Looks like they are staying after all!
The National Finals Rodeo has decided to stay in Las Vegas for another ten years, meaning they will be in the Bright Light City every December through 2024.
In the end, the NFR chose Las Vegas over Dallas and Orlando but not before stirring up a great deal of controversy over the leaving.
The Dallas deal was spearheaded Mark Cuban, owner of the Dallas Mavericks and had the blessing of Texas governor, Rick Perry.
The Orlando deal, first announced last month, now seems like it was used to bring about a better deal with Las Vegas.
According to the Las Vegas Review Journal:
“In a way, we’re not too surprised,” Osceola County Commission Chairman Fred Hawkins said Friday. “We knew the PRCA was going to continue to work with Las Vegas, and we knew there was a long relationship there.”
It seems that negotiations between the PRC and officials from the Las Vegas Convention authority, Las Vegas Events and Strip hotel owners have been going on over the last several weeks., despite official word from the PRC that they were leaving Las Vegas after over twenty years.
The new deal has Las Vegas Events guaranteeing a $16.5 million purse in money and sponsorship annually for the event. For four years beginning in 2020, a cost-of-living increase to each purse is included.
Since it's arrival, the NFR has been held at the Thomas and Mack arena at UNLV. It only seats 24,000 and many consider it long in the tooth. A new stadium to replace it is under consideration.
Attendance for last year's NFR was 176,558 and had a non-gaming revenue of $87.9 million for Las Vegas according the R-J.
This new contract takes place after this year's rodeo which will be held Dec. 4th-13th at the Thomas and Mack Center.
Welcome back, NFR!