Just a matter of time...

[Vito Corleone]

Before Texas/OU shit on almost 100 years of history and make their annual game a home and home.


Dallas News Article

By CHIP BROWN / The Dallas Morning News

Since 1929, the Texas-Oklahoma football game has been as much a part of the State Fair of Texas as corny dogs and Big Tex. There is a very real chance, however, that Texas and OU could be playing their last game at the Cotton Bowl in 2007 before taking their Red River rivalry back to the campuses.

The issue surfaced last week when both schools announced a new sponsorship agreement with SBC Communications Inc. for their annual October clash.

The length of the contract with SBC – three years – coincides with a clause Texas and OU have to opt out of their agreement with the city of Dallas to play at Fair Park. The current deal runs through the 2008 game but with a chance to opt out after the 2007 game.

"The decision whether to opt out after the 2007 game would probably need to be made about a year in advance," Texas athletic director DeLoss Dodds said. "Oklahoma athletic director Joe Castiglione and I are having conversations with our staffs about it and trying to decide where Dallas is with our game and what the Cotton Bowl stadium is going to look like in 2008."

There are several factors that will determine if Texas-OU remains a tradition at the Cotton Bowl during the State Fair. Foremost is whether the 75-year-old stadium will be improved.

"I don't think the University of Oklahoma is sitting here saying that we want gold-plated hand rails," Mr. Castiglione said. "But if you go sit in that stadium and see its condition, you'll see that there has to be some improvements.

"Turn it around. They want this game in Dallas. What are they offering to us? If the stadium is not in good enough condition to hold the game, what choice do we have? But we would rather not wait until the last year of the contract to make that decision."

State Fair of Texas president Errol McKoy said Tuesday he forwarded a $26 million proposal to renovate the Cotton Bowl to Dallas Mayor Laura Miller and the City Council a year ago.

Ms. Miller said Tuesday she was committed to keeping Texas-OU in Dallas and also attracting more games to the Cotton Bowl. Public bonds would almost assuredly fund major Cotton Bowl work, she said.

Ms. Miller said last November that city officials would get the money to improve the Cotton Bowl and would seek a longer contractual commitment from Texas and OU.

Mr. Dodds and Mr. Castiglione said Tuesday they were not aware of a renovation proposal and hadn't heard from the city about extending their contract.

"This is the first I've heard of it," Mr. Dodds said. "But it's not our decision to tell Dallas what to do to improve the stadium. It's our decision what to do with the game based on the facts we'll have at the time."

Mr. McKoy said the proposed renovation could be done by the 2007 game and would increase seating to more than 80,000 (from its current capacity of 75,000). There would be remodeled concession stands, improvements to the interior and exterior, a new scoreboard, a new sound system and new field lighting as well as resurfaced streets and walkways.

"When it's finished, the stadium will look as nice as the ones in Austin or Norman," Mr. McKoy said. "We feel $26 million will get the job done."

Mr. Dodds has said if improvements aren't made to the Cotton Bowl, he would favor going to a home-and-home series. Mr. Dodds said he wouldn't favor moving the game to the Cowboys' new stadium in Arlington – expected to be ready for the 2009 season – because the State Fair is the basis of the game's tradition and the reason for playing it in Dallas.

Mr. Castiglione has declined to comment on the future of the game beyond 2007. He said OU president David Boren and the school's board of regents would have to approve any decision to move the game.

"The schools, they're thinking home-and-home," said Dallas City Council member Leo Chaney, who represents the Fair Park area. "It's disheartening to me. We'll need to do something."

UT and OU officials signed the current contract to play their game in Fair Park under the assumption the Cowboys' new stadium was going to be built near the Cotton Bowl.

Even Ms. Miller admitted at the time that both schools were eyeing the new Cowboys stadium as a destination for their game.

"This facility is not what they want for the long term," Ms. Miller said of the Cotton Bowl when the five-year agreement was announced in March 2004.

Mr. Castiglione said: "At the time, the State Fair grounds was a prominent site that appeared to be very high, if not No. 1, on everybody's list. ... That's why we weren't making any long-term plans for the Cotton Bowl."

But the deal for a new Cowboys stadium in Dallas fell through.

UT and OU officials are watching carefully to see if the SBC Cotton Bowl Classic will stay at the Cotton Bowl once the Cowboys finish building their new stadium. The Cowboys' new facility will have a retractable roof, which would eliminate inclement weather as a detraction.

"That's a tell-tale piece of the puzzle, if the Cotton Bowl game decided to go somewhere else," Mr. Dodds said. "That would say something."

SBC Cotton Bowl president Rick Baker has declined to discuss the future of the bowl game beyond 2007, when its current contract in Fair Park expires.

The Cotton Bowl has already lost events and fan traffic this year with the departure of Major League Soccer club FC Dallas, which now plays at a smaller, soccer-specific stadium in Frisco.

Mr. McKoy said his proposed $26 million renovation to the Cotton Bowl is important to keep games such as Texas-OU and Grambling-Prairie View in Dallas as well as attract new games. Mr. McKoy said Texas A&M and Texas Tech are serious about moving their series to the Cotton Bowl during the State Fair beginning in 2007.

"Notre Dame has been looking to schedule a regular-season game at the Cotton Bowl to help their recruiting in the Southwest," Mr. McKoy said. "We also have been a premier venue for soccer games, including the World Cup in 1994. And we've also been a destination for major concerts. For all those reasons, it's a wise investment by the city to renovate the Cotton Bowl."

The future of the Texas-OU football game at Fair Park appears to depend on it.

Staff writers Brian Davis and Dave Levinthal contributed to this report.

E-mail chipbrown@dallasnews.com

QUOTE BOARD
"Even if you don't like football, you have to like money. The schools' alumni really like coming to Dallas, but the bottom line is still money. We need to have more seats in the stadium. We need upgrades."

— Craig Holcomb, executive director for Friends of Fair Park and a former City Council member.

"We're trying to attract new games to the Cotton Bowl. This is an economic engine for the city."

— Leo Chaney, City Council member who represents the Fair Park area.

"This is and will continue to be the place to play college football. We're talking about keeping huge football games during the State Fair. They're not going anywhere. We will get the money, make the improvements and ask the teams for a longer commitment. And I think we're going to get it."

— Dallas mayor Laura Miller at a news conference last November overlooking the Cotton Bowl field.

[indyfrisco]

It will get done. There's too much $$$ in it for Dallas for them not to do it.

[SunCoastSooner]

I wouldn't rule out a move to the TMS north of the metroplex just yet either.

[the_ouskull]

Like I give a shit where we kick Tejas' ass.

Seriously though, if the game were played anywhere but the Cotton Bowl, it would be a sad day, not to mention a financial DISASTER for Norman and Austin. The money that the game brought in would be spent repairing the entire town. Not to mention that OU's dry campus would spill into the town, which would spill into the jails, which would also suck.

This is a game that is supposed to be played in Dallas, and for it not to be would be re-damn-diculous. If this doesn't happen, it's just another example of that God-forsaken state dropping the ball on something that has potential.

the_ouskull

Post Script -- In ALL seriousness, I would be very sad if this were to happen. I would probably never attend another game again...

[SoCalTrjn]

USC and UCLA used to play each other every year at the Coliseum, both teams wearing their home uniforms and having the stadium half full of their fans.
at least if they change it to a home and home series OU and Texas wont have an excuse to play 80% of their OOC games at home to make up for the "road" game both play vs each other.

[Jimmy Medalions]

having the stadium half full of their fans.

Sounds like the Rose Bowl when we're there nowadays.

[Danimal]

Having this game at the Texas State Fair is a major tradition and though it is in Texas fans are split approximately 50-50. Bob has won the last several match-ups, why would OU care about moving the game home every other year?

[RadioFan]

It will get done. There's too much $$$ in it for Dallas for them not to do it.

Agree, but it sounds like they need to get moving on it. If they keep dinkin' around the game could be moved to a home-at-home or to Arlington, for a couple of years.

[King Crimson]

at least if they change it to a home and home series OU and Texas wont have an excuse to play 80% of their OOC games at home to make up for the "road" game both play vs each other.

since home games are about revenue, what's yer point? (even though i know already).

[King Crimson]

well, just to say: it's statistically impossible for a a team to play 3 OOC games and have them 80% at home.

[SoCalTrjn]

OU 2000
Texas El Paso in Norman
Arkansas State in Norman
Rice in Norman
OU 2001
@ Air Force Academy
North Texas in Norman
Tulsa in Norman
OU 2002
@ Tulsa
Alabama in Norman
Texas El Paso in Norman
South Florida in Norman
OU 2003
North Texas in Norman
@ Alabama
Fresno State in Norman
UCLA in Norman
OU 2004
Bowling Green in Norman
Houston in Norman
Oregon in Norman

82% of OOC games have been at home

[Vito Corleone]

I found this little rant about this topic and thought it was worth posting. Funny I never saw the RRS as being so big for OU but after reading it I found myself agreeing with most of the things it said.

http://oklahomastate.rivals.com/showmsg ... d=&style=2

My take on ou/tx at Cotton Bowl Reply
Fact:
Since WWII series is basically tied

Fact:
Game is a huge recruiting tool for uo, but not for texas

Fact:
no upside for texas continuing series in dallas

Fact:
no way texas loses 5 straight times to uo if that game is home and home

Fact:
texas recruiting not affected one bit by RR shootout. texas gets to recruit to Austin. If it weren't for that game--who the hell recruit would pick norman over austin?

Fact:
deloss dodds is finally figuring it out what a huge advantage it is for uo to have the tunnel end of the field EVERY YEAR. Amazing no texass AD or coach has ever figured it out. Their players get spit on and screamed at five times every game--coming and going pregame, halftime, and postgame

Fact:
City of Dallas should tell uo and texas to kiss their butts. If they don't like playing in the Cotton Bowl the way it is--atm/tech, or osu/tech, or osu/atm would jump at the chance to have that midseason bowl game EVERY YEAR!! What a recruiting advantage for uo that game is!

Fact:
without tx/ou rivalry IN DALLAS, ou doesn't have 7 ncs today--because they would have no recruiting advantage over any other big xii school--except for that game

Fact:
ou and castiglione will move heaven and hell to keep that game right where it is. If deloss dodds goes up to Joe and sez--"Joe you need to pay us a million or we're going home and home, Castiglione will just say, Where do I send the check?"

Fact:
Without that game ou aint squat


The things I did not agree with are that this game does not affect Texas recruiting, well hell I think both Adrian Peterson and Bomar would both be wearing a Texas Jersey if weren't for this game. So obviously it has some effect.

Also, it is as much a selling tool for Texas as it is for OU especially for the kids in Dallas that grew up watching that game.

I still haven't changed my position regarding this game, but the one compelling thing is that there is no way OU carries a 5 game win streak if this series was a home and home. Still there is no better feeling than spitting and cursing at the sooners as they come out of the tunnel. Except for that feeling after a win when you own the streets of Dallas.

[SunCoastSooner]

Er, Vito, when exactly do you spit and curse at OU players coming out of the tunnel, since the tunnel is on the opposite side of the stadium from the Texas fans? I mean, do you just spit into the air and hope it flies the hundred or so yards to the players?

That is what I was thinking.

[Vito Corleone]

When I was in high school my best friend's sister took photographs for the Texan and go both of us tickets and we were able to help her carry her equipment onto the field. We had to return to our seats after they came out of the tunnel but for a brief moment I was there. BTW that same girl ended up becoming Miss Black UT and now she is a lawyer in Florida. Gotta love connections! :D

EDIT: BTW why do you punks always get the tunnel end? I remember switzer saying how much of an advantage it was?

I almost picked up some pretty good duckets from a Minnesota Alum this year who can't make any the game this year but, I could not handle me shelling out over 500 bucks and watch us lose again.

[Left Seater]

BtH and Suncoast,

Uhh, reading comp? From what is says on my screen uo get the tunnel end every year. How big does it need to be typed for you guys? :)

[SunCoastSooner]

BtH and Suncoast,

Uhh, reading comp? From what is says on my screen uo get the tunnel end every year. How big does it need to be typed for you guys? :)

And your officiating ;)