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"The House ThatDoak Built" | |
.jpg) The stadium in 2019 | |
 Interactive map of Cotton Bowl Stadium | |
| Former names | Fair Park Stadium (1930–1936) |
|---|---|
| Address | 1300 Robert Cullum Blvd. |
| Location | Dallas,Texas |
| Coordinates | 32°46′46″N96°45′35″W / 32.77944°N 96.75972°W /32.77944; -96.75972 |
| Owner | City of Dallas |
| Capacity | 92,100[2] |
| Record attendance | 96,009[3] (thrice) |
| Surface | Natural grass (1930–1969, since 1994) AstroTurf (1970–1993) |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | 1930[1] |
| Opened | 1930, 95 years ago |
| Renovated | 1936, 1968, 1993, 2008 |
| Expanded | 1948–1949, 1993, 2008 |
| Construction cost | $328,200 ($6.18 million in 2024[4]) |
| Architect | Mark Lemmon, 1930 George Dahl, 1936 Hellmuth, Obata & Kassabaum, 1993 |
| Structural engineer | Chappell, Stokes & Brenneke, 1948–1949 |
| Tenants | |
| |
| Website | |
| Official website | |
The Cotton Bowl | |
| Architectural style | Art Deco |
| Part of | Texas Centennial Exposition Buildings (1936–1937) (ID86003488[5]) |
| TSAL No. | 8200000209 |
| DLMKHD No. | H/33 (Fair Park) |
| Significant dates | |
| Designated CP | September 24, 1986 |
| Designated TSAL | January 1, 1984 |
| Designated DLMKHD | March 4, 1987[6] |
TheCotton Bowl is an outdoorstadium inDallas, Texas, United States. Opened in 1930 asFair Park Stadium, it is on the site of theState Fair of Texas, known asFair Park.
The Cotton Bowl was the longtime home of the annualcollege football post-seasonbowl game known as theCotton Bowl Classic, after which the stadium is named. Starting on New Year's Day1937, it hosted the first 73 editions of the game, through January2009; the game was moved toAT&T Stadium inArlington in January2010. The stadium hosts theRed River Rivalry, the annual college football game between theOklahoma Sooners and theTexas Longhorns, and formerly, theFirst Responder Bowl.
The stadium has been home to many football teams over the years, including:SMU Mustangs (NCAA),Dallas Cowboys (NFL; 1960–1971),Dallas Texans (NFL) (1952),Dallas Texans (AFL; 1960–1962), and soccer teams, theDallas Tornado (NASL; 1967–1968),FC Dallas (MLS; as the Dallas Burn 1996–2004, as FC Dallas 2005), andDallas Trinity FC (USLS; 2024-). It was also one of the nine venues used for the1994 FIFA World Cup. Prior to Dallas Trinity's inaugural season, it was the largest stadium by capacity in the United States without a professional or college team as a regular tenant.
It became known as "The House That Doak Built," due to the immense crowds that SMU running backDoak Walker drew to the stadium during his college career in the late 1940s.[7]
In theirseventh season, the Cowboys hosted theGreen Bay Packers for theNFL championship at the Cotton Bowl on January 1,1967.[8][9] Thecollege bowl game that year includedSMU and was played the day before, New Year's Eve, which required a quick turnaround to transform the field.[10] The two games were filled to its 75,504 capacity, but both home teams lost to the visitors.
Artificial turf was installed in1970 and removed in 1993 in preparation for the1994 FIFA World Cup. Theelevation of the playing field is approximately 450 feet (140 m) abovesea level.
Construction began on Fair Park Stadium in 1930 on the same site as the wooden football stadium before known as Fair Park Stadium. Completed that year, the first game in the stadium was between Dallas-area high schools in October 1930. The original stadium–the lower half of the current facility–was built for a cost of$328,000 and seated 45,507 spectators. The name was officially changed to the Cotton Bowl in 1936.
In 1948, a second deck was added to the west side, increasing capacity to 67,000. The east side was double-decked the following year, increasing capacity to 75,504. These decks were added to respond to the demand for fans to watch SMU halfback Doak Walker, leading the Cotton Bowl to be known as "the house that Doak built." The superstructure was also built at this time, creating the distinctive facade for the stadium. In 1968, chair-backs were installed, reducing capacity to 72,032. In 1970, the Cotton Bowl installed anAstroTurf surface, which remained until 1993.
In 1950, as a way to break theTexas League record for opening-day attendance, Richard Burnett got permission to play in the Cotton Bowl, which at the time could hold as many as 75,000. In order to draw a big crowd, he wanted a lineup of former stars to donDallas Eagles uniforms and face oneTulsa hitter in the top of the first inning. Most of the retired stars were cool to the idea, except for then-current Dallas Eagles managerCharlie Grimm. When the legendaryTy Cobb agreed to come toDallas, the others followed his lead. Preceding the game was a parade through downtown Dallas. "It was the pre-game show that got 'em", bellowed Dizzy Dean by way of self-congratulation. "Cobb, Cochrane, Home Run Baker, Speaker, and Ol' Diz in Dallas duds." The 54,151 who showed up were lucky enough to see Ty Cobb hit several balls into the stands, just to show he could still handle the bat. TheKilgore College Rangerettes drill team performed on the field prior to the game. Texas governorAllan Shivers threw out the first pitch. Defensively, the old-timer lineup of the Eagles were:Duffy Lewis in left field, Cobb in center field, Texas nativeTris Speaker in right field,Frank "Home Run" Baker at third base,Travis Jackson at shortstop,Charlie Gehringer at second base, manager Grimm at first base,Mickey Cochrane at catcher, and formerHouston Buffaloes star pitcherDizzy Dean on the mound. Dean walked the leadoff batter for Tulsa, Harry Donabedian, on a 3–2 count, and then the regular Dallas players took the field. Dean got into an orchestrated rhubarb and was tossed from the game. The attendance figure still stands as the largest in Texas League history and second largest in the history of the minor leagues.
The Cotton Bowl hosted six matches of the1994 World Cup. To meetFIFA requirements for these games the stadium field was widened, the press box was enlarged and natural grass was re-installed. The playing surface has remained natural grass ever since. Capacity was decreased to 71,615 in 1994 and to 68,252 in 1996.[11] The Stadium also hosted the Gold Cup Soccer Matches in 1993.
In the 2000s (decade), the renewed dominance of both theOklahoma Sooners and theTexas Longhorns created a new interest in their rivalry, and the stadium. Temporary stands were erected in each end zone to increase seating for these games from just over 68,000 to 90,000.
In November 2006, the city of Dallas and the State Fair of Texas finally agreed on funding for a long-planned[12] $50 million renovation, with $30 million of this amount from a city bond.[13] Thus, in April 2007, the schools signed a contract to play at the Cotton Bowl through 2015, coupled with a $57 million fund for upgrades and improvements to the aging stadium.[14] The 2008 Red River Showdown was held on October 11.
The 2008 renovations include the expansion of theseating capacity of the stadium from 68,252 to 92,100,[2] mostly through the complete encircling of the second deck, new media and VIP facilities, a new scoreboard and video screen, updated restrooms and concession areas, lighting, utility and sound upgrades and the replacement of all the stadium's seats. A new record for attendance was set when 96,009 fans attended the 2009 Texas vs. Oklahoma football game.
The renovation was also intended to increase the chances of the Cotton Bowl Classic becoming a part of theBowl Championship Series. However, the renovation was not enough to prevent the Cotton Bowl Classic from moving out of its namesake stadium after the 2009 game. Dallas' occasionally cold January weather had been a longstanding concern for the game, and was believed to have precluded any prospect of adding it to the BCS even after the expansion. (The Cotton Bowl Classic would eventually be added to the "New Year's Six"College Football Playoff bowls after the game moved to what is nowAT&T Stadium.)[15]
On January 1, 2020, theNHL Winter Classic was held at the Cotton Bowl. Over 85,000 attended the match between theDallas Stars andNashville Predators.
On December 6, 2023, it was announced theRed River Rivalry would stay in the Cotton Bowl through 2036. It was also announced with the single largest investment into the stadium from the city ofDallas with an estimated $140 million two-year renovation.[16]
The Cotton Bowl has been used by a number of teams in several sports throughout its history, and has hosted three collegiate bowl games. The Cotton Bowl has also hosted large music concerts, including the inauguralTexxas Jam and other similar events.
From 1937 to 2009, the Cotton Bowl hosted the Cotton Bowl Classic, an annual NCAA Division Ibowl game. Beginning in 2010, the bowl game has been played atAT&T Stadium inArlington. From 1941 to 1994, theSouthwest Conference champion would play in the bowl game; since 1997, the first postseason of theBig 12 Conference, its second-place team has competed against anSEC team in the Cotton Bowl Classic.
The first professional football team in Texas was the Dallas Texans of theNational Football League in 1952. Plagued by financial hardship and poor play, the Texans lasted only one season. The team played four games in the Cotton Bowl before going bankrupt, being taken over by the league, and finishing the season as a traveling team based inHershey, Pennsylvania.
The Dallas Cowboys called the Cotton Bowl home for 12 seasons, from the team's formation in1960 until1971. The1966 NFL Championship Game between the Cowboys andGreen Bay Packers was played in the Cotton Bowl. After playing their first two home games in 1971 at the Cotton Bowl, the Cowboys openedTexas Stadium inIrving on October 24.
The Dallas Texans of theAmerican Football League used the stadium all three of their seasons in Dallas (1960–1962), sharing it with the NFL Cowboys. Following the Texans' 1962 AFL Championship season, ownerLamar Hunt moved the franchise toKansas City, Missouri and renamed it the Chiefs.
From January2011 until 2018, the Cotton Bowl was the home of theFirst Responder Bowl, an annual college football bowl game. The game was tentatively named the "Dallas Football Classic" prior toTicketCity being announced as the bowl game's first title sponsor. The game was called the "TicketCity Bowl" for the first two match ups. On October 4, 2012, the name changed again to the "Heart of Dallas Bowl" for eight seasons before changing to the "First Responder Bowl" for the 2018 season. In 2019 the game was relocated toGerald J. Ford Stadium atSouthern Methodist University inUniversity Park, Texas, to accommodate the 2020NHL Winter Classic.[17] While originally a temporary measure, the game has remained at Ford Stadium in succeeding years.
The game has had bowl tie-ins with theBig 12 Conference in 2011,Conference USA in 2012, and theBig Ten Conference in both 2011 and 2012. Theinaugural game saw theTexas Tech Red Raiders defeat theNorthwestern Wildcats, 45–38.
The annual college football game between the University of Texas and theUniversity of OklahomaSooners, also known before 2005 as the Red River Shootout, is played at the Cotton Bowl during the State Fair of Texas, instead of on either school's campus. Ticket sales are equally divided between the two schools, and the fans are split on the 50-yard line.[18] Following the 2024 game, the Longhorns have a record of 64–51–5 against the Sooners.
The Cotton Bowl served as the home for the SMU Mustangs football team for two periods in the program's history. SMU played at least a few games at the Cotton Bowl from 1932 onward. They gradually moved more of their home games there during the 1930s and 1940s, as it was double the size of their on-campus stadium,Ownby Stadium. The Mustangs moved there permanently in 1948 due toDoak Walker's popularity. The Mustangs played at the Cotton Bowl until 1978, when they moved toTexas Stadium.
The Cotton Bowl also served as home to SMU in the 1990s, after the team served theNCAA death penalty due tonumerous recruiting violations, and spent the first six years after their return at Ownby Stadium. Games moved back to campus in 2000 with the completion ofGerald J. Ford Stadium.
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In addition to the Red River Rivalry, theGrambling State UniversityTigers and thePrairie View A&M UniversityPanthers play each other at the Cotton Bowl in the State Fair Classic. This game often occurs the weekend before the Texas-OU Red River Rivalry game. It is a neutral site for both teams; Grambling State is located in northern Louisiana and Prairie View A&M is located about 30 miles (48 km) northwest ofHouston. The halftime show, the "Battle of the Bands", is arguably more eagerly anticipated than the game itself. The State Fair Classic is heavily marketed in theDallas – Fort Worth Metroplex, with localhip hop stations encouraging a large turnout among the region'sAfrican-American community. The State Fair Classic is currently the largestFCS football game in Texas.
In 2016, the Texas State Fair in conjunction with the City of Dallas announced an expansion of games played during the state fair for 2018 and 2019. Following the Red River Rivalry weekend, theTexas Southern UniversityTigers played against theSouthern UniversityJaguars. The game was on a neutral site for both teams, Texas Southern University is centrally located inHouston and Southern University is located inBaton Rouge, Louisiana (South Louisiana). The two schools are long-timeSWAC rivals and have nationally recognized marching bands.[19]
The Cotton Bowl has a long history of hosting Texas high school football games. From the early days of the stadium, it was used for playoff and championship games. In 1945 and 1967, the stadium hosted two of the largest audiences to ever see a Texas high school football game.[20] In 2011 and 2012, it played host to the North Texas Football Classic to kick off those seasons.
Blondes vs. Brunettespowderpufffootball games are played in cities across the United States.[21] Proceeds from the event are donated to TheAlzheimer's Association. The annual contests were started by Sara Allen Abbott whose father, Texas State RepresentativeJoseph Hugh Allen, died ofAlzheimer's disease in 2008. Looking for a way to raise funds for TheAlzheimer's Association, Abbott organized apowderpuff football game in tribute to her father, a lifelong football fan.[22] The games are currently played in over 20 cities throughout the United States. The increasing popularity ofthe game in the Dallas area resulted in moving the 2012 game to the Cotton Bowl where it could accommodate a larger crowd.[23]
| Date | Time (UTC−6) | Team #1 | Res. | Team #2 | Round | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1994-06-17 | 18:30 |  Spain | 2–2 |  South Korea | Group C | 56,247 |
| 1994-06-23 | 18:30 |  Nigeria | 3–0 |  Bulgaria | Group D | 44,132 |
| 1994-06-28 | 15:00 |  Germany | 3–2 | South Korea | Group C | 63,998 |
| 1994-06-30 | 18:30 |  Argentina | 0–2 | Bulgaria | Group D | 63,998 |
| 1994-07-03 | 12:00 |  Saudi Arabia | 1–3 |  Sweden | Round of 16 | 60,277 |
| 1994-07-09 | 14:35 |  Netherlands | 2–3 |  Brazil | Quarter-final | 63,500 |
| Date | Time (UTC−5) | Team #1 | Res. | Team #2 | Round | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 July 2021 | 20:30 |  Guatemala | 0–3 |  Mexico | Group A | 15,391 |
| 18 July 2021 | 21:00 | Mexico | 1–0 |  El Salvador | 45,792 |
On July 29, 2014, the Cotton Bowl hosted a soccer match betweenReal Madrid andA.S. Roma which was part of the2014 International Champions Cup and AS Roma won the match 1–0.[24] It also hosted 6 matches of the1994 FIFA World Cup.
| Date | Team #1 | Res. | Team #2 | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 8, 1974 | Mexico | 1–0 |  United States | 22,164 |
| July 10, 1993 | Jamaica  | 0–1 | United States | 11,642 |
| July 14, 1993 | Panama  | 1–2 | United States | 13,771 |
| July 17, 1993 | Honduras  | 0–1 | United States | 16,348 |
| July 21, 1993 | Costa Rica  | 0–1 | United States | 14,826 |
| March 26, 1994 | Bolivia  | 2–2 | United States | 26,835 |
| March 25, 1995 | Uruguay  | 2–2 | United States | 12,242 |
| April 28, 2004 | Mexico | 0–1 | United States | 45,048 |
Early in their existence, theDallas Tornado played two seasons of professional soccer in the Cotton Bowl. They spent their inaugural year, 1967, as a franchise of theUnited Soccer Association and1968 as members of theNorth American Soccer League in the Cotton Bowl. For the Tornado, a wider field was installed that required several storm drains to be moved.[25][26] The team moved toP.C. Cobb Stadium for the 1969 season and played at four more venues in the Dallas area before they folded after the1981 season.[27]
TheDallas Burn, a founding member ofMajor League Soccer (MLS), played at the Cotton Bowl for their first seven seasons between 1996 and 2002.[28] Their first match, played in front of 27,779 spectators on April 14, 1996, was a 1–0 win against theSan Jose Clash.[29] The Burn paid $15,000 per match at the Cotton Bowl and lacked control over scheduling and concession sales;[28] the team drew an average attendance of roughly 12,000 to 15,000 until they moved in 2003 toDragon Stadium inSouthlake, Texas.[30][31]
The Burn (later renamed FC Dallas) returned to the Cotton Bowl for the 2004 and 2005 seasons while preparing to open theirown stadium inFrisco.[32] Their final regular season match at the Cotton Bowl was a 2–2 draw with the San Jose Earthquakes on July 3, 2005.[33] FC Dallas later returned to the Cotton Bowl for a doubleheader with aMexico–Colombia international friendly on September 30, 2009.[34] The event drew 51,012 spectators to the stadium.[35] FC Dallas would not return to the Cotton Bowl until 2024 when they played a preseason friendly againstInter Miami CF, whose popularity had surged following the signing ofLionel Messi.
Dallas Trinity FC, awomen's professional soccer team and founding member of theUSL Super League, currently plays at the Cotton Bowl. Their first home game was an exhibition match againstFC Barcelona Femení on August 30, 2024, followed by their home season opener against DC Power FC on September 7, 2024.[36]
Atlético Dallas, an men's expansion club set to join theUSL Championship, the second division of theAmerican soccer system, in 2027. The club will start a three-year lease in the stadium once they begin play, which would be set to expire in 2029.[37]
The2020 NHL Winter Classic was held at the Cotton Bowl on January 1, 2020. The game was hosted by theDallas Stars against theNashville Predators; the Dallas Stars won.[38] It was the first Winter Classic appearance for both teams.[39] It also marked the first outdoor NHL game to be hosted in asouthern state. The Stars defeated the Predators in a 4–2 comeback victory. Recorded attendance was 85,630, thesecond highest ever for an NHL game.[40]
The stadium has also been a venue for a number of historic concerts, most notably that which featured then 21-year-oldElvis Presley, which took place on October 11, 1956, and attracted what was then the largest audience in Texas history for an outdoor concert, in excess of 27,000.
Many consecutive summers of huge concerts, featuring several artists, began in July 1978, with the 1st annualTexxas Jam, which sold out with over 80,000 attendees. For crowd control purposes, ticket sales for any future Cotton Bowl General Admission floor seating was limited, and Jams following the 1978 Jam, never reached 80,000 for that reason. Each Texxas Jam had a unique lineup of major artists chosen by the promoter. Over the years, the Texxas Jam featured some of the top-billed headliner artists of the day, includingAerosmith,Heart,Deep Purple,Boston,Journey,Ted Nugent,Scorpions,Loverboy,Cheap Trick,Van Halen,Blue Öyster Cult,Sammy Hagar,Nazareth,Styx,Foghat,Santana,The Eagles &Triumph, among others.
The annual events came to an end in the summer of 1988, when Van Halen headlined the "Monsters Of Rock" Tour.U2 played here during the first leg of the Popmart Tour
Since then, the stadium has continued to be used as a major concert venue;Eric Clapton held his first three-dayCrossroads Guitar Festival there in 2004.
South Korean boy bandBTS was set to perform at the stadium on May 9–10, 2020 as part of theirMap of the Soul Tour; however, the shows were canceled due to theCOVID-19 pandemic.[41][42]
The Rolling Stones have played 7 shows at the Cotton Bowl July 6, 1975, October 31, 1981, November 1, 1981, November 10, 1989, November 11, 1989, November 18, 1994, and November 2, 2021.
| Date | Artist | Opening act(s) | Tour / Concert name | Attendance | Revenue | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 11, 1956 | Elvis | 27,000+ | ||||
| July 6, 1975 | Rolling Stones | |||||
| October 31 – November 1, 1981 | Rolling Stones | ZZ Top | Tattoo You Tour | 156,000 / 156,000 | $2,695,332 | |
| December 4, 1982 | The Who | The Who Tour 1982 | 66,611 / 80,000 | $1,165,693 | ||
| September 13 and 14 1985 | Bruce Springsteen | Born in the U.S.A. Tour | 126,707 / 126,707 | $2,194,492 | ||
| September 3, 1989 | The Who | The Who Tour 1989 | 35,385 / 36,000 | $796,163 | ||
| November 10 and 11 1989 | Rolling Stones | Steel Wheels/Urban Jungle Tour | 119,856 / 119,856 | $3,410,886 | ||
| October 10, 1990 | ZZ Top | Steve Miller Band | Recycler World Tour | 74,100 / 74,100 | $1,715,688 | |
| November 18, 1994 | Rolling Stones | Voodoo Lounge Tour | 47,372 / 47,372 | $2,530,185 | ||
| May 12, 1997 | U2 | Rage Against The Machine | PopMart Tour | 38,043 / 45,000 | $1,908,637 | |
| November 2, 2021 | Rolling Stones | Juanes | No Filter Tour | 43,469 / 43,469 | $8,965,725 | |
| May 6, 2022 | Coldplay | H.E.R. Leila Pari | Music of the Spheres World Tour | 58,669 / 58,669 | $6,065,763 | |
| September 2, 2023 | Karol G | Agudelo | Mañana Será Bonito Tour | 68,914 / 68,914 | $11,313,933 |
The Cotton Bowl hosted both the 1971VFW National Championships and the 1991Drum Corps International World Championships.
| Events and tenants | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by first stadium | Home of theDallas Cowboys 1960 – October 11, 1971 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by first stadium | Home of theDallas Texans 1960–1962 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by first stadium Dragon Stadium | Home of theDallas Burn 1996–2002 2004–2005 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by first stadium | Home of theCotton Bowl Classic 1937–2009 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Host of theDrum Corps International World Championship 1991 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Host of theNHL Winter Classic 2020 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by first stadium | Home of theDallas Trinity FC 2024–present | Succeeded by current stadium |
Former stadiums of the National Football League | |
|---|---|
| Early era: 1920–1940 |
|
| Post-war and pre-merger era: 1941–1969 |
|
| Current era: 1970–present |
|
| Stadiums used by NFL teams temporarily |
|
†= Team's stadium under construction or refurbishment at time | |
