PBR Announces Second-half Schedule

PUEBLO, Colo. – The PBR’s (Professional Bull Riders) top-flight tour, the Built Ford Tough Series (BFTS), has announced the home stretch of its 2017 schedule. Over these 10 events, the best bull riders in the world will begin their race toward Las Vegas and the T-Mobile Arena in November, where the 2017 PBR World Champion will be crowned Nov. 1-5.

The second half of the BFTS schedule is highlighted by the tour’s first-ever stop in Austin, Texas, and a return to Long Island.

The tour will debut at the Frank Irwin Center in Austin on Sept. 15-17 while also returning to Long Island with Buck Off the Island, presented by Cooper Tires, at the New Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum presented by NYCB in Uniondale, New York, on Sept. 23-24. The new arena opens on April 5, 2017 after closing its doors in August 2015 for an extensive renovation.  The PBR last visited Long Island in 2005.

A stop at BOK Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on Aug. 11-12 opens up the stretch run to the PBR World Championship.

Bridgestone Arena will welcome the PBR to Nashville for the fourth Major of the season, Aug. 18-19. The special two-day event will feature the only bracket-style format during the 2017 season.

Thackerville, Oklahoma, will host the PBR for the seventh straight year when the “toughest sport on dirt” stops at the Winstar World Casino & Resort on Sept. 2-3.

The PBR will then head to Springfield, Missouri, on Sept. 8-10 for its ninth consecutive visit to JQH Arena and the PFIWestern.com Invitational.

Following stops in Austin and Long Island, the PBR’s home state of Colorado will host the next event at the Broadmoor World Arena in Colorado Springs on Sept. 30-Oct. 1. The tour then bucks into Nampa, Idaho, on Oct. 6-7 at Ford Idaho Center.

The PBR will head to SAP Center in San Jose, California, on Oct. 21-22 for the PBR’s second consecutive BFTS event in the Bay Area.

The top 35 bull riders in the world will return to Raleigh, North Carolina for the first time since 2003. The PNC Arena will host the PBR on Oct. 14-15.

As the PBR’s top athletes race toward the championship buckle and a $1-million bonus, fans can be there: check with PBR.com for tickets to the remaining regular-season events.

As always CBS Sports remains the exclusive television partner of PBR, with events airing on the CBS television network and CBS Sports Network.

2017 PBR BUILT FORD TOUGH SERIES SCHEDULE: SECOND HALF

Aug.11-12        Tulsa, Oklahoma                     BOK Center
Aug. 18-19       Nashville, Tennessee                Bridgestone Arena
Sept. 2-3         Thackerville, Oklahoma            Winstar World Casino
Sept. 8-10        Springfield, Missouri                JQH Arena
Sept. 16-17       Austin, Texas                        Frank Irwin Center
Sept. 23-24       Uniondale, New York               New Nassau Coliseum
Sept. 30-Oct. 1  Colorado Springs, Colorado       World Arena
Oct. 6-7           Nampa, Idaho                        Ford Idaho Center
Oct. 14-15        Raleigh, North Carolina             PNC Arena
Oct. 21-22        San Jose, California                 SAP Center
Nov. 1-5          Las Vegas, World Finals            T-Mobile Arena