With the 2026 Playoffs Series schedule now set, the PRCA’s richest rodeos once again take center stage.
The Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association has officially announced the 2026 Playoffs Series schedule, outlining the most consequential stretch of rodeos on the road to the National Finals Rodeo.
Comprised of the 60 highest-paying professional rodeos in the United States, the Playoffs Series has become a huge factor in rodeo, shaping late-season standings and determining which athletes earn a second chance to punch their ticket to Las Vegas.
What the Playoffs Series Is and Why It Matters
The Playoffs Series tracks athlete performance across select high-payout rodeos throughout the season. Earnings at these designated events translate into Playoffs points, creating a separate standings race that runs alongside the traditional world standings.
That race culminates in a two-step postseason then.
1. The CINCH Playoffs in Puyallup, where top-ranked Playoffs athletes compete for advancement
2. The Governor’s Cup in Sioux Falls, a season-ending show held during the final week of the PRCA regular season
The format rewards consistency at the sport’s biggest rodeos while allowing athletes who peak late in the year a final opportunity to qualify for the NFR too. Sioux Falls alone can completely change the top 15 right before Vegas.
Rodeo’s Biggest Stages
The 2026 Playoffs Series schedule spans the full calendar, and it begins with winter building rodeos and then continues through the summer’s biggest and best stops.
Early-season events include Sandhills Stock Show & Rodeo, National Western Stock Show & Rodeo, and the Texas Swing staples. From there, the series moves through favorite summer rodeos such as Cheyenne Frontier Days, Reno Rodeo, Pendleton Round-Up, and many others that traditionally draw the deepest fields of the season.
Newer and regional events, including the North Dakota Roughrider Cup, also count toward Playoffs earnings, giving athletes multiple avenues to stay in contention.
How Does One Qualify?
Playoffs points are awarded to the top at each designated rodeo, with point values tied to total payout levels. For rodeos featuring multiple rounds, average placings factor into the standings, further rewarding consistency too.
At season’s end, the top athletes advance to Puyallup. From there, only a limited number move on to Sioux Falls, where a clean-slate format ensures the final outcomes are decided under some of the highest pressure of the year. This all happens in a critical path to the Thomas and Mack.
In recent seasons, the Playoffs Series has directly influenced NFR qualification in nearly every event. Performances at Puyallup and Sioux Falls have determined world standings positions, broken ties and reshaped the final Top 15.
With the 2026 schedule now announced, the road to the NFR is once again clearly defined, and for most, it runs straight through the Playoffs.
Full 2026 Playoff List
Sandhills Stock Show & Rodeo - Odessa, Texas
National Western Stock Show & Rodeo - Denver, Colo.
Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo - Fort Worth, Texas
San Angelo Stock Show & Rodeo - San Angelo, Texas
Dixie National Rodeo - Jackson, Miss.
San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo - San Antonio, Texas
La Fiesta de los Vaqueros - Tucson, Ariz.
RODEOHOUSTON - Houston, Texas
Rodeo Austin - Austin, Texas
Clark County Fair & Rodeo - Logandale, Nev.
Red Bluff Round-Up - Red Bluff, Calif.
Clovis Rodeo - Clovis, Calif.
Pioneer Days Rodeo - Guymon, Okla.
Redding Rodeo - Redding, Calif.
Music City Rodeo - Nashville, Tenn.
Woodward Elks Rodeo - Woodward, Okla.
Sisters Rodeo - Sisters, Ore.
Dinosaur Roundup Rodeo - Vernal, Utah
Reno Rodeo - Reno, Nev.
Silver State Stampede - Elko, Nev.
Crooked River Roundup - Prineville, Ore.
Rodeo Of The Ozarks - Springdale, Ark.
West of the Pecos Rodeo - Pecos, Texas
Greeley Stampede - Greeley, Colo.
World’s Oldest Rodeo - Prescott, Ariz.
Cody Stampede - Cody, Wyo.
Livingston Roundup Rodeo - Livingston, Mont.
St. Paul Rodeo - St. Paul, Ore.
Mandan Rodeo Days - Mandan, N.D.
90th Annual Independence Day Rodeo - Oakley City, Utah
Basin City Freedom Rodeo - Basin City, Wash.
Rooftop Rodeo - Estes Park, Colo.
Central Wyoming Fair & Rodeo - Casper, Wyo.
Sheridan WYO Rodeo - Sheridan, Wyo.
Snake River Stampede - Nampa, Idaho
Rodeo Salinas - Salinas, Calif.
Cheyenne Frontier Days - Cheyenne, Wyo.
Ogden Pioneer Days - Ogden, Utah
Fiesta Days Rodeo - Spanish Fork, Utah
Days of ’47 - Salt Lake City, Utah
Deadwood Days of ’76 - Deadwood, S.D.
Dodge City Round Up - Dodge City, Kan.
Mountain Valley Stampede - Heber City, Utah
Douglas County Fair & Rodeo - Castle Rock, Colo.
Sikeston Jaycee Bootheel Rodeo - Sikeston, Mo.
Farm-City Pro Rodeo - Hermiston, Ore.
Lea County PRCA Rodeo - Lovington, N.M.
Cache County Fair & Rodeo - Logan, Utah
Caldwell Night Rodeo - Caldwell, Idaho
Canby Rodeo - Canby, Ore.
Gooding Pro Rodeo - Gooding, Idaho
Moses Lake Round-Up Rodeo - Moses Lake, Wash.
Horse Heaven Roundup - Kennewick, Wash.
Golden Spike Rodeo - Tremonton, Utah
Kitsap Stampede - Bremerton, Wash.
Ellensburg Rodeo - Ellensburg, Wash.
Walla Walla Frontier Days - Walla Walla, Wash.
Lewiston Roundup - Lewiston, Idaho
Pendleton Round-Up - Pendleton, Ore.
North Dakota Roughrider Cup - North Dakota Roughrider Cup
Be sure to tune into the cowboys channel for coverage throughout the year, and stay tuned here at Rodeo Roundtable for updates and exclusive interviews.