PUEBLO, Colo. – It’s crazy how much one season can change the landscape of the PBR Camping World Team Series.

Of course, the PBR Teams circuit expanded from eight to 10 teams in year three, forcing teams to really zoom in on riding talent and roster construction as talent was spread out across the league this past spring.

Between rookie riders and fresh faces in the coaching and front office circles, there are undoubtedly some new smiles in the mix this time around.

But it’s the way several of the tour’s teams are trending as the best bull riders in the world head as far west as the circuit travels during the summer series that represents some of the biggest changes.

Specifically, for the (9-9) Austin Gamblers.

Last year’s trip to Anaheim, California, and the wonderful Honda Center came a bit earlier in the season, taking place during the third week of 5-on-5 action in 2023. But just because the date has changed, does not mean past results inside the building have.

Knowing the Gamblers exited the showcase last summer with their second event win of the season amidst a perfect 7-0 record, they logged a pair of victories over the Carolina Cowboys and Kansas City Outlaws before watching their ace Jose Vitor Leme seal the deal with an epic 91-point strike in Extra Outs.

The same two teams they’ll need to go through if they want to capture a third-straight regular season title. And likely two of the most prevalent teams when it comes to next month’s 2024 PBR Teams Championship.

All was right in the world for the green and black contingent at that point as the team converted in eight of their 11 combined outs across the two-day slate.

Leme went 3-for-3. Lucas Divino was 2-for-2. Dalton Kasel, Ramon de Lima, Austin Richardson all recorded at least one ride on the productive weekend.

Hell, the team is technically 4-0 all-time inside Honda Center since starting their time inside the venue with a familiar 2-0 slate back in 2022.

Knocking off the eventual 2022 PBR Teams Champion Nashville Stampede before defeating the Kansas City Outlaws to remain perfect in the state of California, thanks to a pair of 2-for-2 performances from Leme and Ezekiel Mitchell in game play (though, Leme was officially 2-for-3 on the weekend after bucking off in the Bonus Round).

However, the team’s personnel pool is admittedly a bit different than the group they brought to the building the past two summers.

Adding 2018 World Champion in Kaique Pacheco to their lineup in year three should, in theory, only position Austin to make a deeper, more impactful run.

Head Coach Michael Gaffney surely isn’t blaming his newly acquired star for the unit’s up and down struggles. If anything, he’s praising the Brazilian standout for making some adjustments and remaining relaxed while turning things around lately.

“Ice is exactly that – He’s so calm and cool. I think he has expected a lot from himself this year. Coming over to a new team and wanting to do well for not only JJ (Gottsch) and myself and the franchise but also his teammates,” Gaffney shared.

“Jose and he are close friends, as well as Ramon (de Lima), and I think he was really just trying too hard. He’s obviously coming off those injuries that I don’t think he experienced early in his career. Not that he hadn’t had his moments of being banged up, but I think that broken leg is hard on guys. And to come back and ride at this level is a big ask, but it is what it is and it’s just taking a little bit of time for things to come full circle. As long as he loosens up and just rides like himself, he will be that dominant third cog in our wheel that we need.”

The “Ice Man,” who is set to bring his 7-for-18 start out west, ranks second on the squad in qualified rides as he continues to get comfortable with his new squad. Despite being quite a big team player in general, there’s just something about the uber competitiveness between him, Leme and Dalton Kasel that makes it feel closer to a brotherhood fighting for seconds at the dinner table some days.

But at the end of the day, they stem from the same Gamblers family, meaning they break bread and eat it together at the same time. Something the squad has been working on as an overall unit.

“At this point I think it’s exactly that, it’s just finding our rhythm, finding where we’re comfortable and just being happy with some momentum. If we can just find a level of comfort where we can feel good about it and not be so apprehensive when we show up in these buildings, almost gun shy. We’re hoping we maybe start with some of these macro successes here and then we can carry that momentum and then maybe we start getting really hot as we close out the season. Hopefully the timing is good and we really peak at the right point,” Gaffney shared.

“It’s all about feeling comfortable and just being ourselves. It’s something that we’re used to. We get up every morning and we exercise together. We get up fairly early, get the motor running, and then we have breakfast together. Then, that last day, we give everybody a morning off and it’s voluntary to come to breakfast. But those first two days it’s about that regiment. It’s about being together and feeling that comfort spot that we try to keep consistent.”

Several teams around the league have similar gameday or weekend-long routines at this point. But there’s no doubt that it was the green and black group who instilled that level of preparation, dating back to year one.

Regularly seen out jogging on the town on gameday mornings, travelling to the event as a team before focusing in during some guided squad stretches, it’s very much a team effort for the Gamblers.

Once considered nearly untouchable when it came to regular season success, after racking up at least 16 wins in each of the team’s first two campaigns, including a 16-12 record in 2022 and a 19-9 slate in 2023, the reality of their 2024 season points towards the unit figuring things out here over these final four events.

With just 10 regular season opportunities remaining, they’ll need to win all 10 of them if they hope to meet their record-setting total from the 2023 campaign. In order to meet their 16-game win mark from year one? The squad will need to be successful in seven of their last 10 matchups.

Yet, as long as the two-time PBR Teams MVP in Leme remains in the lineup, they’ll have every chance they need to succeed.

RELATED: MVP race turns into dogfight with multiple lead changes at Outlaw Days

Officially 14-for-21 on the season, he trails only John Crimber of the Florida Freedom in the league’s individual aggregate score competition, albeit by a mere 60 points.

Which is exactly what we expect from one of the sport’s grandest athletes.

Prior to the start of the 2024 campaign, it seemed like it had been nearly a year and a half since we saw a truly healthy, confident Leme. So, it was a good sight to see him avoid getting roughed up during a Week 1 showdown which could’ve soured his season.

“Going back to Oklahoma City when we saw him get off that bull, he couldn’t get off fast enough and that bull sold out on him,” Gaffney shared on Leme’s early-season scare.

“We were fearful maybe his season was over right then when we saw that. He’s had that upper groin area stuff, so we were really fearful that we were going to lose him for the rest of the season. To have him healthy is huge.”

Heading into their Week 9 slate with matchups looming against three of the league’s bottom four-ranked teams in the (7-11) Arizona Ridge Riders, (7-12) Nashville Stampede and (8-11) Missouri Thunder, they have every opportunity to produce what would be their second 3-0 weekend of the 2024 season, should the well-tuned version of the Gamblers show up to play.

Then again, knowing they dropped two of three contests against similar tiers of competition during their 1-2 homestand in Moody Center a few weeks back, plenty of questions surround the back-to-back regular season champions this time around.

With the Kansas City Outlaws and Nashville Stampede enjoying an opening night bye game, the Gamblers will suit up alongside the Texas Rattlers, New York Mavericks, Arizona Ridge Riders, Carolina Cowboys, Oklahoma Wildcatters, Florida Freedom and Missouri Thunder in getting the show started Friday night inside Honda Center.

Fans can stay tuned to PBR.com and @PBR social media channels for the latest news, league updates and beyond. And be sure to catch all of this weekend’s action on Merit Street, the Merit+ App and CBS Television Network as the PBR Camping World Team Series rages on!

CAN COWBOYS, OUTLAWS CLINCH POSTSEASON BERTHS IN ANAHEIM?
With just four regular season events remaining in the 2024 PBR Camping World Team Series slate, the league’s top-ranked teams are getting damn close to officially clinching spots at the 2024 PBR Teams Championship, which is set to invade T-Mobile Arena Oct. 18-20 for three nights of postseason drama. Knowing six teams will ultimately find themselves dancing in the home of the NHL’s Vegas Golden Knights next month means four teams will find themselves eliminated from competition. And while there’s still a few opportunities for teams to turn things around here over the home stretch, it’s becoming rather apparent that the Carolina Cowboys and Kansas City Outlaws are amongst favorites to be amongst the first to punch their playoff ticket.

Ranked No. 1 overall and rocking a circuit-pacing 14-3-1 record, the Cowboys enjoyed one of the hottest starts to a PBR Teams campaign in tour history this summer. And they haven’t really slowed down. Between holding a whopping 6.5-game lead over the No. 6 New York Mavericks and knowing the squad has just 10 regular season games remaining over the final month of game play means Carolina is officially the closest to bringing their postseason dreams to life. However, with the Cowboys only participating in two games this weekend, allotted a Saturday night bye, there isn’t a path for the frontrunners to clinch just yet. That opportunity will come as soon as the following weekend’s showcase in Greensboro, North Carolina, aka the unit’s homestand PBR Teams: Cowboy Days event.

That won’t stop Carolina from giving their all this weekend, as they understand the No. 2 Outlaws are a mere two games back at 13-6. If anything, the ability to add some additional drama to their homestand next weekend should encouraging the group to ride well inside Honda Center.

Kansas City, who’s arguably the hottest team on tour right now, is honestly the only other team creeping above the 75% chance mark of qualifying for the postseason. They’ve beaten the teams that will be waiting in Las Vegas lately. They’ve continued to see flashes from riders other than named Cassio Dias, which will greatly increase their odds of making a run this fall. So, what’s left for Kansas City to achieve?

Well, they need a few more wins, just like the Cowboys. And, in the same boat as their fellow top-tier contenders, only get a pair of contests this weekend in Anaheim, drawing the Arizona Ridge Riders and Texas Rattlers out west. Given the fact the Outlaws are 3.5 games ahead of each of the league’s three 9-9 squads in the Rattlers, Florida Freedom and Austin Gamblers means they need to keep an eye out for a few squads. Specifically, their showdown against the Rattlers this weekend could hold huge implications for Kansas City’s odds of clinching a spot in North Carolina, if not affect the team’s endgame playoff seed.

Kansas City doesn’t have a path to the postseason this weekend, but would be wise to take care of business should they be interested in sealing the deal in Week 10.

2024 PBR TEAMS: ANAHEIM MATCHUPS
Friday, September 13:
Texas Rattlers vs. New York Mavericks
Austin Gamblers vs. Arizona Ridge Riders
Carolina Cowboys vs. Oklahoma Wildcatters
Florida Freedom vs. Missouri Thunder

Saturday, September 14:
Austin Gamblers vs. Nashville Stampede
Florida Freedom vs. Texas Rattlers
Oklahoma Wildcatters vs. New York Mavericks
Kansas City Outlaws vs. Arizona Ridge Riders

Sunday, September 15:
Carolina Cowboys vs. New York Mavericks
Austin Gamblers vs. Missouri Thunder
Texas Rattlers vs. Kansas City Outlaws
Nashville Stampede vs. Oklahoma Wildcatters

FOLLOW ALONG
This weekend’s PBR Teams: Anaheim showcase in Anaheim, California, is set to begin Friday, Sept. 13 at 6:45 p.m. PT as the Texas Rattlers and New York Mavericks get the three-day showcase started inside Honda Center.

With competition set to continue Saturday, Sept. 14 at 5:45 p.m. PT and conclude Sunday, Sept. 15 at 11:45 a.m. PT, the final neutral-site event of the regular season will see the world’s best bull riders lay it all on the line with just five weeks remaining until the 2024 PBR Teams Championship in Las Vegas, Nevada, Oct. 18-20!

RELATED: Where to Watch: Anaheim

Fans can tune into Merit Street and the Merit+ App on Friday, Sept. 13 beginning at 7 p.m. PT to take in the four opening night games. Night two’s slate, airing on Saturday, Sept. 14, will also air on Merit Street and the Merit+ App starting at 6 p.m. PT, with all of Sunday’s showdowns concluding the weekend’s coverage on Merit Street and the Merit+ App beginning at Noon PT.

Spanish broadcasts of all three days of action will also air on TUDN, with night one’s action airing on Saturday, Sept. 14 at Noon PT, Saturday’s slate airing on Sunday, Sept. 15 at Noon PT and Sunday’s showdowns airing on Monday, Sept. 16 at Noon PT.

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 to watch all of this season’s exclusive action!

Photo courtesy of Todd Brewer/Bull Stock Media