Cotton Bowl Classic

The Cotton Bowl Classic is a college football bowl game that pits the second-choice team of the Big 12 against the third- or fourth-choice team of the SEC. The game was played annually since 1937 at its namesake stadium in Dallas, Texas. The bowl traditionally hosted the champion of the Southwest Conference prior to its merger into the Big 12. Their opponents varied, but were often second- or third-place teams in Southeastern Conference or major independents.

On February 27, 2007, it was announced that the game would move to Cowboys Stadium in nearby Arlington beginning on January 1, 2010. With that announcement, Cotton Bowl Classic officials also began a campaign to become part of the Bowl Championship Series when the current contract featuring the Rose, Sugar, Fiesta, and Orange bowls expired in 2010. Plans to join the BCS were scrapped, however, shortly after ESPN acquired the rights to the series.

Since 1996, the game has been sponsored by Southwestern Bell Corporation; however, it went through several name changes, first in 2000 when the firm adopted a standardized "SBC" branding reflecting its name it adopted in 1995, SBC Communications, and since 2006, after their acquisition of AT&T, and its subsequent name change, as the AT&T Cotton Bowl Classic. From 1989 until 1995, the game was sponsored by Mobil Oil and known as the Mobil Cotton Bowl Classic.

Most recently, the 2009 AT&T Cotton Bowl Classic set a bowl game attendance record of 88,175, the second-most-attended bowl game of the 2008–09 bowl game season. The game was a matchup of Big 12 Conference member Texas Tech University and Southeastern Conference member The University of Mississippi.

1930s
The Cotton Bowl Classic was founded in Dallas in 1937 at the Texas State Fair Grounds, when Texas oil executive J. Curtis Sanford financed the first one out of his own pocket. TCU of Fort Worth took on Marquette, winning 16-6, but the game lost money even though some 17,000 attended. Nonetheless, Sanford persevered, and in 1938 the game made a profit as Rice defeated Colorado 28-14, in front of a crowd of 37,000.

Some 40,000 attended the 1939 match between St. Mary's College of California and Texas Tech, with the Gaels upsetting the undefeated Red Raiders 20-13.

1940s
In 1940, an underdog Clemson team surprised the Boston College Eagles 6-3, in the first and only appearance at the Cotton Bowl Classic by Tigers coach Frank Howard. Attendance at this game was given as 20,000. Later that year, a group of prominent Dallas citizens took over the staging of the game as the Cotton Bowl Athletic Association. A few months later, the CBAA became an agency of the Southwest Conference. From 1941 to 1994, the SWC's champion hosted the Cotton Bowl Classic.

In 1943, The Texas Longhorns represented the SWC in their first ever bowl game against a highly ranked Georgia Tech team at the time. Prior to the game, newswriters boasted that Texas did not belong in the same league as Georgia Tech. Texas proved the public wrong by defeating the Yellow Jackets 14-7 in what was mostly a defensive battle. This Cotton Bowl was the first bowl appearance for Texas as the Longhorns would go on to appear in a record 22 Cotton Bowls, the most of any team.

In 1946, Missouri was defeated by Texas, despite the 4th quarter work of freshman fullback Robert (Bob) Lee Clodfelter, who was to mature under Weeb Ewbank at Washington University in St. Louis the next three years.

In 1947 LSU and Arkansas played in front of 38,000 people to a 0-0 tie in what would later become known as the "Ice Bowl." LSU got the better of Arkansas most of the game, but the game truly belonged to the weatherman.

In 1948 Penn State, in a bowl game for the first time in 25 years, played Dallas' SMU to a 13-13 tie. Because none of the Dallas hotels would provide accommodations for the two African-American members of the Penn State team, the Penn State team ended up staying at a Naval Air Station 14 miles from Dallas. This was the first interracial game played at the Cotton Bowl (stadium).

1950s
The 1953 Cotton Bowl would be a rematch of the 1951 bowl game as Texas and Tennessee played for the second time. Texas defensive stars shut out the Vols 16-0 as the Longhorns avenged the previous meeting when Tennessee beat Texas 20-14.

The 1954 Cotton Bowl Classic featured one of the most famous plays in college football history. Rice's Dickey Moegle (last name spelling later changed to "Maegle") began a run around end from his team's 5 yard line and down the open field. Alabama's Tommy Lewis jumped off the bench and tackled Moegle. The referee, Cliff Shaw, saw what happened and signaled touchdown even though Moegle was "tackled" at the 42 yard line.

1960s
In 1960, Syracuse defeated Texas 23-14 to win the national championship. Syracuse was led by bowl MVP Ernie Davis, who ran for one touchdown, caught a Cotton Bowl Classic record 87-yard touchdown, and intercepted a pass leading to a third touchdown. There was a brawl on the field just before the end of the first half; some said it was because of Texas taking cheap shots at Ernie Davis. The University of Texas president called for an NCAA hearing on the fight after the game, but the issue was dropped shortly thereafter. In 1961, Davis became the first black athlete to win the Heisman Trophy, but died of leukemia before his pro career could begin.

In 1962, Texas would again be selected to play in the Cotton Bowl after winning another SWC Crown. This time the Longhorns faced a highly talented Mississippi Rebels team. The game was a low scoring meeting that came down to the final quarter as Texas won 12-7.

In 1964, #1 Texas completed an undefeated season by defeating #2 Navy (led by Heisman Trophy winner and future Dallas Cowboys quarterback Roger Staubach). The game was played six weeks after the assassination of John F. Kennedy (conicidentally, a retired Naval officer) in Dallas. The 1964 game is the second bowl game in college football history to pair the #1 and #2 teams in the nation (the 1963 Rose Bowl being the first).

In 1965, the Arkansas Razorbacks took an undefeated record (10-0) into the Classic versus a 9-1 Nebraska Cornhuskers team. Although Alabama had been awarded the AP and UPI (Coaches) polls national titles before the bowl games (which was standard at that time), Arkansas still had a chance to claim a share of the national championship with a victory over Nebraska. After a hard-fought defensive battle, the Hogs prevailed 10-7. That victory, coupled with an Alabama loss in the Sugar Bowl to Texas (a team Arkansas defeated in Austin, TX.), gave Arkansas the Grantland Rice Trophy awarded by the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA), signifying the Razorbacks were the true National Champions of the 1964 season.

The 1967 game was moved to Saturday, December 31, 1966, due to the Dallas Cowboys hosting the NFL Championship Game at the stadium on New Year's Day, a Sunday. (Note: The other major bowl games that year --- the Rose Bowl, Sugar Bowl, and Orange Bowl - were played on Monday, January 2.)

In 1969, Texas was off and running with its new offensive formation, the Wishbone. After dismantling all opponents of the 1968 season, Texas won the SWC crown again and this time faced the Tennessee Volunteers, in what was a lopside win for Texas with almost 400 rushing yards. Texas won 36-13.

1970s
The 1970 game featured Notre Dame's return to bowl games after a 45-year self-imposed ban. When the Irish made that decision, 9-1 LSU was overlooked for the game, and the Tigers stayed home instead. The Irish, led by quarterback Joe Theismann, faced top-ranked and undefeated Texas. Notre Dame led 17-14 late in the fourth quarter, but the Longhorns scored a late touchdown to clinch a 21-17 victory and an undisputed national championship. The same two teams met the next year, but this time, the Irish ended the Longhorns' 30-game winning streak with a 24-11 victory, denying Texas the Associated Press national championship (the Longhorns had already clinched the regular season championship in the UPI poll, a pre-bowl poll until the 1974 season; Nebraska won the AP title). Texas and Notre Dame met again in the 1978 game, with the Longhorns again top-ranked, only to see the Irish and quarterback Joe Montana roll to a 38-10 victory. The Irish vaulted from fifth to first in the final polls with the victory.

The 1973 game featured Texas and Alabama once again playing in a bowl game. Alabama led 13-10 going into the 4th quarter when Texas quarterback, Alan Lowry, ran the bootleg to perfection and scrambled 32 yards for the go-ahead touchdown. Again, Texas defeated Alabama and Bear Bryant, 17-13.

The 1976 Cotton Bowl showcased SWC co-Champ Arkansas against SEC stalwart Georgia. The Razorbacks had beaten #2 Texas A&M in a blowout to force a tie for the conference crown, and opened the door for Arkansas to stroll to Dallas on New Year's Day. After the Bulldogs jumped out to a 10-0 lead, the Hogs came roaring back, scoring 31 unanswered points, and defeating Georgia, 31-10. Arkansas finished the season 10-2.

The 1979 Cotton Bowl Classic, nicknamed the Chicken Soup Game, featured one of the most historic comebacks in bowl history. Notre Dame trailed Houston 34-12 midway through the fourth quarter. Thanks to a blocked punt and the brilliance of future NFL Hall of Famer Joe Montana, the Irish rallied to win 35-34, their second consecutive Cotton Bowl Classic victory.

1980s
The 1982 game between Texas and Alabama would be the final time that Bear Bryant would face the Longhorns. Having lost to Texas in all meetings prior, Alabama led into the fourth quarter ahead 10-0 and it would appear that the Bear would finally get a win over Texas while at Alabama. Five minutes left in the game and Texas once again stunned Alabama and the Bear with a 14-12 victory.

The 1989 game between UCLA and Arkansas was highly publicized in the Dallas area because Bruin quarterback Troy Aikman was expected to be the top pick in the 1989 NFL Draft; the first pick was held by the Dallas Cowboys. Much was made of Cowboys longtime head coach Tom Landry watching Aikman practice at Texas Stadium, UCLA's practice facility for game preparation. Landry never got to draft Aikman, because he was fired the next month, but his successor, Jimmy Johnson, did.

The Cotton Bowl Classic has seen its share of great quarterbacks. Sammy Baugh, Davey O'Brien, Babe Parilli, Bobby Layne, Norm Van Brocklin, Y.A. Tittle, Bart Starr, Roger Staubach, Ken Stabler, Joe Theismann, Joe Montana, Dan Marino, Doug Flutie, Troy Aikman, and Eli Manning all have played in the game.

Three of the four Heisman Trophy winners from the 1984-87 seasons finished their college career in the Cotton Bowl Classic. Doug Flutie for Boston College in January 1985, Bo Jackson of Auburn in 1986, and Tim Brown of Notre Dame in 1988.

Brown and fellow Heisman winner Davey O'Brien, who played in the 1937 Cotton Bowl, both attended nearby Woodrow Wilson High School (Dallas, Texas) in the Lakewood area. "Woodrow" became the first high school ever to produce two Heisman winners.

1990s
For 40 years the champion of the now-defunct Southwest Conference (SWC) played as the home team in the Cotton Bowl Classic, a tie-in which continued through the 1994 season. Until the mid-1980s, the contest was universally considered as a major New Year's Day bowl. However, by the late 1980s the Cotton Bowl Classic's prestige had fallen, as many SWC teams served NCAA probations for rule violations, rendering them bowl-ineligible. Also, the conference's quality of play suffered a marked decline. The SWC champion lost the last 7 times they hosted the event, and the last national champion to play in the Cotton Bowl Classic was Notre Dame in 1977. Finally, the Cotton Bowl Classic was played outdoors during cold weather on occasion (most notably the 1979 game).

Meanwhile, the Fiesta Bowl, unhindered by conference tie-ins and played in generally warm weather, was attracting national championship contenders, most notably with its January 1987 between Penn State and Miami. In the minds of many fans, the Fiesta replaced the Cotton as a major bowl. Despite this, the Cotton Bowl Classic still retained enough prestige that it was included as one of the top bowls in the Bowl Coalition when it was formed in 1992. However, in 1995, the new Bowl Alliance (the predecessor of today's BCS) chose to include the Fiesta over the Cotton in its national championship game rotation, sealing the Cotton Bowl Classic's displacement from the four "major bowls."

In 1995, the SWC gave up control of the Cotton Bowl Classic as part of its planned dissolution after the season. In 1996, the BYU Cougars became the first team from the WAC to play in the game, defeating the Kansas State Wildcats 19-15, winning an NCAA record 14th game, and finishing the season ranked fifth in the country with a 14-1 record.

Since 1996, the game has been anchored by the Big 12 Conference. The opponent in the late 1990s came from either the Pacific 10 Conference or WAC. Since 1999, however, a team from the Southeastern Conference (usually a Western Division team) has matched up in the game, with Southwestern Bell (now AT&T) sponsoring the event.

2000s
Through 2008, the Cotton Bowl Classic continued to be played on New Year's Day (except in 2004 and 2006, when January 1 fell on a Sunday; the game was moved to January 2 in those years), and was usually the second game of the day to kick off, generally following the Outback Bowl.

This decade was kicked off in grand fashion, as two former Southwest Conference rivals faced off in the 2000 Classic. Arkansas, now a member of the SEC (as of 1992), and Texas, now a member of the Big XII (as of 1996), took the field in what was the first college football game of the 21st Century. After a lackluster first half ended with the game tied 3-3, the Razorbacks opened things up, led by Offensive MVP running back Cedric Cobbs. Arkansas beat their former hated rival, 27-06, holding the Longhorns to negative yards rushing.

The 2003 Cotton Bowl Classic saw a rematch between the Texas Longhorns and the LSU Tigers. LSU led at the half 17-7 however Roy Williams of Texas had a tremendous breakout in the second half to lead Texas to victory over the Tigers, 35-20. The 2004 Cotton Bowl Classic saw the return of the Mississippi Rebels, whose last appearance in the Cotton Bowl Classic was a 12-7 loss to Texas in 1962. The 2004 Cotton Bowl Classic would also be current New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning's last college football game. Manning led his team to beat Oklahoma State 31-28.

The 2007 Cotton Bowl Classic was between Auburn Tigers played the Nebraska Cornhuskers; Auburn won 17-14.

In the 2008 Cotton Bowl Classic, Missouri's running back Tony Temple broke the bowl game rushing record by gaining 281 yards on 24 carries. (The record was previously held by Rice's Dickey Maegle, who had rushed for 265 yards.) Missouri beat Arkansas 38-7.

In April 2008, Cotton Bowl Classic officials announced that in 2009 and 2010 the game would be moved from its traditional start time of 10 a.m. CST on January 1 to 1 p.m. CST on January 2.

In the final Cotton Bowl Classic game to be held in the Cotton Bowl stadium, the 8-4, #20 Ole Miss Rebels defeated the 11-1, #7 Texas Tech Red Raiders. Tech quarterback Graham Harrell broke the NCAA record in this game for most touchdown passes thrown by anyone in Cotton Bowl Classic history.

2010s
In 2010, the Cotton Bowl Classic moved to the new Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, leaving the recently remodeled historic Cotton Bowl facility. Reportedly, Cotton Bowl Classic officials sought for the game to become a BCS bowl game in 2011. (One of the concerns for this game having been the weather, since Dallas can be cold in January, but the new stadium would offer top amenities and a retractable roof.) A new four-year agreement between the BCS and ESPN had forestalled any possibility of the Cotton Bowl Classic joining the BCS until 2015 at the earliest. Later findings that the Fiesta Bowl reimbursed employees more than $46,000 for political contributions could have opened the door for the Cotton Bowl to replace the Fiesta in the BCS bowl rotation; however, the Fiesta Bowl did not lose its BCS rotation.

In the 2010 Cotton Bowl Classic played between the Oklahoma State Cowboys and the Ole Miss Rebels at the new Cowboys Stadium, the Rebels shut down the high scoring Cowboys offense to win the 74th annual Cotton Bowl Classic 21-7.

In 2010, the Cotton Bowl celebrated its 75th Anniversary with a new logo dedicated to the year long celebration. Texas A&M played Louisiana State University in the 2011 AT&T Cotton Bowl Classic on January 7, 2011. LSU would beat Texas A&M 41 - 24. This was the first Cotton Bowl Classic to be played in prime time, as well as the latest calendar date for the game.

In the 2012 Match-up, the Arkansas Razorbacks defeated the Kansas State Wildcats 29-16. It was a BCS-worthy game, featuring two Top 10 teams. The game was highlighted by Razorback Joe Adams punt return of 51 yards for a touchdown in the second quarter, to give Arkansas early command. It was the first punt returned for a touchdown since former Razorback Lance Alworth did it in 1961. After the Hogs posted 19 unanswered points, Kansas State responded with 16 consecutive points of their own in the second and third quarters. But the Razorbacks pulled away late in the third quarter and early fourth quarter, led by QB Tyler Wilson, the games Offensive MVP. Arkansas improved to 11-2 for the 2011 season, and finished ranked #5, while K-State fell to 10-3.

Broadcasting
Fox Sports has televised the game since 1999. It gained the broadcast rights from CBS, where Lindsey Nelson had a longtime association as play-by-play announcer, even continuing in that role long after he had stopped working for the network on other assignments. NBC televised it from 1993 to '95. Coincidentally, Notre Dame, whose home games are exclusively on NBC, played in two of those games. The 2012 announcers were Gus Johnson (play-by-play), Charles Davis (color analyst), and Tim Brewster (field reporter). The contract between the game and the network will run through 2014.

Dial Global, through its purchase of the Westwood One division, holds the radio rights. Brad Sham and Terry Donahue were the 2012 announcers.

Cotton Bowl
The Cotton Bowl is a stadium which opened in 1932 and became known as "The House That Doak Built" due to the immense crowds that former SMU running back Doak Walker drew to the stadium during his college career in the late 1940s. Originally known as the Fair Park Bowl, it is located in Fair Park, site of the State Fair of Texas. The Cotton Bowl Classic called its namesake home since the bowl's inception in 1937 until the 2010 game. The NFL's Dallas Cowboys called the Cotton Bowl home for 11 years, from the team's formation in 1960 until 1971, when the Cowboys moved to Texas Stadium. Although not the first established bowl game, the Cotton Bowl is a play on the phrase "cotton boll." Texas is the leading producer of cotton in the United States.

Cowboys Stadium
Cowboys Stadium is a new domed stadium with a retractable roof in Arlington, Texas. After failed negotiations to return the Cowboys to the Cotton Bowl, Jerry Jones along with the city of Arlington, Texas funded the stadium at a cost of $1.15 billion. It was completed on May 29, 2009 and seats 80,000, but is expandable to seat up to 100,000. Cowboys Stadium is the largest domed stadium in the world.

A highlight of Cowboys Stadium is its center-hung high-definition television screen, the second largest in the world. The 160 by, 11520 ft2 scoreboard surpasses the 8736 ft2 screen that opened in 2009 at the renovated Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri.