When one door closes, sometimes another opens.
That’s the case for Gillette, which will host the National High School Finals Rodeo in 2027 — a year earlier than planned — and also replace an RV event that had rescheduled its planned ’27 dates.
The NHSFR outgrew its planned venue in Lincoln, Nebraska, Cam-Plex Esecutive Director Aaron Lyles told Cowboy State Daily on Tuesday.
“The association’s growth, combined with that being a property that’s a third the size of Cam-Plex — when they had some big rainstorms, it just really impacted the event,” Lyles said. “So James (Higginbotham) and I are pretty close and I’d always promised him if he ever needs anything to let me know. And I’ve consistently reinforced that.”
Higginbotham is the executive director of the National High School Rodeo Association, which puts on the NHSFR. In a media statement to reporters in Nebraska, Higginbotham said the size of the high school event has grown from 1,600 contestants in 2021 to just under 1,800 in 2026.
By staying in touch with Higginbotham, Lyles knew of the logistical challenges they faced. So, when the RV event asked two years ago to move its event from 2027 to 2030, Lyles made a calculated decision not to immediately fill that time slot, realizing there was a good chance NHSFR would be looking for a different venue in 2027.
Campbell County Economic Win
Lyles didn’t solicit anything directly, he stressed. It was more a matter of being in the right position at the right time to help out NHSFR when needed.
“We would have had to do something that’s smaller, more regional,” Lyles said. “Sometimes the smaller regional event has a lot of economic benefit, more so than some big national events.”
But the NHSFR is a big national event that has a proven, 14-year track record of bringing 12,000 people to town and generating roughly $20 to $25 million in spending for Gillette and surrounding areas. That made holding those dates open just in case NHSFR decided to seek a new venue a gamble worth taking, Lyles decided.
And it’s one that’s ultimately paying off with an event that will fill Cam-Plex’s 1,729 dedicated RV campsites. The venue also has a vast open space, which it built for 60,000 campers at the Pathfinders International Camporee in 2024.
Although Camporee won’t be returning as planned in 2029, that gives Cam-Plex a significant buffer zone to accommodate growth or other logistical headaches.
Deep Roots In Wyoming
The National High School Finals Rodeo has a long history in Wyoming. It has been in the Cowboy State 23 times in 37 years.
The Cam-Plex first hosted in 1993. Next year will mark its 14th time, more than any other city, and Gillette will host in 2028 and 2029, for a total of 16.
That three-year run will bring upwards of $75 million in economic impact.
Rock Springs, meanwhile, has hosted the event eight times.
The event’s long history in the Cowboy State is about to end. It will be moving to the Lazy E in Guthrie, Oklahoma, in 2030 for the next 10 years.
That decision was made after Cam-Plex was unable to provide the indoor, climate-controlled arenas that the group was seeking.
Infrastructure Gap And Tax Backlash
Cam-Plex did put together a master plan that included such facilities, along with other projects and some deferred maintenance. But Campbell County voters rejected a 1% tax that would have raised $208 million to execute that plan.
“After we identified that we weren’t going to be able to meet their criteria, they did sort of pivot slightly and say, ‘Hey, well, can you just cover the arena instead of it being indoor, climate-controlled,’” Lyles said. “But at that point, the ballot had already happened.”
There was no appetite for further discussion on taxpayer-funded initiatives, Lyles said.
“It was too politically divisive to even talk about anymore,” he said. “One general sentiment is that as soon as (voters) say ‘no,’ then it gets built anyway.”
Because of that backlash, Lyles said it wasn’t possible to talk about another ballot measure, or even a private group funding roofs for the arena.
Lyles acknowledged that Cam-Plex had gained a reputation for deferring too much maintenance in the years prior to his arrival.
“Over decades, the maintenance at Cam-Plex got really in terrible repair,” he said. “That’s been my mission since I’ve been here is our focus on improving the facility that we have. Had they approved that ballot measure, about one-third of the entire cost was actually to fix up the maintenance of other things that were deferred. It was just a complicated moment in time.”
Scouting For Future Growth
Lyles’ gamble to hold open dates for the NHSFR to return in 2027 was an educated one.
He’s been to the rodeo in Lincoln to scout the facility, and noted the pressure its smaller size was causing for large rodeo events. But Lyles’ trip wasn’t just about noting where Cam-Plex is an upgrade. He also took notes about what they’re doing better than Cam-Plex.
That has given him ideas for his facility’s 2028 and 2029 events.
“Lincoln offers world-class hospitality and a great community to host the finals,” Lyles said. “They have more indoor facilities than we have at Cam-Plex and an incredibly talented professional staff that’s well-respected in the industry.”
The event industry is always changing, Lyles added, and Cam-Plex has to change with it.
“If I’m going to support the (NHSRA) association, we have to be fully supportive of wherever they go,” he said. “But I’m always going to be prepared to be their home, if a new home is needed.”
That’s a conversation he’s also had with NHSRA’s board.
“My message to (them) was brief but sincere,” he said. “We were unable to meet their selection criteria for 2030 and beyond, but with or without an indoor arena, our support of the association’s mission would not diminish. The friendships built over decades and the young lives positively impacted would be the true legacy of our 30-year partnership.”
Renée Jean can be reached at renee@cowboystatedaily.com.
