A stampede of students may be making their way to south Alabama next fall for the chance to compete in rodeo events on a national level and get a college degree.Troy State University has initiated a new intercollegiate rodeo program that already is attracting students from several states and is expected to begin team competition in September.”Books, buckles and boots” is the theme for the program that is under the direction of team advisor Dr. Don Hines, who began a similar program when he was president of the University of West Alabama in Livingston. Under his leadership, the UWA Rodeo Team gained national recognition and has repeatedly been ranked among the best in the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association (NIRA). Hines said he aims to repeat that success at TSU.TSU Chancellor Dr. Jack Hawkins Jr. has been very supportive of the new program. He said he’s excited about the enthusiasm the rodeo program has created in prospective students and in the support shown by Troy and surrounding communities.”With the support of the Pike County Cattlemen’s Association, the TSU Rodeo Team will have access to a state-of-the art covered arena located conveniently near the city of Troy and Troy State University,” Dr. Hawkins said. “The team will use this facility for practices and scheduled competitions.”Collegiate opportunities for high school rodeo athletes in the Southeast are limited. The TSU program can meet a significant need while providing a quality education coupled with personal and professional growth. The intercollegiate rodeo program will encourage these athletes to continue their education beyond high school and to maintain an academic performance that allows them to compete in college rodeo.”A rodeo team at TSU will provide students from Alabama and surrounding states the opportunity to pursue a college degree and compete in intercollegiate rodeo at an outstanding institution close to home, Hines said. Most of the money needed to operate the program is being raised through private funding, he said, which speaks well for how popular rodeo is in the state.TSU will compete in the NIRA’s Ozark Region that includes colleges from Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi, Missouri, Michigan, Ohio and Illinois.The Pike County Cattlemen’s Association has agreed to build stables at the arena complex to accommodate 28-30 participant horses, along with holding pens for practice stock.Even though the program won’t officially start until this fall, students from Tennessee, Florida, Georgia, and Mississippi already have made inquiries about joining the TSU team, said Dr. Jean Laliberte, vice president of institutional advancement at TSU. Plus, nearly 50 students from Alabama already have made verbal commitments to join the TSU team.”The TSU Rodeo Team will be a unit of the Department of Athletics with full-time university support for coaching, athletic training, athletic insurance and scholarships,” Dr. Laliberte said. “The program will be under the direct supervision of a coach who will report to the director of athletics.”In contrast to other athletic programs, there are no limits on the number of athletes who can participate in the rodeo program, and the TSU program will attempt to accommodate as many athletes as feasible, Hines said. Under the rules of the NIRA, the rodeo coach declares a 10-member team prior to each competition. Points earned by this team determine team standings; however, all athletes in the program are allowed to compete in college competitions. College rodeo participants pay their own entry fees, and these fees provide jackpot winnings for each event. The students also are allowed to compete professionally while they are members of a college rodeo program, he added.In December, TSU hosted a senior day for prospective rodeo team members from around the state. Forty-three people attended the daylong session, and dozens more inquired about admission and the rodeo program.Several students who already attend TSU plan to participate in the program. Jim Davis of Troy is a sophomore at Troy State majoring in business. An avid team roper, he said he looks forward to being on the first-ever rodeo team at TSU.”I think a rodeo team will attract a lot of students to TSU that maybe never thought about our university before,” Davis said. “Chancellor Hawkins and Dr. Hines, plus a lot of the other faculty and staff at the university, are really excited about the rodeo program. I know they are committed to making it a success. As a competitor, it’s important to have that support, and it will be nice to be around more students who have the same interests as me.”Lance Houlton, a senior from Deatsville, is president of the Alabama High School Rodeo Association. He has visited the TSU campus on two occasions and would like to come to TSU next fall and join the rodeo team.”The university officials have been so good to all of us who have shown an interest in TSU and the rodeo program,” Houlton said. “They really rolled out the red carpet for us and have worked with us to get the program started. The (rodeo) facility is exceptionally nice, and the people are the same way.”A lot of students in high school rodeo have been talking about Troy State and are interested in the team. There is enough talent right here in Alabama to have a top-notch team, but I expect TSU will get students from all over the country with the type program they are talking about having here.”