Published: May 09, 2008 09:22 am            

BRETT HOFFMAN: Community colleges up to the competition

Imagine Panola College dominating Texas A&M in the fourth quarter in a Big 12 football showdown.

It’s just not going to happen anytime soon.

A big-time NCAA Division I program would have little to worry about in a matchup against a community college.

But that’s not necessarily the case in the world of college rodeo. Community colleges not only go head-to-head with high-profile universities, the little schools often gain the upper hand in the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association rankings.

Of the four NIRA Southern Region teams (two men’s and two women’s teams) that qualified for the June College National Finals Rodeo in Casper, Wyo., three were small colleges.

Northeast Texas Community College and Panola College earned the top two spots in the Southern Region’s men’s standings, while Sam Houston State beat out Texas A&M on the women’s side.

Trinity Valley Community College’s men finished eighth and the school’s women’s team came in seventh after competing in 10 regular season rodeos.

The college rodeo association traditionally has pitted schools together regardless of size. One big reason that the smaller schools excel because administrators allocate a greater amount of scholarship money to the sport than large schools, said Sylvia Gann Mahoney of Vernon, who is the author of “College Rodeo: From Show to Sport”.

Mahoney said large schools are often handicapped because they are forced to pull rodeo resources from the agriculture department. Rodeo is just one little spoke in the wheel at large colleges where athletic departments funnel most of their money to mainstream sports.

“Many smaller colleges don’t have sports like football and basketball, and they have rodeo coaches who know how to recruit well and that puts them on the same level with the universities,” Mahoney said.

Panola coach Travis Adams said his program is successful because rodeo is a high priority.

“Some of the smaller schools take rodeo more seriously,” Adams said.

“We also recruit those kids a little harder.”

But the bigger colleges have one big advantage: They often appeal to a more seasoned competitor who has a proven academic and competitive track record from a community college.

“University coaches often go to the College National Finals and recruit the more mature competitors (from the smaller colleges),” Mahoney said. “They get the students who practice harder, and they take the rodeo careers and college degree more seriously.”

Briefly

• Former National Finals Rodeo qualifier Jeff Chapman of Athens earned $3,725 after finishing second in tie-down roping the Guymon (Okla.) Pioneer Days Rodeo. Chapman is ranked 10th in the PRCA world standings with $28,760.

• Cash Myers, another former NFR qualifier from Athens, earned $1,790 after winning the first round of steer roping in Guymon.

• Boogie Ray of Mabank, a 2003 NFR qualifier, won the team roping heeling title in Guymon and earned $4,253.

• A Professional Bull Riders Discovery Tour show is scheduled for May 17 in Palestine. While the Discovery Tour is a lower-level tier, fans can expect to see some up-and-coming stars who are working their way onto the Built Ford Tough Series. Tickets for the Boston Porter Memorial can be charged by phone by calling 713-906-3263. Tickets are priced at $15.

• PBR world title-race leader Guilherme Marchi won last weekend’s Built Ford Tough Series tour stop ($27,320) in Des Moines, Iowa, and he is scheduled to compete in San Antonio on May 17 and in Dallas on June 21-22.

• As the PBR celebrates its 15th season, the association is offering some seats for $15 during the first weekend of the World Finals on Oct. 31-Nov. 2 at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas. For more information, call 866-727-7469 or visit www.pbrnow.com.

• Three-time world all-around champion Joe Beaver of Huntsville earned almost $3,500 after finishing third at in tie-down roping at the Guymon rodeo. Beaver has struggled with nagging injuries during the past year.

Brett Hoffman is a 20-year rodeo columnist for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram and a member of the Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame. He can be reached at brett@myrodeoinder.com.

        

• Click to discuss this story with other readers on our forums.