To be considered for membership in the NIRA a student must be attending a college or university listed in the current publication of Accredited Institutions of Post Secondary Education.

The student must be in good standing while taking at least 12 academic credit hours (9 of which are passed credits) each term and maintaining a 2.0 grade point average (GPA) at all times.

A student has 6 years of eligibility from the date of high school graduation to purchase 4 NIRA membership cards. In the case of GED certification the contestant's 18th birthday is used as the beginning eligibility date.

Contestants compete in saddle bronc, bareback, bull riding, calf roping, steer wrestling, team roping, barrel racing, breakaway roping, and goat tying.

If you have any eligibility questions, or would like to request a membership application, please contact the national office at (509) 529-4402 or email: membership@collegerodeo.com
 

About the NIRA

The NIRA is the governing body of college rodeo. One of the primary goals of the NIRA is to establish and maintain standards for conducting intercollegiate rodeo competition. It seeks to promote intercollegiate rodeo on a national scale by bringing national recognition as an organized and standard collegiate sport and to promote interest, understanding, and appreciation, and vigilance over Western life and culture. NIRA student members are offered the opportunity to bring national recognition to their colleges and universities through rodeo competition.  The NIRA is divided into 11 regions with over 135 colleges and universities having a recognized rodeo organization on their campus.  Many other colleges and universities who do not have rodeo clubs are represented by independent members. Members compete in approximately 10 rodeos a year trying to earn a trip to the College National Finals Rodeo.  For general information, e-mail info@collegerodeo.com.

CNFR
Often dubbed the "Rose Bowl" of college rodeo, the College National Finals Rodeo hosts over 350 cowboys and cowgirls each year. These college athletes come together each June to compete for college national titles and over $200,000 in scholarships through the U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Co. Scholarship Awards Program (SM).

RAWHIDE
RAWHIDE is a program of the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association. The goal is to challenge rodeo athletes to make positive choices in and out of the college rodeo arena.

Created in 1994, RAWHIDE is dedicated to encouraging fitness, goal setting, education, and positive choices regarding the use of alcohol and drugs among the membership of the NIRA.