The NIRA includes over 200 member colleges and universities as well as about 3,000 individual student members. The are 11 regions in the association. The eastern section of the country is located in the Ozark Region . The top two teams in the region and the two individuals in each event represent the region at the finals. Cowboys compete in bull riding, bareback riding, saddle bronc, steer wrestling, and calf roping.
Cowgirls compete in barrel racing, break away roping, and goat tying.
Both men and women compete in team roping. It seeks to promote college rodeo and interest in the western life and culture on a national scale. NIRA members must be enrolled full time and keep a minimum academic grade point average of 2.0.