The dog days of summer also welcome the sights of early fall on the horizon. With that comes the highly anticipated bubble-race stories, and athletes laying it all on the line to punch their ticket to Las Vegas.
One of the biggest factors in the race to an NFR qualification, and being on the winning side of the world standings top 15 bubble race, is the CINCH Playoff Series.
Launched in 2022, the CINCH Playoff Series was created to elevate the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA)’s athletes’ competition stages, exposure, and payouts. In just a few seasons, it has evolved into one of the most critical races on the PRCA calendar.
The series unfolds in two primary stages: the CINCH Playoffs in Puyallup, Washington, and the season-ending Governor’s Cup in Sioux Falls.
At Puyallup, the top 23 contestants in the Playoff Series points standings (plus the NFR Open Champion from each event) will compete for a position at the Governor’s Cup. The Governor’s Cup then brings together the top 12 athletes—four from each event at Puyallup and eight from the Playoff Series standings.
At the Governor’s Cup, contestants compete in two long rounds. The top eight advance to a clean-slate semifinal, followed by a winner-take-all short round featuring the final four. The result of the historic payout will provide direct implications for NFR qualifications, careers and livelihoods.
Held during the final week of the PRCA regular season, the 2025 CINCH Playoffs boast a total payout of $1,080,314. For many athletes, the season’s mission is clear: get to Sioux Falls—and then get to Las Vegas.
The Road to Sioux Falls
To reach the Governor’s Cup, athletes must first qualify for the CINCH Playoffs in Puyallup through the Playoff Series standings. The series is comprised of the PRCA’s 60 richest rodeos, offering athletes from across North America a chance to earn their way into the postseason.
The PRCA recently announced the 2026 lineup of rodeos* that will count toward CINCH Playoff Series earnings, beginning this week in Odessa, Texas.
(List of rodeos listed below)*
How Qualification Works
Qualification for the CINCH Playoffs is determined by a tiered points system that reflects an athlete’s earnings and performance at designated Playoff Series rodeos.
Points are awarded to the top 20 finishers at each event, with three levels of distribution based on total payout. Points are awarded based on average placings at rodeos featuring one or more go-rounds, including finals when applicable.
This race to qualify for Puyallup is among the most hotly contested battles of the season, carrying major implications for the 2026 NFR.
With storylines of 2026 NFR qualifications already in talks, all attention once again turns to PRCA’s top athletes and the rodeos that shape the CINCH Playoff Series. With world titles and NFR berths hanging in the balance, it remains one of the most consequential races in professional rodeo.
Coverage and results from all CINCH Playoff Series rodeos will be available across The Cowboy Channel’s digital and broadcast platforms.
2026 CINCH Playoff Series Rodeos
Sandhills Stock Show & Rodeo – Odessa, Texas
National Western Stock Show & Rodeo – Denver, Colo.
Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo – Fort Worth, Texas
San Angelo Stock Show & Rodeo – San Angelo, Texas
Dixie National Rodeo – Jackson, Miss.
San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo – San Antonio, Texas
La Fiesta de los Vaqueros – Tucson, Ariz.
RODEOHOUSTON – Houston, Texas
Rodeo Austin – Austin, Texas
Clark County Fair & Rodeo – Logandale, Nev.
Red Bluff Round-Up – Red Bluff, Calif.
Clovis Rodeo – Clovis, Calif.
Pioneer Days Rodeo – Guymon, Okla.
Redding Rodeo – Redding, Calif.
Music City Rodeo – Nashville, Tenn.
Woodward Elks Rodeo – Woodward, Okla.
Sisters Rodeo – Sisters, Ore.
Dinosaur Roundup Rodeo – Vernal, Utah
Reno Rodeo – Reno, Nev.
Silver State Stampede – Elko, Nev.
Crooked River Roundup – Prineville, Ore.
Rodeo Of The Ozarks – Springdale, Ark.
West of the Pecos Rodeo – Pecos, Texas
Greeley Stampede – Greeley, Colo.
World’s Oldest Rodeo – Prescott, Ariz.
Cody Stampede – Cody, Wyo.
Livingston Roundup Rodeo – Livingston, Mont.
St. Paul Rodeo – St. Paul, Ore.
Mandan Rodeo Days – Mandan, N.D.
90th Annual Independence Day Rodeo – Oakley City, Utah
Basin City Freedom Rodeo – Basin City, Wash.
Rooftop Rodeo – Estes Park, Colo.
Central Wyoming Fair & Rodeo – Casper, Wyo.
Sheridan WYO Rodeo – Sheridan, Wyo.
Snake River Stampede – Nampa, Idaho
Rodeo Salinas – Salinas, Calif.
Cheyenne Frontier Days – Cheyenne, Wyo.
Ogden Pioneer Days – Ogden, Utah
Fiesta Days Rodeo – Spanish Fork, Utah
Days of ’47 – Salt Lake City, Utah
Deadwood Days of ’76 – Deadwood, S.D.
Dodge City Round Up – Dodge City, Kan.
Mountain Valley Stampede – Heber City, Utah
Douglas County Fair & Rodeo – Castle Rock, Colo.
Sikeston Jaycee Bootheel Rodeo – Sikeston, Mo.
Farm-City Pro Rodeo – Hermiston, Ore.
Lea County PRCA Rodeo – Lovington, N.M.
Cache County Fair & Rodeo – Logan, Utah
Caldwell Night Rodeo – Caldwell, Idaho
Canby Rodeo – Canby, Ore.
Gooding Pro Rodeo – Gooding, Idaho
Moses Lake Round-Up Rodeo – Moses Lake, Wash.
Horse Heaven Roundup – Kennewick, Wash.
Golden Spike Rodeo – Tremonton, Utah
Kitsap Stampede – Bremerton, Wash.
Ellensburg Rodeo – Ellensburg, Wash.
Walla Walla Frontier Days – Walla Walla, Wash.
Lewiston Roundup – Lewiston, Idaho
Pendleton Round-Up – Pendleton, Ore.
North Dakota Roughrider Cup – North Dakota Roughrider Cup
