The National High School Finals Rodeo will not return to Lincoln for its 2027 competition, as organizers say the event has simply outgrown the Sandhills Global Event Center. The joint announcement comes after the 78th National High School Finals Rodeo was held in Lincoln in July, bringing nearly 1,800 competitors, about 1,500 R-Vs and nearly 3,000 head of livestock to the area.
Sandhills Global Event Center Managing Director Ron Bohaty says the facility was stretched to capacity during the 13-day competition. “We were able to fit everybody in here and while doing so looking out for their safety, the safety of the animals and everybody on the campus.”
National High School Rodeo Association Director James Higginbotham says the decision to move the event is not a reflection on Lincoln, Nebraska or the people who helped host it. He says the association’s growth has created challenges that ultimately come down to available space.
“It has all to do with size.” Higginbotham says the association has grown considerably since 2021, when Lincoln hosted roughly 1,600 contestants. “What people really like to do is stall all their horses on ground. They also like to camp on ground.”
He says the association’s ultimate goal is to have a facility with enough covered space to protect the competition from weather, while also providing adequate room for camping and livestock. Bohaty says Sandhills added more than 100 dry-camping spaces this year in an effort to accommodate the growing event.
The facility had about 1,306 campsites with electricity and water, along with roughly 150 additional dry campers in a parking lot. Some competitors also had to use off-site camping areas, including a scouting facility and other local campgrounds.
“Ideally you would have 1,800 campsites and probably upwards of 2,800 horse stalls on site so that the families could bring everything on site, camp on site, stall their horses on site and not have to travel back and forth,” Bohaty says.
The 2026 rodeo also presented challenges from hot weather and rain. Bohaty says high temperatures early in the event placed additional strain on campers, livestock, utilities and event staff. The facility also experienced some power-related problems during the rodeo. He says some issues were connected to construction and were resolved as the event got underway.
Higginbotham says the electrical problems were not a factor in the decision to move the 2027 event. “I wouldn’t say that. I would think that any problems that we had if we were coming back in 2027, I’m sure that would be solved by then. So that did not play a part. It has to do with size.”
The two organizations describe the decision as a mutual agreement rather than a breakdown in their relationship. Higginbotham says Lincoln has been a strong partner for the association. “The people of Nebraska has been good to us and I can’t find the words to say how appreciative we are to have been here and have the privilege of being here for two years.”
He says if the decision were based solely on emotion, the rodeo would remain in Lincoln. “Sometimes we have to make a business decision with our head not our heart.” Higginbottom says Lincoln could potentially be considered again in future years if circumstances change. The association normally tries to establish its host locations two to four years in advance.
Meanwhile, Sandhills Global Event Center officials say they are already looking at other events to fill the July 2027 schedule.
