urance ▁company ▁spons or ships ▁were ▁grand father ed ▁in ▁when ▁the ▁second - level ▁series ▁now ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁X fin ity ▁Series ▁was ▁spons ored ▁by ▁Nation wide ▁In sur ance . ▁ ▁In ▁ 2 0 1 3 , ▁the ▁Professional ▁Bull ▁R iders ▁made ▁it ▁mand atory ▁that ▁all ▁contest ants ▁at ▁their ▁events ▁who ▁were ▁born ▁on ▁or ▁after ▁October ▁ 1 5 , ▁ 1 9 9 4 ▁ride ▁with ▁hel m ets . ▁Those ▁born ▁before ▁that ▁date ▁were ▁grand father ed ▁in ▁and ▁permitted ▁to ▁ride ▁with ▁their ▁cow boy ▁h ats ▁if ▁so ▁desired . ▁▁ ▁In ▁August ▁ 2 0 1 4 , ▁the ▁Baseball ▁Hall ▁of ▁Fame ▁and ▁the ▁Baseball ▁Writ ers ' ▁Association ▁of ▁America ▁( BB W AA ) ▁announced ▁changes ▁to ▁the ▁Hall ▁of ▁Fame ▁ball oting ▁process ▁effective ▁with ▁the ▁election ▁for ▁the ▁Hall ' s ▁induction ▁class ▁of ▁. ▁The ▁most ▁significant ▁change ▁was ▁reducing ▁the ▁time ▁frame ▁of ▁el ig ibility ▁for ▁recently ▁retired ▁players ▁from ▁ 1 5 ▁years ▁to ▁ 1 0 . ▁Three ▁players ▁on ▁the ▁ 2 0 1 5 ▁BB W AA ▁ball ot ▁who ▁had ▁appeared ▁on ▁more ▁than ▁ 1 0 ▁previous ▁ball ots — Don ▁Matt ingly , ▁Lee ▁Smith , ▁and ▁Alan ▁Tr amm ell — w ere ▁ex empt ed ▁from ▁this ▁change , ▁and ▁remained ▁el ig ible ▁for ▁ 1 5 ▁years ▁( prov ided ▁they ▁received ▁enough ▁votes ▁to ▁stay ▁on ▁the ▁ball