| Cotton Bowl Classic | |
|---|---|
| Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic | |
 | |
| Stadium | AT&T Stadium |
| Location | Arlington, Texas |
| Previous stadiums | Cotton Bowl (1937–2009) |
| Previous locations | Dallas, Texas |
| Operated | 1937–present |
| Championship affiliation |
|
| Previous conference tie-ins | |
| Payout | US$4 million(non-playoff years) |
| Website | cottonbowl.com |
| Sponsors | |
| Former names | |
| |
| 2023 matchup | |
| Missouri vs.Ohio State (Missouri 14–3) | |
| 2024 season matchup | |
| Texas vs.Ohio State (Ohio State 28–14) | |
TheCotton Bowl Classic (also known as theCotton Bowl) is an Americancollege footballbowl game played annually in theDallas–Fort Worth metroplex since January 1, 1937.
The game was originally played at itsnamesake stadium inDallas before moving toAT&T Stadium in nearbyArlington in 2010.[1] Since 2014, the game has been sponsored by theGoodyear Tire and Rubber Company and officially known as theGoodyear Cotton Bowl Classic; it was previously sponsored byMobil (1989–1995) and Southwestern Bell Corporation/SBC Communications/AT&T (1997–2014).
From 1941 to 1995, the game hosted the champion of theSouthwest Conference (SWC) against a team invited from elsewhere in the country, frequently a major independent or a runner-up from theSoutheastern Conference (SEC). Following the dissolution of the SWC in 1996, the game hosted a runner-up from theBig 12 Conference, facing an SEC team from 1999 to 2014.
In2014, the Cotton Bowl Classic, as one of the "New Year's Six" bowls, became a part of theCollege Football Playoff. As part of the four-team playoff from 2014 to2023, the Cotton Bowl served as a semifinal game in2015,2018, and2021.
With the expansion of the College Football Playoff to twelve teams in the2024–25 season, the Cotton Bowl Classic will serve as either a quarterfinal or semifinal each year. It served as a semifinal in2025 and will serve as a quarterfinal in 2026. When serving as a semifinal, the game will be played one week after New Year's Day.[2]
The winner of the Cotton Bowl is awarded the Field Scovell Trophy.
The Cotton Bowl Classic was founded in Dallas in 1937 at theTexas State Fair Grounds, when Texas oil executive J. Curtis Sanford financed the first bowl game.Texas Christian and star quarterbackSammy Baugh took onMarquette, 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 asRice defeatedByron White'sColorado 28–14 in front of a crowd of 37,000.
Some 40,000 attended the 1939 match betweenSaint Mary's College of California andTexas Tech, with the Gaels upsetting the undefeated Red Raiders 20–13.
In 1940, an underdogClemson team surprised theBoston College Eagles 6–3, in the first and only appearance at the Cotton Bowl Classic by Tigers coachFrank 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 theSouthwest 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, sportswriters 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 byTexas, despite the 4th quarter work of freshman fullback Robert (Bob) Lee Clodfelter, who was to mature underWeeb Ewbank atWashington University in St. Louis the next three years.
In 1947LSU andArkansas played in front of 38,000 people to a scoreless 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 1948Penn 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 twoAfrican-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 theCotton Bowl Stadium.[3]
The 1953 Cotton Bowl would be a rematch of the 1951 bowl game asTexas andTennessee 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'sDickey 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'sTommy 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.
The 1957 Classic matched theTCU Horned Frogs against theJim Brown-ledSyracuse Orangemen. Brown rushed for 135 yards, scored three touchdowns and kicked three extra points but a fourth-quarter blocked extra point by TCU's Chico Mendoza proved the margin of victory as TCU won, 28–27. TCU QBChuck Curtis passed for 174 yards, threw for two touchdowns and rushed for another to lead the Frogs.
In 1960,Syracuse defeatedTexas 23–14 to win thenational championship. Syracuse was led by bowl MVPErnie 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.[4] The University of Texas president Logan Wilson called for an NCAA hearing on the fight after the game. Syracuse Athletic Director Lew Andreas asserted that no one from his university had accused Texas of dirty play, and attributed those claims to members of the media.[5] The issue was dropped shortly thereafter. In 1961, Davis became the first black athlete to win theHeisman Trophy, but died ofleukemia before his pro career could begin.
Duke defeated Arkansas 7–6 in the 1961 game. Duke scored with 2:45 remaining and recovered a fumble on the ensuing series to win the game.
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.
The 1963 game featured the returning Texas Longhorns and theLSU Tigers, who, like Mississippi, were from the SEC.Lynn Amedee's 23-yard field goal gave the Tigers a 3–0 halftime lead after Texas had missed their own which led to an 80-yard drive. This was the first field goal in the Classic since 1942. Amedee recovered a Longhorn fumble at the 37 early in the third quarter andJimmy Field scored 5 plays later on a touchdown run. Buddy Hamic recovered a Longhorn fumble to set up an Amedee field goal 13 plays later as the Tigers shut the Longhorns out.[6]
In 1964, No. 1Texas completed an undefeated season by defeating No. 2Navy (led byHeisman Trophy winner and futureDallas Cowboys quarterbackRoger Staubach). The game was played six weeks after theassassination of John F. Kennedy (coincidentally, a retired Naval officer) in Dallas. The 1964 game is the secondbowl game in college football history to pair the No. 1 and No. 2 teams in the nation (the1963 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 Orange Bowl to Texas (a team Arkansas defeated in Austin, Texas.), gave Arkansas the Grantland Rice Trophy emblematic of the national championship awarded by the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA).
In the 1966 game, Arkansas put its 22-game winning streak at risk playing LSU, who defeated the Razorbacks, 14–7.
The 1967 game was moved to Saturday, December 31, 1966, due to theDallas Cowboys hosting theNFL Championship Game at the stadium on New Year's Day, a Sunday. The other major bowl games that year—theRose Bowl,Sugar Bowl, andOrange Bowl—were played on Monday, January 2.
The 1968 game saw SWC champsTexas A&M, led by coachGene Stallings defeat former A&M head coachBear Bryant and theAlabama Crimson Tide. Stallings was one of Bryant's "Junction Boys" as well as a former assistant, and would eventually go on to coach the Tide. After the Aggies defeated the Tide 20–16, Bryant embraced Stallings and carried him off the field.
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 lopsided win for Texas with almost 400 rushing yards. Texas won 36–13.
The 1970 game featuredNotre Dame's return tobowl 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 quarterbackJoe Theismann, faced top-ranked and undefeatedTexas. 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, denyingTexas theAssociated Press national championship (the Longhorns had already clinched the regular season championship in theUPI poll, a pre-bowl poll until the1974 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 quarterbackJoe 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 andBear Bryant, 17–13.
The 1976 Cotton Bowl showcased SWC co-Champ Arkansas against SEC stalwart Georgia. The Razorbacks had beaten No. 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 1977 Cotton Bowl featured SWC Champions Houston Cougars, who were entering the Cotton Bowl for the first time, against the undefeated Maryland Terrapins. Houston won 30–21, handing the Terps their only loss of the year.
The1979 Cotton Bowl Classic, nicknamed the Chicken Soup Game, featured one of the most historic comebacks in bowl history. Notre Dame trailedHouston 34–12 midway through the fourth quarter. Thanks to a blocked punt and the brilliance of future NFL Hall of FamerJoe Montana, the Irish rallied to win 35–34, their second consecutive Cotton Bowl Classic victory.
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 went into the fourth quarter ahead 10–0 and it would appear that the Bear would finally get a win over Texas while at Alabama. But the Longhorns scored their first points with aquarterback draw byRobert Brewer on a 3rd-and-long with 10:38 remaining.[7] On Texas' next possession,Terry Orr scored from eight yards out to cap an 11-play, 80-yard drive to put the Longhorns up 14–10 with 2:05 remaining. Alabama'sJoey Jones returned the ensuing kickoff to the Texas 38-yard line, and Tide quarterbackWalter Lewis took over with 1:54 left. On the very next play, UT'sWilliam Graham picked off a Lewis pass at the one. The Longhorns took asafety to insure better field position and Texas once again stunned Alabama and the Bear with a 14–12 victory.[8]
The 1984 game featured No. 7 Georgia of the SEC against undefeated No. 2 Texas of the SWC. Texas led 9–3 with more than four minutes to play in a battle of field goals between Georgia'sKevin Butler and Texas' Jeff Ward. A Chip Andrews (Georgia) punt was muffed by Texas defensive backCraig Curry late in the fourth quarter, then Georgiaquarterback John Lastinger ran 17 yards for atouchdown with 3:22 left to play to capture a 10–9 victory, costing the Longhorns a possible national title.
The 1989 game betweenUCLA andArkansas was highly publicized in the Dallas area because Bruin quarterbackTroy Aikman was expected to be the top pick in the1989 NFL draft; the first pick was held by theDallas Cowboys. Much was made of Cowboys longtime head coachTom Landry watching Aikman practice atTexas 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. UCLA and Aikman won, 17–3.
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, andEli Manning all have played in the game.
Three of the fourHeisman Trophy winners from the 1984–87 seasons finished their college career in the Cotton Bowl Classic: Doug Flutie forBoston College in January 1985,Bo Jackson ofAuburn in 1986, andTim Brown ofNotre Dame in 1988.
Brown and fellow Heisman winnerDavey O'Brien, who played in the 1937 Cotton Bowl, both attended nearbyWoodrow Wilson High School in the Lakewood area. "Woodrow" became the first high school ever to produce two Heisman winners.
For 53 years, the SWC champion played as the home team in the Cotton Bowl Classic, a tie-in which continued through the1994 season. Until the mid-1980s, the contest was almost universally counted as a major New Year's Day bowl. However, by the late 1980s, the Cotton Bowl Classic's prestige had fallen significantly. During the 1980s, many SWC teams were left ineligible for postseason play due toNCAA probations for rule violations. Also, the conference's quality of play suffered a marked decline. The SWC champion lost the last seven times in which it received an automatic bid to the game, and the last national champion for almost four decades to play in the Cotton Bowl Classic was Notre Dame in 1977 (eventual national champions Alabama and Clemson would later play in the Cotton Bowl after the 2015 and 2018 seasons, respectively). Finally, the Cotton Bowl Classic was played outdoors during cold weather on occasion (most notably the 1979 game).
Meanwhile, theFiesta Bowl, unhindered by conference tie-ins and played in generally warm weather, propelled itself to major-bowl status by attractingnational championship contenders, most notably with its January1987 matchup betweenPenn State andMiami. 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 theBowl Coalition when it was formed in 1992. However, in 1995, the newBowl Alliance (the predecessor of the BCS) chose to include the Fiesta over the Cotton in its rotation. While it was still capable of landing Top 10 teams, it was no longer in a position to decide the national championship. In 18 of the 21 seasons since 1995, the Cotton Bowl has featured two ranked opponents. In the other three seasons, one of the teams was ranked (2002, 2003, and 2010).
In 1995, the SWC gave up control of the Cotton Bowl Classic as part of its planned dissolution after the season. From 1999 to 2014, the Cotton Bowl Classic had the second pick from the Big 12 after theBowl Alliance and its successor, theBowl Championship Series–usually the championship game loser or a division runner-up.
From 1996 to 1998, the other participant was either the champion of theWestern Athletic Conference or the runner-up of thePac-10 Conference. In 1996, the No. 5BYU Cougars joined Notre Dame as the only programs outside of a major conference to play in the Cotton Bowl in the modern era, defeating theKansas State Wildcats 19–15, winning an NCAA record 14th game, and finishing the season ranked fifth in the country with a 14–1 record.
In 1999, the Cotton Bowl arranged for a team from theSoutheastern Conference to be the Big 12 opponent, and Southwestern Bell (now AT&T) began sponsoring the event. More often than not, the SEC representative was the runner-up from the West Division. However, Tennessee appeared in 2001 and 2005, and Missouri appeared in 2014.
Through 2008, the Cotton Bowl Classic continued to be played on New Year's Day (except in 2004 and 2006, when the game was moved to January 2) and was usually the second game of the day to kick off, generally following theOutback Bowl.
This decade was kicked off in grand fashion, as two former Southwest Conference rivals faced off in the 2000 Classic. TheArkansas Razorbacks, now a member of the SEC (as of 1992[update]), and Texas Longhorns, now a member of the Big XII (as of 1996[update]) faced off in the first college football game of the last year of the 20th Century. After a lackluster first half ended with the game tied 3–3, the Razorbacks opened things up, led by Offensive MVP running backCedric Cobbs. Arkansas beat their former hated rival, 27–6, holding the Longhorns to negative yards rushing, and sacking the Texas QB a bowl-record 8 times.
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 theMississippi 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 beNew York Giants quarterbackEli Manning's last college football game. Manning led his team to beatOklahoma State 31–28.
The 2007 Cotton Bowl Classic was betweenAuburn Tigers and theNebraska Cornhuskers; Auburn won 17–14.
In the 2008 Cotton Bowl Classic,Missouri's running backTony 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.[9]
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.[10]
In the final Cotton Bowl Classic game to be held in the Cotton Bowl stadium, the 8–4, No. 20Ole Miss Rebels defeated the 11–1, No. 7Texas Tech Red Raiders, 47–34. Tech quarterbackGraham Harrell broke the NCAA record in this game for most touchdown passes thrown by anyone in Cotton Bowl Classic history.[11]
In 2010, the Cotton Bowl Classic moved to the new Cowboys Stadium (now AT&T Stadium) in Arlington, as part of a bid by bowl officials to make it part of the BCS in 2011. The Cotton Bowl had recently been remodeled and expanded to over 92,000 seats as part of a long-term drive to regain major status for the bowl game. However, Dallas' frequently cold January weather had been a longstanding concern, and was thought to have hampered any prospect of upgrading the game to the BCS. In contrast, the new stadium would offer top amenities and a retractable roof.[12] A new four-year agreement between the BCS andESPN had forestalled any possibility of the Cotton Bowl Classic joining the BCS until 2015 at the earliest.[13] Later findings that theFiesta 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;[14] however, the Fiesta Bowl did not lose its BCS rotation.
In the2010 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 yearlong celebration.Texas A&M playedLouisiana State University in the2011 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 inprime time, as well as the latest calendar date for the game.[15]
In the2012 match-up, theArkansas Razorbacks defeated theKansas 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 in the Cotton Bowl Classic 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 quarterback Tyler Wilson, the game's offensive MVP. Arkansas improved to 11–2 for the 2011 season, and finished ranked No. 5, while K-State fell to 10–3.
In 2013, the No. 10Texas A&M Aggies defeated the No. 12Oklahoma Sooners 41–13 to win the Cotton Bowl Classic and to finish the season with an 11–2 record.Johnny Manziel rushed for 229 yards during the game, a Cotton Bowl record, rushing for two touchdowns and throwing for two more. Though the halftime score was 14–13 Texas A&M, the Aggies went on to score 27 unanswered second half points to win the game.
The Cotton Bowl Classic returned to "major" bowl status in the 2014 season in conjunction with the first year of the newCollege Football Playoff. It will host a national semifinal once every three years (in the 2015, 2018, 2021, 2024 seasons), and in other years will host two at-large teams that did not get selected to the four-team playoff. As part of this move, television rights switched to ESPN, which also televises other games in the playoff system. The January 2015 game featured two team ranked in the top ten for the first time in 20 seasons; the No. 8Michigan State Spartans of theBig Ten Conference and the No. 5Baylor Bears of theBig 12 Conference. The Spartans beat the Bears by a score of 42–41 to claim the school's first-ever Cotton Bowl Classic championship. The 2017 game saw the No. 15Western Michigan Broncos of theMid-American Conference (MAC) meet the No. 9Wisconsin Badgers of theBig Ten Conference. The Badgers beat the previously undefeated Broncos, 24–16. The Broncos were the first team from the MAC to participate in the Cotton Bowl Classic.
From 1989 until 1995, the game was sponsored byMobil Oil and known as theMobil Cotton Bowl Classic. From 1996 to 2013, the game was sponsored bySouthwestern 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 ofAT&T Corporation, and its subsequent name change toAT&T Inc., as theAT&T Cotton Bowl Classic.
On October 15, 2014,ESPN.com reported that AT&T would no longer sponsor the Cotton Bowl since it already holds the naming rights to the stadium in which it is played.[16][17] On November 7, 2014, it was announced thatGoodyear would become the new sponsor of the game, now known for sponsorship reasons as theGoodyear Cotton Bowl Classic.[18]
The Cotton Bowl is a stadium which opened in 1930 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 inFair Park, site of theState Fair of Texas. The Cotton Bowl Classic called its namesake home since the bowl's inception in 1937 until the 2010 game. TheNFL'sDallas Cowboys called the Cotton Bowl home for 11 years, from the team's formation in 1960 until 1971, when the Cowboys moved toTexas 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.
AT&T Stadium, formerly Cowboys Stadium, is adomed stadium with a retractable roof inArlington, 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. AT&T Stadium is the largest domed stadium in the world.[19]
A highlight of AT&T Stadium is its center-hunghigh-definition television screen, the second largest in the world. The 160 by 72 feet (49 by 22 m), 11,520-square-foot (1,070 m2) scoreboard surpasses the 8,736 sq ft (812 m2) screen that opened in 2009 at the renovatedKauffman Stadium inKansas City, Missouri.[20][21][22]
All rankings are taken from theAP poll (inaugurated in1936), before each game was played.
| Date played | Winning team | Losing team | Attnd.[23] | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 1, 1937 | No. 16TCU | 16 | No. 20Marquette | 6 | 17,000 | notes |
| January 1, 1938 | Rice | 28 | Colorado | 14 | 37,000 | notes |
| January 2, 1939 | Saint Mary's (CA) | 20 | No. 11Texas Tech | 13 | 40,000 | notes |
| January 1, 1940 | Clemson | 6 | Boston College | 3 | 20,000 | notes |
| January 1, 1941 | No. 6Texas A&M | 13 | No. 12Fordham | 12 | 45,500 | notes |
| January 1, 1942 | No. 20Alabama | 29 | No. 9Texas A&M | 21 | 38,000 | notes |
| January 1, 1943 | No. 11Texas | 14 | Georgia Tech | 7 | 36,000 | notes |
| January 1, 1944 | No. 14Texas | 7 | Randolph Field | 7 | 15,000 | notes |
| January 1, 1945 | Oklahoma A&M | 34 | TCU | 0 | 37,000 | notes |
| January 1, 1946 | No. 10Texas | 40 | Missouri | 27 | 45,000 | notes |
| January 1, 1947 | No. 8LSU | 0 | No. 16Arkansas | 0 | 38,000 | notes |
| January 1, 1948 | No. 10SMU | 13 | No. 18Penn State | 13 | 43,000 | notes |
| January 1, 1949 | No. 10SMU | 21 | No. 9Oregon | 13 | 69,000 | notes |
| January 2, 1950 | No. 5Rice | 27 | No. 16North Carolina | 13 | 75,347 | notes |
| January 1, 1951 | No. 4Tennessee | 20 | No. 3Texas | 14 | 75,349 | notes |
| January 1, 1952 | No. 15Kentucky | 20 | No. 11TCU | 7 | 75,347 | notes |
| January 1, 1953 | No. 10Texas | 16 | No. 8Tennessee | 0 | 75,504 | notes |
| January 1, 1954 | No. 6Rice | 28 | No. 13Alabama | 6 | 75,504 | notes |
| January 1, 1955 | Georgia Tech | 14 | No. 10Arkansas | 6 | 75,504 | notes |
| January 2, 1956 | No. 10Ole Miss | 14 | No. 6TCU | 13 | 75,504 | notes |
| January 1, 1957 | No. 14TCU | 28 | No. 8Syracuse | 27 | 61,500–68,000 | notes |
| January 1, 1958 | No. 5Navy | 20 | No. 8Rice | 7 | 75,504 | notes |
| January 1, 1959 | No. 10TCU | 0 | No. 6Air Force | 0 | 75,504 | notes |
| January 1, 1960 | No. 1Syracuse | 23 | No. 4Texas | 14 | 75,504 | notes |
| January 2, 1961 | No. 10Duke | 7 | No. 7Arkansas | 6 | 74,000 | notes |
| January 1, 1962 | No. 3Texas | 12 | No. 5Ole Miss | 7 | 75,504 | notes |
| January 1, 1963 | No. 7LSU | 13 | No. 4Texas | 0 | 75,504 | notes |
| January 1, 1964 | No. 1Texas | 28 | No. 2Navy | 6 | 75,504 | notes |
| January 1, 1965 | No. 2Arkansas | 10 | No. 6Nebraska | 7 | 75,504 | notes |
| January 1, 1966 | LSU | 14 | No. 2Arkansas | 7 | 76,200 | notes |
| December 31, 1966 | No. 4Georgia | 24 | No. 10SMU | 9 | 75,400 | notes |
| January 1, 1968 | Texas A&M | 20 | No. 8Alabama | 16 | 75,504 | notes |
| January 1, 1969 | No. 5Texas | 36 | No. 8Tennessee | 13 | 72,000 | notes |
| January 1, 1970 | No. 1Texas | 21 | No. 9Notre Dame | 17 | 73,000 | notes |
| January 1, 1971 | No. 6Notre Dame | 24 | No. 1Texas | 11 | 72,000 | notes |
| January 1, 1972 | No. 10Penn State | 30 | No. 12Texas | 6 | 72,000 | notes |
| January 1, 1973 | No. 7Texas | 17 | No. 4Alabama | 13 | 72,000 | notes |
| January 1, 1974 | No. 12Nebraska | 19 | No. 8Texas | 3 | 67,500 | notes |
| January 1, 1975 | No. 7Penn State | 41 | No. 12Baylor | 20 | 67,500–68,500 | notes |
| January 1, 1976 | No. 18Arkansas | 31 | No. 12Georgia | 10 | 74,500 | notes |
| January 1, 1977 | No. 6Houston | 30 | No. 4Maryland | 21 | 54,500 | notes |
| January 2, 1978 | No. 5Notre Dame | 38 | No. 1Texas | 10 | 76,601 | notes |
| January 1, 1979 | No. 10Notre Dame | 35 | No. 9Houston | 34 | 32,500 | notes |
| January 1, 1980 | No. 8Houston | 17 | No. 7Nebraska | 14 | 72,032 | notes |
| January 1, 1981 | No. 9Alabama | 30 | No. 6Baylor | 2 | 74,281 | notes |
| January 1, 1982 | No. 6Texas | 14 | No. 3Alabama | 12 | 73,243 | notes |
| January 1, 1983 | No. 4SMU | 7 | No. 6Pittsburgh | 3 | 60,359 | notes |
| January 2, 1984 | No. 7Georgia | 10 | No. 2Texas | 9 | 67,891 | notes |
| January 1, 1985 | No. 8Boston College | 45 | Houston | 28 | 56,522 | notes |
| January 1, 1986 | No. 11Texas A&M | 36 | No. 16Auburn | 16 | 73,137 | notes |
| January 1, 1987 | No. 11Ohio State | 28 | No. 8Texas A&M | 12 | 74,188 | notes |
| January 1, 1988 | No. 13Texas A&M | 35 | No. 12Notre Dame | 10 | 73,006 | notes |
| January 2, 1989 | No. 9UCLA | 17 | No. 8Arkansas | 3 | 74,304 | notes |
| January 1, 1990 | No. 8Tennessee | 31 | No. 10Arkansas | 27 | 74,358 | notes |
| January 1, 1991 | No. 4Miami (FL) | 46 | No. 3Texas | 3 | 73,521 | notes |
| January 1, 1992 | No. 5Florida State | 10 | No. 9Texas A&M | 2 | 73,728 | notes |
| January 1, 1993 | No. 5Notre Dame | 28 | No. 4Texas A&M | 3 | 71,615 | notes |
| January 1, 1994 | No. 4Notre Dame | 24 | No. 7Texas A&M | 21 | 69,855 | notes |
| January 2, 1995 | No. 21USC | 55 | Texas Tech | 14 | 70,218 | notes |
| January 1, 1996 | No. 7Colorado | 38 | No. 12Oregon | 6 | 58,214 | notes |
| January 1, 1997 | No. 5BYU | 19 | No. 14Kansas State | 15 | 71,928 | notes |
| January 1, 1998 | No. 5UCLA | 29 | No. 20Texas A&M | 23 | 59,215 | notes |
| January 1, 1999 | No. 20Texas | 38 | No. 25Mississippi State | 11 | 72,611 | notes |
| January 1, 2000 | No. 24Arkansas | 27 | No. 14Texas | 6 | 72,723 | notes |
| January 1, 2001 | No. 11Kansas State | 35 | No. 21Tennessee | 21 | 63,465 | notes |
| January 1, 2002 | No. 10Oklahoma | 10 | Arkansas | 3 | 72,955 | notes |
| January 1, 2003 | No. 9Texas | 35 | LSU | 20 | 70,817 | notes |
| January 2, 2004 | No. 16Ole Miss | 31 | No. 21Oklahoma State | 28 | 73,928 | notes |
| January 1, 2005 | No. 15Tennessee | 38 | No. 22Texas A&M | 7 | 75,704 | notes |
| January 2, 2006 | No. 8Alabama | 13 | No. 20Texas Tech | 10 | 74,222 | notes |
| January 1, 2007 | No. 10Auburn | 17 | No. 22Nebraska | 14 | 66,777 | notes |
| January 1, 2008 | No. 7Missouri | 38 | No. 25Arkansas | 7 | 73,114 | notes |
| January 2, 2009 | No. 20Ole Miss | 47 | No. 8Texas Tech | 34 | 88,175 | notes |
| January 2, 2010 | Ole Miss | 21 | No. 21Oklahoma State | 7 | 77,928 | notes |
| January 7, 2011 | No. 11LSU | 41 | No. 18Texas A&M | 24 | 83,514 | notes |
| January 6, 2012 | No. 7Arkansas | 29 | No. 11Kansas State | 16 | 80,956 | notes |
| January 4, 2013 | No. 9Texas A&M | 41 | No. 11Oklahoma | 13 | 87,025 | notes |
| January 3, 2014 | No. 9Missouri | 41 | No. 13Oklahoma State | 31 | 72,690 | notes |
| January 1, 2015 | No. 7Michigan State | 42 | No. 4Baylor | 41 | 71,464 | notes |
| December 31, 2015SF | No. 2Alabama | 38 | No. 3Michigan State | 0 | 82,812 | notes |
| January 2, 2017 | No. 8Wisconsin | 24 | No. 12Western Michigan | 16 | 59,615 | notes |
| December 29, 2017 | No. 5Ohio State | 24 | No. 8USC | 7 | 67,510 | notes |
| December 29, 2018SF | No. 2Clemson | 30 | No. 3Notre Dame | 3 | 72,183 | notes |
| December 28, 2019 | No. 13Penn State | 53 | No. 15Memphis | 39 | 54,828 | notes |
| December 30, 2020 | No. 8Oklahoma | 55 | No. 10Florida | 20 | 17,323 | notes |
| December 31, 2021SF | No. 1Alabama | 27 | No. 4Cincinnati | 6 | 76,313 | notes |
| January 2, 2023 | No. 14Tulane | 46 | No. 8USC | 45 | 55,329 | notes |
| December 29, 2023 | No. 9Missouri | 14 | No. 7Ohio State | 3 | 70,114 | notes |
| January 10, 2025SF | No. 6Ohio State | 28 | No. 4Texas | 14 | 74,527 | notes |
Source:[24]
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Updated through the January 2025 edition (89 games, 178 total appearances).
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Won (8):BYU,Duke,Florida State,Kentucky,Miami (FL),Saint Mary's (CA),Tulane,Wisconsin
Lost (10):Cincinnati,Florida,Fordham,Marquette,Maryland,Memphis,Mississippi State,North Carolina,Pittsburgh,Western Michigan
Tied (2):Air Force,Randolph Field
As of 2023[update]:
Updated through the January 2025 edition (89 games, 178 total appearances).
| Conference | Record | Appearances by year | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Games | W | L | T | Win pct. | Won | Lost | Tied | |
| SWC | 57 | 24 | 29 | 4 | .456 | 1937, 1938, 1941, 1943, 1946, 1949, 1950, 1953, 1954, 1957, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1973, 1976, 1977, 1980, 1982, 1983, 1986, 1988 | 1942, 1945, 1951, 1952, 1955, 1956, 1958, 1960, 1961, 1963, 1966, 1966D, 1971, 1972, 1974, 1975, 1978, 1979, 1981, 1984, 1985, 1987, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995 | 1944, 1947, 1948, 1959 |
| SEC | 43 | 25 | 17 | 1 | .593 | 1942, 1951, 1952, 1955, 1956, 1963, 1966, 1966D, 1981, 1984, 1990, 2000, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015D, 2021, 2023D | 1943, 1953, 1954, 1962, 1968, 1969, 1973, 1976, 1982, 1986, 1999, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2008, 2020D, 2025 | 1947 |
| Independents | 25 | 13 | 9 | 3 | .580 | 1939, 1958, 1960, 1971, 1972, 1975, 1978, 1979, 1985, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994 | 1937, 1940, 1941, 1957, 1964, 1970, 1983, 1988, 2018D | 1944, 1948, 1959 |
| Big 12 | 20 | 6 | 14 | 0 | .300 | 1999, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2008, 2020D | 1997, 1998, 2000, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 | |
| Big Ten | 8 | 6 | 2 | 0 | .750 | 1987, 2015, 2017, 2017D, 2019D, 2025 | 2015D, 2023D | |
| Pac-12 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | .500 | 1989, 1995, 1998 | 1996, 2017D, 2023 | |
| Big Eight | 5 | 2 | 3 | 0 | .400 | 1974, 1996 | 1946, 1965, 1980 | |
| ACC | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | .667 | 1961, 2018D | 1977 | |
| The American | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | .333 | 2023 | 2019D, 2021 | |
| SoCon | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | .500 | 1940 | 1950 | |
| MVC | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 | 1945 | ||
| WAC | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 | 1997 | ||
| Border | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .000 | 1939 | ||
| MAC | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .000 | 2017 | ||
| PCC | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .000 | 1949 | ||
| RMAC | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .000 | 1938 | ||
| Team | Performance, Team vs. Opponent | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Most points (one team) | 55, shared by: USC vs. Texas Tech Oklahoma vs. Florida | 1995 2020 |
| Most points (both teams) | 92, Penn State (53) vs. Memphis (39) | 2019 |
| Fewest points allowed | 0, several teams—most recent: Alabama vs. Michigan State | Dec. 2015 |
| Largest margin of victory | 43, Miami, FL (46) vs. Texas (3) | 1991 |
| First downs | 32, Tennessee vs. Texas A&M | 2005 |
| Rushing yards | 435, Oklahoma vs. Florida | 2020 |
| Passing yards | 603, Baylor vs. Michigan State | Jan. 2015 |
| Total yards | 684, Oklahoma vs. Florida | 2020 |
| Individual | Performance, Player, Team vs. Opponent | Year |
| Total offense | 516,Johnny Manziel, Texas A&M vs. Oklahoma (229 Rush, 287 Pass) | 2013 |
| Rushing yards | 281,Tony Temple, Missouri vs. Arkansas (24 att., 4 TD) | 2008 |
| Rushing TDs | 4 shared by: Tony Temple, Missouri vs. Arkansas Tyjae Spears, Tulane vs. USC | 2008 Jan. 2023 |
| Passing yards | 550,Bryce Petty, Baylor vs. Michigan State (36–51–1, 3 TD) | Jan. 2015 |
| Passing TDs | 5,Caleb Williams, USC vs. Tulane | Jan. 2023 |
| Receptions | 11,Rashaun Woods, Oklahoma State vs. Ole Miss (223 yds, 1 TD) | 2004 |
| Receiving yards | 223,Rashaun Woods, Oklahoma State vs. Ole Miss (11 rec., 1 TD) | 2004 |
| Receiving TDs | 3,Terrence Toliver, LSU vs. Texas A&M | 2011 |
| Field goals | 6,Riley Patterson, Memphis vs. Penn State | 2019 |
| Tackles | 23,Keith Flowers, TCU vs. Kentucky | 1952 |
| Sacks | 6, Shay Muirbrook, BYU vs. Kansas State (32 yards) | 1997 |
| Interceptions | 3, Jerry Cook, Texas vs. Ole Miss (16 yards) | 1962 |
| Long Plays | Performance, Player, Team vs. Opponent | Year |
| Touchdown run | 95,Dicky Moegle, Rice vs. Alabama | 1954 |
| Touchdown pass | 87, Gerhard Schwedes toErnie Davis, Syracuse vs. Texas Michael Pratt to Jha'Quan Jackson, Tulane vs. USC[28] | 1960 Jan. 2023 |
| Kickoff return | 98, Earl Allen, Houston vs. Boston College (TD) | 1985 |
| Punt return | 72,Jimmy Nelson, Alabama vs. Texas A&M (TD) | 1942 |
| Interception return | 95, Marcus Washington, Colorado vs. Oregon (TD) | 1996 |
| Fumble return | 83,Jack Sawyer, Ohio State vs. Texas (TD) | 2025 |
| Punt | 84,Kyle Rote, SMU vs. Oregon | 1949 |
| Field goal | 51, Riley Patterson, Memphis vs. Penn State | 2019 |
Note: for ties, the most recent year is shown.
The first televised edition of the Cotton Bowl Classic was in 1953 byNBC. NBC provided coverage of the game from 1952 to 1957. In 1958,CBS began a streak of broadcasts of the event through 1992. NBC televised the game from 1993 to 1995. The Cotton Bowl returned to CBS in 1996 and remained for three years. From 1999 to 2014, the Cotton Bowl Classic was televised byFox. As part of theCollege Football Playoff rotation,ESPN took over rights to the game beginning in 2015.[29]
In 2013,Fox Deportes televised the game nationally for the first time in Spanish.[30] The game returned to Fox Deportes in 2014. In 2015,ESPN Deportes becomes the new Spanish-language television home of the game.
The game is also broadcast nationally on radio byESPN Radio andESPN Deportes Radio. ESPN Radio succeeded former longtime Cotton Bowl carrierWestwood One in 2013.[31] 2013 marked the first Spanish radio broadcast of the game.
