With two brand new squads added to the PBR Team Series in 2024, there will be an expansion draft.
Just 18 months after the Team Series got underway, the process of adding to it began. The result? The Oklahoma Wildcatters and New York Mavericks became the 9th and 10th members of the PBR Team Series.
“We’re just ecstatic about the two new teams,” Gleason said. “It’s been a great run the first couple years of Teams.”
According to Gleason, the “revolution” of Western Sports and the stakes of the teams concept have been key in driving the growth of the Team Series, which will begin its third season later this year.
“It’s just put a new spin on bull riding that makes it a phenomenal team sport,” Gleason said.
With those two new teams, the expansion draft is necessary to fill out the rosters with equal talent the rest of the league.
Each of the existing eight teams were able to protect three of its seven riders, the remaining four are up for grabs for the Wildcatters or Mavericks.
"(The teams) had to go through some pretty agonizing decisions on who to protect,” Gleason said. “There’s a couple World Champs that aren’t protected as we go into this draft.”
The PBR Teams Expansion Draft will air on The Cowboy Channel and Cowboy Channel+ at 7:00 PM ET.