Student Leadership and College Rodeo Life: Inside the Iowa State Rodeo Club

Learfield is the industry leader in intercollegiate athletics multimedia rights, managing and protecting official school IP while overseeing sponsorships with thousands of corporate partners. Currently, 21 schools in Learfield’s multimedia rights portfolio have rodeo teams, and there are more than 100 club-level rodeo teams across the U.S. As of January 2026, Learfield College Rodeo’s client roster includes esteemed programs such as Black Hills State, Cal Poly, Colorado State, Colorado Mesa, Dickinson State, East Texas A&M, Idaho State, Iowa State, Kansas State, Montana, Montana State, Montana Western, Oklahoma State, Southern Arkansas University, Texas A&M, UNLV, Utah State, Wyoming, West Alabama, and the Central Rocky Mountain Region.

College rodeo is about far more than what happens inside the arena. For many athletes, the experience also becomes a training ground for leadership, responsibility, and community building.

A recent episode of the Learfield College Rodeo Podcast highlights exactly that. Host Shelby Rasmussen sits down with Colby Dugger, former president of the Iowa State Rodeo Club, to discuss how the program operates as a fully student-run organization and what their new partnership with Learfield College Rodeo means for the future of the team.

The conversation offers a behind-the-scenes look at how collegiate rodeo programs grow, how student leadership shapes team culture, and why partnerships like this help expand opportunities across the sport.

The following story was originally published through our partners at Learfield College Rodeo.

The newest episode of the LEARFIELD College Rodeo Podcast features a conversation with Colby Dugger, a former president of the Iowa State Rodeo Club, who joins host Shelby Rasmussen to discuss the program’s exciting new partnership with Learfield College Rodeo and the unique culture behind one of collegiate rodeo’s most distinctive teams.

The Iowa State Rodeo Club recently became the newest program to join Learfield College Rodeo, marking an important step in expanding opportunities and exposure for collegiate rodeo programs across the country. During the episode, Dugger shares insights into the club’s history, its entirely student-run structure, and the leadership experience that comes with helping manage and grow the organization.

A Student-Led Rodeo Program

Unlike many collegiate teams, the Iowa State Rodeo Club operates as a fully student-run organization. Dugger explains how this structure gives members a hands-on role in everything from organizing events and practices to managing logistics and building partnerships that support the team.

Serving as club president provided Dugger with valuable leadership experience, both inside and outside the arena. From coordinating team efforts to representing the program within the broader rodeo community, the role required balancing the responsibilities of student leadership with the demands of competition.

Building Partnerships in College Rodeo

The conversation also highlights what the partnership with Learfield College Rodeo means for the Iowa State program. By joining the Learfield network, the club gains access to resources and exposure designed to help elevate collegiate rodeo programs and connect them with new opportunities.

These partnerships are part of a broader effort to grow college rodeo by supporting teams, strengthening recruiting pipelines, and expanding storytelling around the athletes and programs that make the sport unique.

Looking Ahead

As Dugger reflects on his time competing and serving on the board, he also discusses his future plans and the lessons he’s taken from his experience in college rodeo. His story underscores how collegiate rodeo provides not only a competitive platform but also opportunities for leadership, networking, and personal growth.

Episode 28 of the LEARFIELD College Rodeo Podcast offers listeners a behind-the-scenes look at the Iowa State Rodeo Club and the impact of student leadership in building a successful program.

Listeners can hear the full conversation on the LEARFIELD College Rodeo Podcast, available on major podcast platforms.

If you're exploring the college rodeo journey yourself, start with our Essential Guide to College Rodeo Recruiting, which explains how athletes connect with programs and prepare for the recruiting process.