UNLOCKING POTENTIAL
Olds College Launches the Olds College Agriculture Group

Olds College of Agriculture & Technology is ushering in a new era for its students invested in agriculture. Following a thorough administrative review and stakeholder consultation, the College has officially launched Olds College Agriculture Group (OCAG). Managed from within Werklund School of Agriculture Technology, this restructured co-curricular framework fundamentally changes how these teams are supported. OCAG including the long-standing Broncos Rodeo Team, the Red Angus Show Team and the Sheep Show Team establishes a framework built around enhanced safety, institutional alignment, animal welfare, specialized coaching and direct experiential learning.

Far beyond a student club, the competitive agriculture teams are aligned with academic programming and the Olds College Smart Farm, connecting student competition with high standards in animal care, safety and husbandry. The Smart Farm includes over 3,300 acres of land for crop and forage production, state-of-the-art equipment and technology, 1,000-head capacity feedlot, commercial cow/calf herd, Purebred Red Angus herd and sheep flock.

The rapid growth of the Red Angus Show Team, coupled with the development and success of the Olds College Sheep Show Team, demonstrates a clear appetite for high-caliber competitive teams. By building on these proven successes, Olds College recognized a vital opportunity to expand its co-curricular offerings creating structured, hands-on opportunities for even more students to develop practical skills alongside their academic studies. 

As OCAG was being established, it became clear that dedicated management was needed to support its operations. Adopting a modern sports-management model, this manager position will handle logistics, budget management, safety protocols and administrative oversight, freeing coaches to focus on student-athlete development. As of Aug. 15, 2026, Michael Frankiw has been selected for the role and looks forward to combining his agricultural background, organizational skills and professional experience to bring OCAG to its full potential.

"We've been working on this new agricultural focused group for a while now figuring out the best way to provide a great student experience that offers real, hands-on learning beyond the classroom," says Jay Steeves, Dean of Werklund School of Agriculture & Technology. "At Olds College, we want to lead the way in agriculture alongside our industry, and we believe the best way to do that is by giving our students a truly authentic experience.  Michael Frankiw, as the Manager of OCAG, provides a history with the College and student experience that is unmatched as the leader of this new structure."

Frankiw's agricultural career began as a manager of a feedlot at the age of 19. Driven by a deep commitment to the agriculture community, he spent eight years at Olds College, earning an Agriculture Management double major in Production and Commerce before transitioning into key operational roles within Student Experience and as a Program Analyst for the Werklund School of Agriculture Technology.

Now serving as Manager of OCAG, Frankiw leverages his extensive background across industry, student life and administration to support students, coaches and industry partners. In his role with OCAG, he oversees hands-on, experiential learning opportunities including competitive agriculture and rodeo while advancing Olds College's rich history and sustainable future in agriculture. Both professionally and personally rooted in the local community, Michael lives in the Olds area with his wife.

"Stepping into this role with OCAG is an incredible privilege," says Michael Frankiw, Manager, Olds College Agriculture Group. "Our students bring so much passion, drive and work ethic to Olds College, and leading this initiative is deeply rewarding. By providing a structured framework for logistics, safety and coaching support, we're giving these talented student-athletes the environment they need to sharpen their practical skills, represent the College with pride, and unlock their full potential both in the arena and in their future careers."

The restructuring establishes a clear educational philosophy agriculture groups serve as co-curricular experiential learning opportunities running parallel to classroom instruction.

This model allows students regardless of their prior agricultural experience to gain hands-on, practical skills in a structured, lower-risk environment. While the long-term goal is to transition these competitive teams into credit-based offerings, the immediate focus centers on delivering high-value student experiences offset by program fees.

Alongside the Rodeo Team, the Red Angus Show Team and the Sheep Show Team, other team expansions will be added under OCAG management. This includes a newly formed Agronomy team and a section dedicated to international agriculture. This will allow opportunities such as last year's Agritechnica trip to Germany and the upcoming student trip to EuroTier 2026 the world's leading trade fair for professional animal farming to continue with organizational support. 

Broncos Rodeo Team within OCAG

This structural shift moves oversight of the Broncos Rodeo Team from the Athletics Department into Werklund School of Agriculture Technology aligning operations with livestock management and athlete support within OCAG. By fostering closer collaboration across departments, this evolution creates a unified system dedicated to unlocking the team's full competitive potential and supporting our rodeo athletes long into the future. 

Additionally, within the new framework, the rodeo program is moving toward a multi-coach strategy, bringing in specialized experts for specific events.

"We have a proud history of rodeo at Olds College, and this new structure is an opportunity to build on that foundation and create something sustainable for the future," says Frankiw. "Everyone involved has an important role to play our coaches can focus on mentoring and developing student competitors, specialized coaches can bring their expertise to individual events, and my role will provide the administrative and operational support that keeps the program moving. When those pieces work together, we can create a stronger student experience and build a rodeo program that our students, coaches, alumni and the College can be proud of for years to come."

By uniting academic oversight, expert coaching, and an unwavering commitment to animal welfare and student safety, the College is setting a new benchmark for competitive agricultural program success through OCAG.

More information about the 2026-27 Broncos Rodeo Team and coaches will be released soon.