The NIRA Great Plains Region awarded the collegiate rodeo competition to Mid-Plains Community College in 2013. Twelve men's teams and nine women's collegiate rodeo teams from Nebraska, Iowa, South Dakota, North Dakota and Wisconsin compete in the Great Plains Region.
The 2017 Mid-Plains Community College Stampede will pit some of the toughest cowboys and cowgirls in the region against the rankest livestock on the circuit.
The public is invited to watch the action Sept. 15-16 at the Wild West Arena, 2400 N. Buffalo Bill Ave, in North Platte. Performances will begin at 7 p.m. each night. Admission is payable at the gate. It's $10 for adults and free for children 10 and younger.
Competing in North Platte, the birthplace of American rodeo, will be a dream come true for many of the athletes. That's part of the reason the Stampede has continued to grow the past four years.
The MPCC Stampede is a National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association sanctioned event. It's also a qualifying rodeo – meaning any points contestants earn will count toward an end of the year shot at nationals.
Twelve collegiate rodeo teams from Nebraska, Iowa, South Dakota, North Dakota and Wisconsin are expected to compete.
In addition to MPCC, those include Black Hills State University, Dickinson State University, Hastings College, Iowa Central Community College, Iowa State University, Mitchell Technical Institute, Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture, North Dakota State University, South Dakota State University, University of Wisconsin-River Falls and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
