Chad Blankenship wins PBR Teams Golden Clipboard Award, Executive of the Year
NXTbets Pro | Published On: November 6, 2026
Blankenship wins award
Texas Rattlers president and general manager Chad Blankenship added another honor to his run in PBR Teams, winning the 2026 Golden Clipboard Award in Las Vegas and being named Executive of the Year. The recognition put a spotlight on a front-office leader whose work has shaped the league behind the scenes as much as it has helped the Texas franchise on the dirt. The Golden Clipboard Award goes to leaders who handle the daily business that keeps a league moving, including rules, deadlines and operations, and Blankenship’s selection fit that profile. He has worked in the kind of role that often draws less attention than the athletes and coaches, but it can matter just as much to a team’s long-term success. His award paired achievement with responsibility. It recognized performance that starts in the office and reaches all the way to the competition floor. For Blankenship, it also brought a moment of genuine surprise. He stepped away for water during the presentation and then learned he had won when he returned, a reaction that matched the low-key way many front-office accomplishments unfold before they become public. The award placed him among the league’s top executives, but it also underscored how central his work has been to PBR Teams itself. Blankenship is not a new face around the league. He helped build PBR Teams in the league office during the inaugural 2022 season, part of the foundation that gave the format its early structure. That background made the award feel less like a one-night honor and more like a measure of the role he has played since the beginning.
PBR Teams builder
Blankenship’s path through PBR Teams started before the Texas Rattlers became an established franchise. That kind of work is rarely visible to fans, but it has a direct impact on how smoothly a league operates. Rules have to be clear. Deadlines have to be met. Operations have to stay organized. The Golden Clipboard Award is built around that kind of job, and Blankenship’s background lines up with it. His move from league office work to running a team gave him a perspective that reaches both sides of the sport. He understands how the league functions and how a team has to operate inside that framework. That is part of what made his recognition stand out. It was not just a reward for one season or one decision. It reflected a track record of helping shape the league and then applying that experience to the franchise he leads. The Rattlers’ success also gives more weight to that career arc. Blankenship later guided Texas to the 2023 PBR Teams championship, a result that linked the business side of his job to a championship outcome. In a league where front-office organization can influence everything from planning to performance, that championship became part of his case for league-wide recognition. His work as president and general manager has covered the day-to-day demands of running a team, but it has also helped define how the franchise positions itself within the broader PBR Teams structure.
Rattlers success
Blankenship’s award and executive honor also point to the Texas Rattlers’ championship under his leadership. He credited the broader PBR ecosystem for the franchise’s success, and he singled out head coach Cody Lambert as part of that wider effort. That acknowledgment framed the Rattlers’ rise as a shared achievement rather than a one-person story. Blankenship’s role has clearly been central, but his comments showed an understanding that team success in PBR Teams depends on more than one voice, one office or one event. The recognition was humbling for him, and that response fit the tone of his remarks. He did not frame the honors as a personal finish line. He treated them as evidence of the work around him, from league support to coaching leadership to the franchise culture that has developed over time. That matters in a sport where front-office leadership and competitive results are closely linked. A championship team needs more than talent. It needs structure, planning and the kind of leadership that keeps the entire operation steady. Blankenship’s career has covered all of those layers. He helped build the league in its first season, then helped guide the Rattlers to a title, and now he has been recognized for both the business and competitive sides of that effort. The Golden Clipboard Award and Executive of the Year honor put his impact in clear view. They also place his work in the broader story of the Texas Rattlers.
