‘Landman’ Season 3 Brings Michelle Randolph Back to College With Nearly 30 Real TCU Cheerleaders

Michelle Randolph is heading back to college for Landman Season 3, and Taylor Sheridan is bringing nearly 30 real cheerleaders along for the ride.

Texas Christian University confirmed that the Paramount+ series is returning to its Fort Worth campus in October to film scenes involving Randolph's Ainsley Norris, who traded her family's oil-field drama for college life and a spot on the Horned Frogs cheerleading squad during Season 2.

And this time, the university isn't just providing the scenery. Nearly 30 TCU cheerleaders were recruited to participate in the production, bringing an authentic piece of campus life into Sheridan's fictional world.

Another 30 students studying film, television, and digital media will get an entirely different experience: working alongside the production team as observers while cameras roll.

“Landman has shot on TCU’s campus during each of their three seasons,” said Tricia Jenkins, a professor in the university's Bob Schieffer College of Communication.

“Each season, they have invited our students in film, television and digital media to shadow their production units for half of the day,” she explained. “The experience gives these students a unique and up-close look at what goes into a major television production and how each unit contributes to the artistry of the overall production.”

For Randolph, returning to TCU also means another chance to explore a side of Ainsley that doesn't revolve entirely around her parents.

The character spent much of the first two seasons caught between Tommy Norris (Billy Bob Thornton) and Angela Norris (Ali Larter), whose volatile marriage and equally chaotic family life have provided some of the show's most memorable moments.

But Ainsley's move to college gave her a chance to establish an identity outside the Norris household—and Randolph has made no secret of wanting that independence to include a little romance.

“It might be fun for Season 3. Season 2 got a little tiring,” Randolph previously joked. “I was like, ‘Where’s the boy?’”

She explained why she thinks college could open new possibilities for her character.

“I think for Season 2, it was good that she took a break from boys and focused on herself and her cheerleading,” Randolph said. “Going into college, I feel like it’s inevitable that she’s going to find someone, and I think it’ll be fun.”

“We know who Ainsley is with her family, so who is she with her peers? Who is she with her friends? And maybe a boy.”

Whether Sheridan plans to answer that question remains under wraps, but the TCU filming announcement confirms that Ainsley's college storyline isn't being left behind.

Meanwhile, her father's problems are getting considerably more expensive.

Season 2 ended with Tommy getting fired from M-Tex by Cami Miller (Demi Moore) and launching CTT Oil Exploration and Cattle with financial backing from cartel boss Gallino (Andy Garcia). Cooper (Jacob Lofland) became president of the new operation, while Nate (Colm Feore), Rebecca (Kayla Wallace), Dale (James Jordan), and Boss (Mustafa Speaks) are among the familiar faces set up for the next chapter.

Production is also finally moving after months of shifting schedules. Jordan recently confirmed that filming had begun, posting a set photo with the caption, “Up n runnin’ and back after it!”

He previously described the upcoming season as “10 crazy, wonderful, funny and wild episodes — just like season 1 and season 2 have been.”

The TCU shoot also continues a relationship between Sheridan and the university that extends beyond Landman. The Fort Worth native received an honorary degree from TCU in 2025, while previous seasons have brought students onto the production as extras and production assistants.

Paramount+ has not yet announced a premiere date for Season 3.