Cheyenne’s Throwing Its Hat in the Ring – Wyoming Eyes PRCA Headquarters and Hall of Fame

With input from K2 Radio and KGAB AM 650.

Wyoming has never exactly been shy about its rodeo bona fides – it’s the official state sport, we’re the Cowboy State, and the bucking horse is literally one of our symbols. Nightly summer rodeos, four major PRCA Playoff stops, and the legendary Cheyenne Frontier Days make the case pretty loudly: rodeo runs deep here.

Now the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association might be headed even closer to the source. The PRCA board has signed off on a non-binding memorandum of understanding to consider moving its national headquarters – along with the PRCA Hall of Fame and the Museum of the American Cowboy – to Cheyenne.

The city has offered a pretty big pitch: build a brand-new Hall of Fame and an administrative building near the I-25/I-80 interchange on a roughly 35-acre campus. The plan is for that campus to anchor a new western-themed entertainment, cultural and shopping district – something that would draw visitors year-round, not just in the summer.

If everything lines up, the move could happen in early 2029. Governor Gordon made the emotional case for the state, reminding folks that rodeo is part of Wyoming’s DNA – he says he grew up roping at PRCA rodeos and that there’s “no better place on Earth than right here in the Cowboy State for the PRCA to be headquartered.” He wrapped it up with a little hometown flourish:

“Powder River, Let’er Buck!”

There’s a catch: the Legislature must approve the funding. Cheyenne’s LEADS board has already pledged $15 million, and organizers say the rest would come from a mix of public and private dollars. Right now the proposal is early stage – a lot of details on funding, design and exact timelines are still to come – but the city’s pitch makes one thing clear: Wyoming isn’t just waiting for the PRCA to notice its rodeo roots. It’s making a full-court press.