With the possibility of Las Vegas building an MLB ballpark for a relocating A's or an expansion club, the city "should be considering a venue that could serve baseball and rodeo,” according to Richard Velotta of the LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL. Las Vegas could “someday lose" the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo to another city, and that prospect has "generated discussions about how to keep ‘the Super Bowl of rodeos’ in Southern Nevada." Golden Entertainment EVP/Operations Blake Sartini suggests "developing a venue specifically" for rodeo to keep it in Las Vegas. Velotta wrote having dedicated rodeo grounds in Las Vegas "would be beneficial on many levels." Rodeo ticket sales "provide the revenue for prize money," and a new venue could "greatly expand capacity -- a huge benefit because the Thomas & Mack Center always sells out." The 10 days of rodeo competition every December has become "one of the most anticipated annual events on the city’s calendar" and an argument can be made that NFR is the "model and template for all major special events in the city.” Since 1985, the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association has staged the NFR at the Thomas & Mack Center, and since then, the rodeo has been in Las Vegas every year “except 2020 when the pandemic hit, and the rodeo retreated to Dallas-Fort Worth” (LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL, 12/10).
Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, currently held at Las Vegas's Thomas & Mack Center, is considered by many the sport's marquee eventGetty Images
