Cotton Bowl Classic

Cotton Bowl Classic
GoodyearCotton Bowl Classic
Stadium	AT&T Stadium
Location	Arlington, Texas
Previous stadiums	Cotton Bowl(1937–2009)
Previous locations	Dallas, Texas
Operated	1937–present
Championship affiliation	CFP(2014–present) Bowl Coalition(1992–1994)
Previous conference tie-ins	SWC(1941–1995) Big 12(1997–2014) SEC(1999–2014)
Payout	US$4 million(non-playoff years)
Sponsors
Mobil(1989–1995) Southwestern Bell Corporation/SBC Communications/AT&T(1997–2014) Goodyear(2014–present)
Former names
Cotton Bowl (1937–1988) Mobil Cotton Bowl Classic (1989–1995) Southwestern Bell Cotton Bowl Classic (1996–2000) SBC Communications Cotton Bowl Classic (2001–2005) AT&T Cotton Bowl Classic (2006–2014)
2022 season matchup
Tulanevs.USC(Tulane 46–45)
2023 season matchup
Missourivs.Ohio State(Missouri 14–3)

TheCotton Bowl Classic(also known as theCotton Bowl) is an Americancollege footballbowl gamethat has been held annually in theDallas–Fort Worth metroplexsince January 1, 1937. The game was originally played at itsnamesake stadiuminDallasbefore moving to Cowboys Stadium (nowAT&T Stadium) in nearbyArlingtonin 2010.^[1]Since 2014, the game has been sponsored by theGoodyear Tire and Rubber Companyand officially known as theGoodyear Cotton Bowl Classic; it was previously sponsored byMobil(1989–1995) and Southwestern Bell Corporation/SBC Communications/AT&T(1997–2014).

Historically, 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. The Cotton Bowl Classic has served as one of six bowls in theCollege Football Playoff(CFP) since the 2014 season; it hosted a national semifinal following the 2015, 2018 and 2021 seasons.

With the expansion of the College Football Playoff to 12 teams in 2024, the Cotton Bowl Classic will become an annual feature of that playoff, along with the other New Year's Six bowls. Traditional conference tie-ins prior to 2024 will still try to be respected for the 2024 and 2025 seasons but are no longer obligated to be met.^{[citation needed]}

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 Christianand star quarterbackSammy Baughtook 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 asRicedefeatedByron White'sColorado28–14 in front of a crowd of 37,000.

Some 40,000 attended the 1939 match betweenSaint Mary's College of CaliforniaandTexas Tech, with the Gaels upsetting the undefeated Red Raiders 20–13.

In 1940, an underdogClemsonteam surprised theBoston College Eagles6–3, 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,Missouriwas defeated byTexas, despite the 4th quarter work of freshman fullback Robert (Bob) Lee Clodfelter, who was to mature underWeeb EwbankatWashington University in St. Louisthe next three years.

In 1947LSUandArkansasplayed 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'SMUto a 13–13 tie. Because none of the Dallas hotels would provide accommodations for the twoAfrican-Americanmembers 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.^[2]

The 1953 Cotton Bowl would be a rematch of the 1951 bowl game asTexasandTennesseeplayed 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 Lewisjumped 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 Frogsagainst 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 Curtispassed for 174 yards, threw for two touchdowns and rushed for another to lead the Frogs.

In 1960,SyracusedefeatedTexas23–14 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.^[3]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.^[4]The issue was dropped shortly thereafter. In 1961, Davis became the first black athlete to win theHeisman Trophy, but died ofleukemiabefore his pro career could begin.

Dukedefeated 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 Fieldscored 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.^[5]

In 1964, No. 1Texascompleted an undefeated season by defeating No. 2Navy(led byHeisman Trophywinner and futureDallas CowboysquarterbackRoger 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 gamein college football history to pair the No. 1 and No. 2 teams in the nation (the1963 Rose Bowlbeing 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 Cowboyshosting theNFL Championship Gameat 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 Stallingsdefeat former A&M head coachBear Bryantand 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 tobowlgames 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, denyingTexastheAssociated Pressnational championship (the Longhorns had already clinched the regular season championship in theUPIpoll, a pre-bowl poll until the1974season;Nebraskawon 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 Montanaroll 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 trailedHouston34–12 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 drawbyRobert Breweron a 3rd-and-long with 10:38 remaining.^[6]On Texas' next possession,Terry Orrscored 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 Jonesreturned the ensuing kickoff to the Texas 38-yard line, and Tide quarterbackWalter Lewistook over with 1:54 left. On the very next play, UT'sWilliam Grahampicked off a Lewis pass at the one. The Longhorns took asafetyto insure better field position and Texas once again stunned Alabama and the Bear with a 14–12 victory.^[7]

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 Butlerand Texas' Jeff Ward. A Chip Andrews (Georgia) punt was muffed by Texas defensive backCraig Currylate in the fourth quarter, then GeorgiaquarterbackJohn Lastinger ran 17 yards for atouchdownwith 3:22 left to play to capture a 10–9 victory, costing the Longhorns a possible national title.

The 1989 game betweenUCLAandArkansaswas highly publicized in the Dallas area because Bruin quarterbackTroy Aikmanwas 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 Landrywatching 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 Manningall have played in the game.

Three of the fourHeisman Trophywinners from the 1984–87 seasons finished their college career in the Cotton Bowl Classic: Doug Flutie forBoston Collegein January 1985,Bo JacksonofAuburnin 1986, andTim BrownofNotre Damein 1988.

Brown and fellow Heisman winnerDavey O'Brien, who played in the 1937 Cotton Bowl, both attended nearbyWoodrow Wilson High Schoolin 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 toNCAAprobations 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 championshipcontenders, most notably with its January1987matchup betweenPenn StateandMiami. 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 Coalitionwhen 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 Allianceand 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 Conferenceor the runner-up of thePac-10 Conference. In 1996, the No. 5BYU Cougarsjoined Notre Dame as the only programs outside of a major conference to play in the Cotton Bowl in the modern era, defeating theKansas State Wildcats19–15, 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 Conferenceto 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 GiantsquarterbackEli Manning's last college football game. Manning led his team to beatOklahoma State31–28.

The 2007 Cotton Bowl Classic was betweenAuburn Tigersand theNebraska Cornhuskers; Auburn won 17–14.

In the 2008 Cotton Bowl Classic,Missouri's running backTony Templebroke 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.^[8]

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.^[9]

In the final Cotton Bowl Classic game to be held in the Cotton Bowl stadium, the 8–4, No. 20Ole Miss Rebelsdefeated the 11–1, No. 7Texas Tech Red Raiders, 47–34. Tech quarterbackGraham Harrellbroke the NCAA record in this game for most touchdown passes thrown by anyone in Cotton Bowl Classic history.^[10]

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.^[11]A new four-year agreement between the BCS andESPNhad forestalled any possibility of the Cotton Bowl Classic joining the BCS until 2015 at the earliest.^[12]Later findings that theFiesta Bowlreimbursed 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;^[13]however, the Fiesta Bowl did not lose its BCS rotation.

In the2010 Cotton Bowl Classicplayed 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&MplayedLouisiana State Universityin the2011 AT&T Cotton Bowl Classicon 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.^[14]

In the2012 match-up, theArkansas Razorbacksdefeated theKansas State Wildcats29–16. 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 Aggiesdefeated the No. 12Oklahoma Sooners41–13 to win the Cotton Bowl Classic and to finish the season with an 11–2 record.Johnny Manzielrushed 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 Spartansof theBig Ten Conferenceand the No. 5Baylor Bearsof 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 Broncosof theMid-American Conference(MAC) meet the No. 9Wisconsin Badgersof 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 Oiland 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.comreported 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.^[15][16]On November 7, 2014, it was announced thatGoodyearwould become the new sponsor of the game, now known for sponsorship reasons as theGoodyear Cotton Bowl Classic.^[17]

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 Cowboyscalled 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 stadiumwith 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.^[18]

A highlight of AT&T Stadium is its center-hunghigh-definition televisionscreen, 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 StadiuminKansas City, Missouri.^[19][20][21]

Team rankings entering games for which the Cotton Bowl Classic was designated a CFP semifinal are taken from CFP rankings. Otherwise, rankings are taken from theAP Poll(inaugurated in1936), before each game was played.

Date played	Winning team		Losing team		Attnd.[22]	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	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	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, 2015CFP	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, 2018CFP	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, 2021CFP	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

Source:^[23]

^CFPDenotes College Football Playoffsemifinal game

Source:^[24][25][26]

Updated through the December 2023 edition (88 games, 176 total appearances).

Teams with multiple appearances

Teams with a single appearance

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

• Oklahoma State's record includes one appearance when the school was known as Oklahoma A&M.

As of 2023^[update]:

• Each of the teams who were members of the Southwest Conference (SWC) sometime during 1936–1995 have appeared in at least one Cotton Bowl.
• South CarolinaandVanderbiltare the only members of the SEC that have not played in the Cotton Bowl.
• Iowa State,KansasandWest Virginiaare the only members of the Big 8 or Big 12 that have not played in the Cotton Bowl. In addition, former Big 12 members Colorado, Missouri, Nebraska, and Texas A&M have all played in multiple Cotton Bowls.
• Michigan State,Ohio State,Penn State(also played in the Cotton Bowl prior to being in the Big Ten), andWisconsinare the only Big Ten teams to have participated in the Cotton Bowl (MarylandandNebraskaparticipated prior to joining the conference). Prior to 2014, only one Big Ten team had appeared in the Cotton Bowl.
• Texas A&M,Texas TechandMissouriplayed in the Cotton Bowl as a member of three different conferences. A&M played as the Southwest Conference, the Big 12, and the SEC, Tech played as part of theBorder Conference, SWC and Big 12, and Missouri played as part of the Big 8, Big 12 and SEC.

Updated through the December 2023 edition (88 games, 176 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	42	25	16	1	.607	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	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	7	5	2	0	.714	1987, 2015, 2017, 2017D, 2019D	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

• Games marked with an superscript D (^D) were played in December.
• Records reflect conference affiliations at the time each game was played.
• Conferences that are defunct or no longer active in FBS are marked initalics.
• The Big Eight's record includes one game when the conference was known as the Big Six.
• The Pac-12's record includes four games when the conference was known as the Pac-10. It does not include the one appearance made by Oregon as a member of thePacific Coast Conference(PCC). Although the Pac-12 considers the PCC to be part of its own history, the two leagues were established under separate charters.

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 SchwedestoErnie Davis, Syracuse vs. Texas Michael Prattto Jha'Quan Jackson, Tulane vs. USC[27]	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	65, Steve Manstedt, Nebraska vs. Texas	1974
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,CBSbegan 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 Playoffrotation,ESPNtook over rights to the game beginning in 2015.^[28]

In 2013,Fox Deportestelevised the game nationally for the first time in Spanish.^[29]The game returned to Fox Deportes in 2014. In 2015,ESPN Deportesbecomes the new Spanish-language television home of the game.

The game is also broadcast nationally on radio byESPN RadioandESPN Deportes Radio. ESPN Radio succeeded former longtime Cotton Bowl carrierWestwood Onein 2013.^[30]2013 marked the first Spanish radio broadcast of the game.

• List of college bowl games
• Comerica Bank New Year's Parade, also known as the "Cotton Bowl Parade"

• Official website