PUEBLO, Colo. – In case you haven’t heard, J.B. Mauney is back.

Set to serve as the Head Coach of the year-one Oklahoma Wildcatters, the North Carolina native is teaming up with his fellow statesman in Clay Guiton and a roster full of potential heavy-hitters with cowboys like Cort McFadden, Austin Richardson and company on board for the third season of PBR Camping World Team Series action.

They’ve got plenty of theoretical monkeys to get off their backs, starting Friday night.

(More on that inside the season’s first What to Watch For!)

While the Wildcatters will look to take advantage of some early-season support, each of the other nine teams will need to dig deep and ensure they come out fired up this weekend.

RELATED: PBR Teams 101: Your 2024 questions answered

Turning around a rough start for a favorable finish is always a fun story. But we can almost guarantee each of the series’ athletes, coaches, general managers and fans alike would prefer to see their squads get in the win column a few times this weekend.

And we have a feeling they won’t be holding anything back after a solid chunk of down time.

Knowing who’s primed to lace em’ up this weekend during the first of 12 regular season events, we’re taking a closer look at Friday night’s matchups, rematches and beyond, with some additional game preview insights, latest team transactions and everything you need to know ahead of the season’s first four action-packed games!

With the 5-on-5 circuit set to invade Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, during the inaugural event of the 2024 PBR Camping World Team Series season, let’s break down the starting lineups for Friday night’s competition inside Paycom Center (With coverage set to begin at 7:45 p.m. CT via Merit Street Media).

WILDCATTER DAYS STARTING LINEUPS *Denotes a rematch

Kansas City Outlaws vs. Austin Gamblers Koltin Hevalow vs. Rowdy Dalton Kasel vs. Big Hawk *Julio Cesar Marques vs. Fast Flow *Kaique Pacheco vs. Lapua *Bob Mitchell vs. Ninja Cowboy Guilherme Valleiras vs. Powerstroke Wyatt Rogers vs. DirtyBru Lucas Divino vs. Hunting Trip *Cassio Dias vs. Let’s Roll *Jose Vitor Leme vs. Crazy Times

REMATCHES Bob Mitchell vs. Ninja Cowboy (87 points in Ridgedale, Missouri; 5.12 seconds in Cheyenne, Wyoming; 7.15 seconds in Ridgedale, Missouri; 7.66 seconds in Austin, Texas) Cassio Dias vs. Let’s Roll (86.75 points in Louisville, Kentucky) Jose Vitor Leme vs Crazy Times (2.65 seconds in Guthrie, Oklahoma) Julio Cesar Marques vs. Fast Flow (6.37 seconds in Fort Worth, Texas) Kaique Pacheco vs. Lapua (85.75 points in Manchester, New Hampshire)

TRANSACTIONS The Kansas City Outlaws placed Heitor Santos Ferreira on the Excused Absence List. The Kansas City Outlaws placed Carlos Oliveria on the Excused Absence List.

Outlaws vs. Gamblers Game Preview Is this a bit of foreshadowing for what this year’s 2024 PBR Teams Championship Game matchup could look like? It sure could be, as the Austin Gamblers and Kansas City Outlaws currently occupy the Top 2 spots in PBR.com’s power rankings. And with both Cassio Dias and Jose Vitor Leme set to return to action with a better bill of health, all should be well in the world of bull riding as season three kicks off with a star-studded showdown between several of the league’s top-tiered riders.

Wasting no time putting the circuit’s biggest names on display, Dalton Kasel and Kaique Pacheco look to bring some additional motivation and work ethic into play from their Brazil-based training camp, and undoubtedly join Leme as the most talented trio in 2024. With plenty of skill littered throughout the roster, the Gamblers HAVE to be an early-season favorite to continue their sweep of regular season titles. But it’s the ultimate prize that Adriano Moraes and Michael Gaffney are looking for. This team will ultimately go where the health of Pacheco and Leme allow it to go. So, for now, at least, they are primed to come out hot and likely pick up the W Friday night.

But with the 2024 PBR World Champion in Dias set to steer the ship for J.W. Hart, Guilherme Marchi and the entire Outlaws squad, we’re not counting the orange and black contingent out by any means. Especially if his fellow Brazilian in Julio Cesar Marques can return to the elite mid-summer form we’ve seen him perform at in seasons past. Not to mention youngster Koltin Hevalow, who recently turned in a career-best No. 10 rank during last year’s UTB slate. But with Wyatt Rogers getting the nod alongside Bob Mitchell, they'll be counting on more American talent than usual. We’re not betting against Kansas City to come out and remind Leme and friends that they aren’t invincible … But if Leme is even 80-90% healed up, it’s hard to bet against green and black.

RELATED: Week 1 PBR Camping World Team Series power rankings

Nashville Stampede vs. Arizona Ridge Riders Ednelio Almeida vs. Ready Teddy Nick Tetz vs. Hoka Hey Jess Lockwood vs. Mama’s Boy Eduardo Aparecido vs. Mahan *Mason Taylor vs. Renegade Bruno Carvalho vs. The Kraken Cody Teel vs. Bandito Bug Keyshawn Whitehorse vs. Desperado Silvano Alves vs. Redwing Luciano De Castro vs. Barbarosa

REMATCHES Mason Taylor vs. Renegade (87 points in Albuquerque, New Mexico)

TRANSACTIONS The Arizona Ridge Riders placed Dener Barbosa on the Injured Reserve List. The Nashville Stampede placed Ednelio Almeida on the Reserve Roster.

Stampede vs. Ridge Riders Game Preview The Nashville Stampede are one of just two teams with PBR Teams Championship honors to their name after shocking the world back in 2022 during their historic climb to the top. Always fired up by Head Coach Justin McBride, there’s never been a shortage of passion in the Nashville locker room. However after spending a majority of its regular season sessions trending towards the basement of the league standings, could this be the year the Stampede get things together sooner than later? We could certainly see the case for it, as we’ve seen Kaiden Loud ascend to superstar status while teammate Alan de Souza was one of the most consistent riders during the 2024 premier series campaign. Veterans in Chase Outlaw, Silvano Alves, Ednelio Almeida and Mason Taylor will likely regularly rotate in and out of the lineup. But if there’s a set of wild cards who may dictate their team’s respective outcome, it’s a different pair of veterans in Jess Lockwood and Cody Teel, both of whom are available for this weekend’s event. Set to make his first PBR appearance in over a year, Lockwood could make a difference for his team right away, beginning with a Game 1 showdown against Mama’s Boy.

Seeing plenty of established cowboys take the stage for a pregame handshake, the Arizona Ridge Riders aren’t likely to be spooked, as they arguably have one of the deepest rosters in the league. Bringing the likes of Keyshawn Whitehorse, Nick Tetz, Eduardo Aparecido and beyond into Friday night’s opener, Arizona remains the only team who’s competed on each of the first two Championship Sundays at the 2022 and 2023 PBR Teams Championship gauntlets. Which means they’ve found quite the successful formula and appear to be sticking to it. Despite Dener Barbosa being placed on the team’s Injured Reserve List this week, they’ll have plenty of riders to tap as they look to get the job done on night one. It wouldn’t be crazy to see Nashville steal one here, but Arizona should be set up for their first victory.

New York Mavericks vs. Missouri Thunder Vitor Losnake vs. Grey Fox Felipe Furlan vs. Peterbilt Maverick Smith vs. Boujee Boy Boudreaux Campbell vs. Wasted Nights Leonardo Castro vs. Margin of Error Grayson Cole vs. Crazy Goose Ederson Santos vs. Washita Red *Andrew Alvidrez vs. Cliffhanger Braidy Randolph vs. Big Bank Paulo Eduardo Rossetto vs. Red Demon

REMATCHES Andrew Alvidrez vs. Cliffhanger (6.09 seconds in Fort Worth, Texas)

TRANSACTIONS The New York Mavericks placed Hudson Bolton on the Protected Roster. The New York Mavericks placed Marco Rizzo on the Protected Roster. The New York Mavericks placed Maverick Smith on the Protected Roster. The New York Mavericks placed Romario Leite on the Reserve Roster. The New York Mavericks placed Leandro Zampollo on the Reserve Roster.

Mavericks vs. Thunder Game Preview Just as the Wildcatters have a reputation to live up to in year one, the New York Mavericks have a name to carve out of their own and will look to do just that Friday night as Kody Lostroh and Ednei Caminhas get their team amped up to make their debut. With the likes of Vitor Losnake, Braidy Randolph and Leonardo Castro set to lead the way this weekend, the indigo and red squad is already leaning on a pair of PBR Teams newcomers in Maverick Smith (a 20-year-old cowboy selected in the 2024 PBR Teams New Rider Draft) and Ederson Santos (a 36-year-old selected during the 2024 PBR Teams Expansion Draft) during Game 1. If they hope to exit their first-ever matchup in the winner’s column, they’ll need to ride at least two, if not three, for the recharged Missouri Thunder are set to field a lineup full of 5-on-5 regulars.

And thus we do have Missouri walking away from this one with a 1-0 record. That said, this could arguably be the closest matchup outside Game 1’s Austin vs. Kansas City duel. Missouri hasn’t been known to be the most competitive of squads in the long run yet, despite their epic journey during last season’s 2023 PBR Teams Championship. Those days are long gone, as is some of the team’s core in 2024. But with Boudreaux Campbell set to make his debut for the red and yellow squad, a healthy and motived Andrew Alvidrez returning to captain his squad once again and Brazilian talents in Felipe Furlan and Paulo Eduardo Rossetto ready to ride, Missouri could be this season’s biggest climbers, currently occupying the No. 9 spot in PBR.com’s power rankings ahead of the Week 1 showdown. Safe money says the experienced boys of the Thunder capture this one, but only time will tell!

Of course, there’s plenty of rider talent on display during Friday night’s Game 3. But it’s Big Bank and Red Demon who may capture the most attention in the overall draw after their respective eye-popping showcases during the 2024 PBR World Finals. Teaming up with now Florida Freedom star John Crimber back in May for the event’s highest score (an epic 95-point conversion inside AT&T Stadium), Big Bank hasn’t been afraid of strutting his stuff. The same could be said for Red Demon, who earned the highest-marked bull score two months back, courtesy of his 48.5-point bull score in shedding Dalton Kasel to the dirt at Jerry World.

Texas Rattlers vs. Oklahoma Wildcatters Joao Ricardo Vieira vs. Bruised Ego Eduardo Matos vs. Bangarang Brady Oleson vs. Levy Kase Hitt vs. Buzz Brady Fielder vs. MAGA Hagen Braswell vs. Buckle Up Marcelo Procopio Pereira vs. Flint Stone Clay Guiton vs. Taz *Daniel Keeping vs. Mr. Nasty Cort McFadden vs. Top Dollar

REMATCHES Daniel Keeping vs. Mr. Nasty (7.16 seconds in Greensboro, North Carolina)

TRANSACTIONS The Oklahoma Wildcatters placed Clay Guiton on the Protected Roster. The Oklahoma Wildcatters placed Kase Hitt on the Protected Roster. The Oklahoma Wildcatters placed Hagen Braswell on the Protected Roster. The Oklahoma Wildcatters placed Hayden Harris on the Reserve Roster. The Oklahoma Wildcatters placed Colton Byram on the Reserve Roster. The Texas Rattlers placed Marcelo Procopio Pereira on the Protected Roster. The Texas Rattlers placed Roscoe Jarboe on the Injured Reserve List.

Rattlers vs. Wildcatters Game Preview It’s night one for each of the eight teams in play Friday night, but it’s night one for the Oklahoma Wildcatters on several levels. Preparing for not only their franchise’s first-ever PBR Teams appearance but doing so while looking to put on a show for the hometown crowd as they embrace their first-ever homestand event inside Paycom Center, the lights couldn’t be brighter for Clay Guiton, Cort McFadden and the rest of J.B. Mauney’s year one squad. But with the defending 2023 PBR Teams Champion Texas Rattlers coming to town, they’re going to need to be firing on all cylinders if they hope to hand the reigning Champs their first loss of the season. Seeing McFadden starting the season as the team’s closer is an interesting feat, though, nonetheless.

RELATED: What to Watch For: J.B. Mauney, Oklahoma Wildcatters debut as PBR Teams begins third year of action

As far as Texas is concerned, they’ll have to wait until later in the season to see their 2023 season-topping banner revealed inside Dickies Arena. Until then, they will continue to serve as public enemy No. 1 despite entering the season ranked No. 5 in PBR.com’s power rankings. They have the grit, toughness and technicality that Head Coach Cody Lambert has instilled in them since day one. And with plenty of veterans like Joao Ricardo Vieira, Brady Fielder, Daniel Keeping and beyond set to enter their third season working with one of PBR’s founders himself in Lambert, this squad will be ready to go come opening night. Likely taking the W along the way.

Friday Night Bye Games: Carolina Cowboys, Florida Freedom

TRANSACTIONS The Carolina Cowboys placed Gabriel Morais on the Reserve Roster. The Carolina Cowboys placed Murilo Henrique de Oliveira on the Protected Roster.

FOLLOW ALONG This weekend’s Wildcatter Days season-opener in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, is set to begin Friday, July 12 at 7:45 p.m. CT as the Austin Gamblers and Kansas City Outlaws get the three-day showdown started inside Paycom Center.

With competition set to resume Saturday, July 13 at 7:45 p.m. CT, the first of 10 homestand events will conclude Sunday, July 14 at 1:45 p.m. CT as the Wildcatters look to finish out the weekend with some homefield advantage!

Fans can tune into Merit Street Media and the Merit+ App on Friday, July 12 beginning at 8 p.m. CT to take in the four opening night games live. Night two’s slate, taking place on Saturday, July 13, will also air live on Merit Street Media and the Merit+ App starting at 8 p.m. CT, while Sunday’s entire slate of games will be broadcast on Merit Street Media and the Merit+ App beginning at 2 p.m. CT.

Spanish broadcasts of all three days of action will also air on TUDN, with night one’s action airing on Saturday, July 13 at 2 p.m. CT, Saturday’s games airing on Sunday, July 14 at 2 p.m. CT and all of Sunday’s showdowns set to be shown at 2 p.m. CT on Monday, July 15.

Fans can keep an eye on PBR.com and @PBR social media channels for the latest news, scores, wrecks and more! And be sure to download the Merit+ app for all of this season’s exclusive action!

Photo courtesy of Josh Homer/Bull Stock Media