Las Vegas turns attention to bringing back NFR

Despite glowing remarks from an official with the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association about this year’s National Finals Rodeo, Las Vegas Events president Pat Christenson said he wasn’t concerned about Texas keeping the event.

The NFR moved to Arlington, Texas, this year because of COVID-19 restrictions in Nevada made hosting the event at the Thomas & Mack Center challenging.

In exchange for relocating the event, Las Vegas received an extra year on the contract through 2025 to host the NFR, which ended Saturday.

“I expected all of this excitement from Texas,” Christenson said Sunday. “Why wouldn’t they be excited? They have not had a taste of this. It is a tribute to the quality and the brand of the NFR that they are excited about it.”

PRCA chief marketing officer Steve Remelos told the Dallas Morning News that the NFR had “unfinished business” at Globe Life Field, the home to the Texas Rangers. That business includes giving the contestants a chance to compete with the roof open.

“We look forward to what the future holds in that regard,” Remelos said.

Christenson also said a recently launched campaign to promote Las Vegas as the preferred destination for the NFR should not be interpreted that local officials are concerned Texas might try to take the rodeo next year.

“The purpose of our launch is to continue to do what we’ve always done, and that is better the experience for fans,” Christenson said. “It has nothing to do with feeling threatened at all about whether the NFR might move or might not move.”

The NFR has been in Las Vegas since 1985 and has become one of the city’s top economic drivers. It also is staged at what is typically at what otherwise is a slower time for tourist traffic.

Contact reporter Mark Anderson at manderson@reviewjournal.com. Follow @markanderson65 on Twitter.