The National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association (NIRA), which today supports thousands of student rodeo athletes across the country, was born in Alpine, Texas, in 1948.
In the years following World War II, college rodeo was gaining popularity, prompting representatives from twelve schools to meet in Alpine on November 6, 1948, to discuss forming a national governing body. That meeting led to the drafting of the NIRA constitution, guided by Hank Finger, president of the Sul Ross State University Rodeo Club, and finalized at a convention in Denver in April 1949.
Sul Ross State University played a central role not only in initiating the NIRA but also in its early achievements. The first NIRA All Around Champion, Harley May, was a Sul Ross student, crowned during the first College National Finals Rodeo held in San Francisco in 1949.
From its Alpine origins, the NIRA has grown to include over 130 colleges and universities, hosting more than 100 rodeos each year and producing a long list of champions who have gone on to professional rodeo success.
Today, Alpine remains a key part of this legacy as home to the Sul Ross State University Rodeo Team, honoring its place in the founding of collegiate rodeo and its enduring role in preserving Western heritage.
