KFC Yum! Center Filled with 750 Tons of Dirt as Venue Converts to Pro Bull Riding Arena

WHAT: For the fourth time in history, and first time since 2021, PBR’s (Professional Bull Riders) elite Unleash The Beast, featuring the Top 40 bull riders in the world and rankest bovine athletes on the planet, will buck into Louisville, Kentucky, holding the PBR Cooper Tires Invitational, presented by Kubota, April 29-30 at KFC Yum! Center. Brining the edge-of-the-seat action one can only experience at a PBR event, the event will feature 40 of the world’s best bull riders squaring off in epic 8-second confrontations all night long against some of the rankest bulls on the planet, often 10-times their size. Adding extra significance to the tour stop not only will it be part of the organization’s 30^th anniversary celebration, but it will be the final regular-season event in the fierce race to be crowned the 2023 World Champion and earn the accompanying $1 million bonus. For more on the event, click here.
 
However, before the intense action can get underway, KFC Yum! Center must undergo what is arguably the greatest transformation of the year. To become an arena suitable for professional bull riding, among other items, the venue will be filled with upwards of 750 tons of dirt. Additionally, PBR’s skilled team will assemble a maze of steel paneling totaling to the length of six football fields, creating both the arena and necessary pens for the bovine athletes.
 
With the conversion taking place in fewer than 24 hours, join the PBR at KFC Yum! Center on Friday, April 28 at 3:00 p.m. ET to witness the transformation as the dirt begins to arrive.
 
Note: Interviews will be available with members of the PBR operations team upon request.   
 
WHEN: Friday, April 28
 
TIME: 3:00 p.m. ET

Note: This is the time the dirt is expected to begin being dumped at KFC Yum! Center. To attend, please RSVP to Kacie Albert, contact info below, who will provide you with all day-of information.
                       
WHERE:  KFC Yum! Center, 1 Arena Plaza, Louisville, KY 40202

ADDITIONAL PHOTO OP: Additional in-studio or onsite interviews for Friday, April 28th can be arranged in advance with 2021 PBR Rookie of the Year Eli Vastbinder. Vastbinder joins several other riders competing in Louisville who are looking to capture their first PBR World Championship this season. Zoom or phone interviews can be scheduled in advance of Friday. Please contact Sandra Moran with the KFC Yum! Center and Kacie Albert with PBR to schedule an interview.