​Colorado State’s Canvas Stadium is once again morphing into a bull-riding showplace as the Professional Bull Riders league returns to Fort Collins for a second consecutive year. This time, the three-day extravaganza, branded Bulls and Beats, features a star-studded lineup including Brad Paisley and Miranda Lambert, along with college bull riding and a PBR team event. The 2026 edition expands beyond the two days of the previous year, occurring July 10-12. It’s a sizable undertaking, but it won’t alter the core demands of the massive manpower and infrastructure required to transform a football stadium into a gleaming PBR showcase.
Earlier this year, the Coloradoan was given an inside look at the setup as CSU prepared to host the rodeo for the first time in 2025. Here is a detailed recap of how Canvas Stadium is converted from synthetic turf to authentic dirt and back again in less than a week.
Crews begin by preparing the base. PBR teams lay down foot-thick plastic panels that are fastened together with plywood, laying them directly over the stadium’s playing surface. After the plastic and plywood form a sturdy platform, nearly 2,000 tons of specialized dirt—composed of about 70 percent sand and 30 percent clay—is spread across roughly 30,000 square feet. The rodeo arena runs almost the full length of the field, stretching from end zone to end zone and occupying about half of the stadium’s width. Once the dirt is in place, a massive stage—measuring more than 60 yards in length—gets installed at midfield. Large vertical video boards and extensive speaker banks flank the stage, ensuring visibility and sound for the audience gathered on the west side of Canvas Stadium, where approximately 15,000 seats overlook the rodeo arena.
The bull pens and arena walls are added last, enclosing the space so bulls and riders remain safely inside the arena boundaries. In total, dozens of workers are involved, yet the transformation from football field to bull-riding arena takes less than three days. With the stage in the center of the field and the arena fully enclosed, the PBR setup is ready for both the rodeo and the concerts that accompany it. The stage, surrounded by the converted field, stands as a focal point for the event, while the surrounding seating and sightlines are adapted to provide optimal views for fans.
As the setup unfolds, crews coordinate closely to ensure every element—from dirt depth and stability to the precise placement of bucking chutes and arena walls—meets the demands of a high-caliber PBR event and a major concert lineup. The result is a bull-riding palace nestled within a familiar football stadium, capable of hosting a marquee multi-day show that blends intense rodeo action with country music performances.
The transformation is nothing short of remarkable: a football field becomes a temporary rodeo arena, then reverts to a football field in a matter of days. This rapid and complex conversion underscores the logistical prowess required to host a major PBR event at Canvas Stadium. Coloradoan reporter Miles Blumhardt and Coloradoan correspondent Chris Abshire contribute to the ongoing coverage, as the venue continues to evolve for Bulls and Beats and future PBR appearances. This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan, detailing how Canvas Stadium is converted from CSU’s field into a bull-riding palace, a process designed to maximize spectator experience and maintain the stadium’s versatility for other sports and events.