The 2026 PBR Teams Championship got off to an emphatic start with four tense matches on Friday night. Four teams’ seasons ended early on Friday, while the other six got to live another day.

The top-seeded Stampede, Gamblers, and Thunder will ride for the first time on Saturday after their Day 1 byes. Their opponents were put through the wringer and fought tooth and nail on Friday to advance. Here’s how that went down, and all the other things you missed from Day 1 of the PBR Teams Championship.

Play-In:

No. 8 Arizona Ridge Riders – 257.55 vs No. 9 Florida Freedom – 181.00 vs No. 10 Oklahoma Wildcatters – 174.15

The Arizona Ridge Riders defeated the Freedom and Wildcatters in the Play-In Game, eliminating them from the 2026 Championship.

All three squads got off to shaky starts, with each team’s ace, Eduardo Matos, Luciano De Castro, and Everton Natan da Silva, all bucking off. But their teammates had their backs, and all three teams scored in the second frame.

Oklahoma’s Kaiden Loud was the first to find eight seconds, covering Dana White’s Playmate for 90.25 points. It was Loud’s 2nd 90 of the season. Arizona’s Eduardo Aparecido was 89.75 on Bowser for his 11th career ride in the Championship, keeping the Ridge Riders close. However, the Freedom’s Austin Richardson answered with a 91.35 on Woody to take the lead through the second frame. It’s his 4th 90 of the year.

João Lucas Campos maintained the Freedoms’ lead through the third frame, riding Spade for 89.65 points. But the Ridge Riders remained right behind.

Alex Cerqueira rose to the occasion and got his first score in an Arizona uniform, keeping the Ridge Riders close through the third frame. He was 88.45 on Magic Burner after going 0-for-6 in a Ridge Rider uniform beforehand. Arizona scored again, with Cody Jesus notching 79.35 on Tapatio. The Ridge Riders decided to keep the score and went into the Final frame a bull ahead.

That decision sealed the win for Arizona after the Wildcatters and Freedom failed to catch up.

2x League MVP John Crimber made his return to the Freedom after missing over two months but was flung off Kamikaze in less than three seconds, ending the Freedom’s season there.

Winy dos Santos was 83.90 for Oklahoma in a reride opportunity, but it was too little, too late.

After Arizona traded De Castro for Cerqueira, his end-of-season struggles were magnified by De Castro’s perfection. In the end, though, it was Cerqueira who delivered when it mattered most.

Arizona kept their season alive, and they advanced to face the Outlaws and Mavericks in the Last Chance game.

Game 2:

No. 4 Carolina Cowboys – 178.65 vs No. 7 New York Mavericks – 89.25

The margins don’t get any thinner than in Las Vegas, and the Cowboys taught the Mavericks exactly what it takes to win at the Teams Championship.

The Mavericks had never finished better than 8th before, making this match their first-ever non-Play-In/Last-Chance game.

A New York win would get the franchise to Day 2 for the first time, and Bob Mitchell wasted no time trying to turn that into reality. He rode Rhino USA Mouse Trap for a season-high 89.25 points. But Cowboy star Thiago Salgado trumped Mitchell by half a point on Humdinger.

That lead held through the fourth frame after seven consecutive buckoffs between both squads.

New York squandered its opportunities to lead. Cowboys veterans Guilherme Valleiras and Jess Lockwood bucked off in 6+ seconds, alongside 2025 Championship MVP Clay Guiton, who hit the ground at 3.05 seconds. But New York had no response.

In the end, New York’s inexperience lost them the match. Both Hudson Bolton and Marco Rizzo, the 2025 and 2026 PBR Rookies of the Year, bucked off consecutively. Leonardo Castro’s valiant effort was cut short at 6.29 seconds, and with the match on the line, Mauricio Moreira bucked off in less than three seconds.

Adriano Salgado, despite the Cowboys having already clinched the win, ended the match with an 88.90 on Time Traveler, making a “Salgado Sandwich” as coined by head coach Jerome Davis.

Clay Guiton’s health must be monitored, though, after he was whipped off his bull, The Paint, in a full flip, hitting the ground hard after getting his arm caught in the rope. A scary wreck, but Guiton was responsive and walking with help after the incident.

Despite Guiton’s hard fall, Carolina’s title defense campaign stays alive, and they’ll face the No. 3 Nashville Stampede Saturday night.

New York, however, got one more matchup against the Ridge Riders and Outlaws to advance to Day 2 in the Last Chance Game.

Game 3:

No. 5 Texas Rattlers – 358.05 vs No. 6 Kansas City Outlaws – 269.50

The Rattlers have found their stride and brought their late-season high-scoring habits into Las Vegas. After their four rides on Friday, the Rattlers have scored 22 rides in just their previous seven games alone, leading the league.

Kansas City got into trouble early after Sandro Batista, who finished 3rd in the MVP race after covering nine of his final 10 bulls, uncharacteristically bucked off in just 2.49 seconds. Maikon Calixton Rocha had his back, though, and got the Outlaws on the board first with an 88.50-point score on Rock ‘n Roll. He’s been key for the Outlaws down the stretch of the season, with this score being his fifth of his last nine.

But Daniel Keeping swung the lead to the Rattlers with 90.50 points earned in a rematch against Money Hustler. Keeping covered the Bull earlier this season for 87.40, but found his 6th 90-point score of the season on it this time in Vegas.

Lucas Divino doubled down for the Rattlers, riding Cherry Shot for 90.05.

Hayden Welsh kept the Outlaws in it, though. The 2026 No. 1 overall pick was 90.75 on Ghost Face in his first career championship ride.

Brady Fielder fought through a dislocated elbow suffered in Week 11 in New York and rode Train Robber for 89.35 points. It’s his 8th career Championship ride in 11 outs.

With the game on the line, Kansas City needed a 90.70 from Bruno Carvalho, but he could only muster 90.25 atop The HONDO.

João Ricardo Vieira added 88.15 points to the Rattlers’ total for good measure. It was the 491st career qualified ride for the 2023 Teams Championship MVP.

Texas came prepared; their 358.05 points were the most of any team on Day 1. They earned the right to face MVP Jose Vitor Leme and the No. 2 Austin Gamblers in a Lone Star State standoff on Saturday.

The Outlaws scored 269.50 points, the second-most on Friday night, but were relegated anyway to the Last Chance Game against New York and Arizona.

Last Chance Game:

No. 8 Arizona Ridge Riders – 91.45 vs No. 6 Kansas City Outlaws – 90.60 vs No. 7 New York Mavericks – 89.75

All three teams wanted retribution, but only Arizona got it.

The Ridge Riders didn’t strike first, though; instead, Marco Rizzo did for the Mavericks. Rizzo made sure not to miss twice and put 89.75 points on the board for New York to start the game.

Kansas City’s Sandro Batista seemed to reach eight seconds atop CID’s Kid, until a confident challenge flag from Mavericks Head Coach Kody Lostroh took the Outlaws’ points off the board.

Another almost-score from Batista meant Maikon Calixton Rocha, for the second time Friday, put Kansas City on his back and on the board, this time going a career-high 90.60 atop The Heat.

Ridge Rider Everton Natan da Silva bucked off his second bull of the night. He was a perfect 4-for-4 in last year’s tournament.

But his teammate Eduardo Aparecido once again had his back, finishing his night 2-for-2 after an event-leading 91.45-point score on Freedom Fighter. He’s now covered 12-of-14 in Las Vegas, equal to an incredible 85.71% of his bulls. That percentage is only rivaled by John Crimber and Clay Guiton, who’ve matched the same percentage, but on half the bulls. It’s his first 90-point score of the year, his fourth in a row, and it gave Arizona the lead through two frames.

The scores dried up after the second frame. No other rider afterwards lasted even 6 seconds on the back of their bull.

With Arizona in the lead, New York’s Mauricio Moreira was put in a second must-ride situation, but for the second time Friday, was bucked off early. New York’s season momentum was cut short in Vegas, and they will have to wait another year to turn their franchise around.

No. 1 overall pick Hayden Welsh was the Outlaws’ last chance, but he couldn’t get his second score of the night.

Thanks to Aparecido’s perfect night, the Arizona Ridge Riders advance as the 8-seed to take on the No. 1 Missouri Thunder on Saturday. The last two eight seeds to make it to Day 2 also make it to Day 3. The Thunder finished 4th in 2023, while the Stampede won the Championship in 2022. Now, Arizona has completed an upset in every single Championship Tournament they’ve participated in.

The Top 5 seeds and the No. 8 Ridge Riders will duke it out Saturday for the final four Semifinal spots. But for the Wildcatters, Freedom, Outlaws, and Mavericks, their seasons are done, and they’ll have to watch idly as another team wins the Championship.

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Day 2 Matchups:

No. 3 Nashville Stampede vs No. 4 Carolina Cowboys

These two teams struggled to separate from each other this season. As it stands, the Stampede and Cowboys are tied 2-2 in their season series. However, the Cowboys have lost the previous two meetings. Three of their four games played this season were decided by less than 88.15 points, with two being decided by less than 15 points. Furthermore, both teams finished 19-16 in the regular season, and Nashville’s starting lineup has covered a combined 48.05% of their bulls while Carolina’s has covered 47.54%.

Barring any serious issues for Clay Guiton after he took a nasty fall Friday, the Cowboys can rely on their experience stacked up against a Stampede team that features just one rider, Alan De Souza, with more than one ride in his Teams Championship competition career.

De Souza’s ridden 5-of-7 in Las Vegas; the next most are Daniel Feitosa and Alisson De Souza, with one each. Riquelmi Silva is 0-for-3, whereas their other two top riders, Rogério Venâncio and Gustavo Luiz da Silva, are each 0-for-1.

Carolina got away with buckoffs from Jess Lockwood, Guilherme Valleiras and Clay Guiton in their victory over New York, but can’t afford any buckoff streaks as they progress.

Nashville’s floor is higher, thanks to three of their five starters having covered at least 50% of their bulls compared to just two of Carolina’s. But as it stands, no team with a bye has ever won the Championship, and Carolina’s looking to go back-to-back.

No. 2 Austin Gamblers vs No. 5 Texas Rattlers

The Texas rivalry renews for the fifth time this season and the third time in Championship History. The 2026 season record is tied 2-2; however, the Rattlers have won all three meetings in the Teams Championship. All three times, the Rattlers were seeded lower than the Gamblers too. In 2022, the 2-seed Rattlers beat the 1-seed Gamblers in Day 2’s Last Chance Game. In 2023, the 3-seed Rattlers defeated the 1-seed Gamblers again, this time in the Championship game to win the Title. And most recently, last season, the 3-seed Rattlers beat the 2-seed Gamblers in the Last Chance Game.

Texas has been red hot ever since Week 11 in New York. They’ve scored 22 rides in seven games since then, and scored at least 4-of-5 in three of those games.

Furthermore, the Gamblers have never won the Title as a 2-seed or better, and the MVP has never won the Title in the same season. History favors the Rattlers, but they’ll have to overcome the MVP Jose Vitor Leme, who’ll look to extend the greatest season in PBR Teams History.

Both teams are loaded with experience, as well as a Championship MVP in Kaique Pacheco and João Ricardo Vieira.

The loser of this game may still find a way to make it to Championship Sunday coming out of the Last Chance Game.

No. 1 Missouri Thunder vs No. 8 Arizona Ridge Riders

Eduardo Aparecido willed the Arizona Ridge Riders to their 2nd straight Day 2 appearance, only this time they must face the top-seeded Missouri Thunder. The Ridge Riders know it’s an uphill battle, and that they’ll need all hands on deck if they want to topple the winningest team in the league.

The Thunder have yet to lose to the Ridge Riders this season despite meeting four times. They’re the only team Arizona hasn’t defeated this season.

Arizona needs Everton Natan da Silva to find his groove after bucking off his first two, and for Aparecido to repeat his season-high 91.45 scored on Friday. They’ll need Alex Cerqueira to step up again, which he did on Friday for the first time.

All of this just to ensure a chance against Paulo Eduardo Rossetto and the Thunder, who scored a league-high 2.40 rides per game this season.

Julio Cesar Marques is 0-for-4 in Championship competition in his career, and the Thunder will look to him for crucial points on Saturday. However, Felipe Furlan and Macaulie Leather have covered 4-of-7 and 2-of-3, respectively, in their Championship careers.

Twice has the 1-seed been eliminated on Day 2, but only once has a 1-seed made the Championship Game, and they lost.

The Thunder made the Championship Game last year, and know exactly what it takes to get back. Getting back starts with a decisive win over Arizona on Friday.