| 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) |
| Sponsors | |
| Former names | |
| |
| 2023 matchup | |
| Missouri vs. Ohio State (Missouri 14–3) | |
| 2024 season matchup | |
| (January 10, 2025) | |
The Cotton Bowl Classic (also known as the Cotton Bowl) is an American college football bowl game that has been held 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 Cowboys Stadium (now 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).
Historically, 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. The Cotton Bowl Classic has served as one of six bowls in the College 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.[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". Archived from the original on October 1, 2024.