complete with thundering arena introductions, explosives, a live broadcast and concerts by headliners Brad Paisley, Bailey Zimmerman and Miranda Lambert.
The event marked a new partnership between PBR and Learfield College Rodeo, placing college athletes on the same stage as PBR’s professional production.
PBR Senior Vice President Robert Simpson said the goal is to create more opportunities for competition. “All tides raise all boats, right?” he said. “More opportunity, more events to actually showcase these amazing athletes to broader audiences.”
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CSU Cheerleaders and pyrotechnics welcom fans to the 2026 PBR Bulls & Beats Innagural Collegiate All Star Rodeo stage at Colorado State University's Canvas Stadium in Fort Collins, CO.
Sam Leszczynski for KUNC
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Team North pose for the cameras after taking the victory at the 2026 PBR Bulls & Beats Innagural Collegiate All Star Rodeo held at Colorado State University's Canvas Stadium in Fort Collins, CO.
Sam Leszczynski for KUNC
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Fans cheer during the PBR Teams season opener at the 2026 PBR Bulls & Beats Innagural Collegiate All Star Rodeo weekend held at Colorado State University's Canvas Stadium in Fort Collins, CO.
Sam Leszczynski for KUNC
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Ceily Simpton of Texas A&M University represents Team South in Barrel Racing at the 2026 PBR Bulls & Beats Innagural Collegiate All Star Rodeo held at Colorado State University's Canvas Stadium in Fort Collins, CO.
Sam Leszczynski for KUNC
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Wyatt Wood of Cal Poly Represents team South in Bareback Riding at the 2026 PBR Bulls & Beats Collegiate All Star Rodeo held at Colorado State University's Canvas Stadium in Fort Collins, CO.
Sam Leszczynski for KUNC
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Professional New York Mavericks PBR bullrider Marco Rizzo ties in Team South's Kross Smith of the University of West Alabama during Bullriding at the 2026 PBR Bulls & Beats Innagural Collegiate All Star Rodeo held at Colorado State University's Canvas Stadium in Fort Collins, CO.
Sam Leszczynski for KUNC
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Fans cheer during the PBR Teams season opener at the 2026 PBR Bulls & Beats Innagural Collegiate All Star Rodeo weekend held at Colorado State University's Canvas Stadium in Fort Collins, CO.
Sam Leszczynski for KUNC
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Ryley Mapston of Montana State University represents Team North in Tie-Down Roping at the 2026 PBR Bulls & Beats Innagural Collegiate All Star Rodeo held at Colorado State University's Canvas Stadium in Fort Collins, CO.
Sam Leszczynski for KUNC
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Jeremy Kay of the University of Montana Western represents Team North in Bareback Riding at the 2026 PBR Bulls & Beats Innagural Collegiate All Star Rodeo held at Colorado State University's Canvas Stadium in Fort Collins, CO.
Sam Leszczynski for KUNC
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Fan checks team standings at the 2026 PBR Bulls & Beats Innagural Collegiate All Star Rodeo held at Colorado State University's Canvas Stadium in Fort Collins, CO.
Sam Leszczynski for KUNC
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Professional New York Mavericks PBR bullrider Marco Rizzo watches Team North compete in Bullriding at the 2026 PBR Bulls & Beats Innagural Collegiate All Star Rodeo held at Colorado State University's Canvas Stadium in Fort Collins, CO.
Sam Leszczynski for KUNC
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Kross Smith and Lane Westrope of the University of West Alabama prepare to represent Team South in Bullriding at the 2026 PBR Bulls & Beats Innagural Collegiate All Star Rodeo held at Colorado State University's Canvas Stadium in Fort Collins, CO.
Sam Leszczynski for KUNC
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Tanner Brown of the University of West Alabama and Hayden Clay of Southern Arkansas University represent Team South in Team Roping at the 2026 PBR Bulls & Beats Innagural Collegiate All Star Rodeo held at Colorado State University's Canvas Stadium in Fort Collins, CO.
Sam Leszczynski for KUNC
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PBR Bulls & Beats crowd awaits the beginning of the Steer Wrestling Event held at Colorado State University's Canvas Stadium in Fort Collins, CO.
Sam Leszczynski for KUNC
The invitational featured two 30-athlete teams, North and South, made up of athletes nominated by their coaches from Learfield College Rodeo schools, with total cumulative points across rodeo events determining the winning team.
It featured a total purse of $180,000, one of the largest single-event payouts in college rodeo history.
“They’ve never seen money like that,” Simpson noted. “We gave everybody a show-up fee…they’re not paying to come here to compete.”
Simpson didn’t hesitate when asked how the college athletes felt about the event, "Everybody loved it. I mean absolutely loved it.”
Simpson said rodeo continues to evolve.
“Everything's changing,” he stated. “I'm a purist. I'm old school...but you know, there's always new ways to do things. All we're trying to do is throw in some wrinkles, some wow factor…It’s only enhanced the sport that’s already great.”
