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| 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) | |
The Cotton Bowl Classic (also known as the Cotton Bowl) is an American college football bowl game played annually in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex since January 1, 1937.
The game was originally played at its namesake stadium in Dallas before moving to AT&T Stadium in nearby Arlington in 2010.[1] Since 2014, the game has been sponsored by the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company and officially known as the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic; it was previously sponsored by Mobil (1989–1995) and Southwestern Bell Corporation/SBC Communications/AT&T (1997–2014).
From 1941 to 1995, the game hosted the champion of the Southwest Conference (SWC) against a team invited from elsewhere in the country, frequently a major independent or a runner-up from the Southeastern Conference (SEC). Following the dissolution of the SWC in 1996, the game hosted a runner-up from the Big 12 Conference, facing an SEC team from 1999 to 2014.
In 2014, the Cotton Bowl Classic, along with the "New Year's Six" bowls, became a part of the College Football Playoff. As part of the four team playoff from 2014 to 2023, the Cotton Bowl served as a semifinal game in 2015, 2018, and 2021.
With the expansion of the College Football Playoff to twelve teams in the 2024–25 season, the Cotton Bowl Classic will serve as either a quarterfinal or semifinal each year. It served as a semifinal in 2025 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.
- ^ "Cotton Bowl moves; what about Texas-OU?". Austin American-Statesman. February 27, 2007. Archived from the original on March 7, 2007. Retrieved March 24, 2007.
- ^ "About the 12-Team College Football Playoff Format". College Football Playoff. Retrieved December 27, 2024.