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Texas-OU staying at Cotton Bowl through 2036
The Red River Rivalry, the annual matchup between the Texas Longhorns and Oklahoma Sooners, will remain at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas through 2036 thanks to a new deal. The City of Dallas has agreed to a massive renovation of the Cotton Bowl to help with the fan experience.
DALLAS - Texas and Oklahoma may be moving to the SEC, but the stage for the Red River Rivalry will remain the same.
Both universities agreed to a deal that would keep the Allstate Red River Rivalry game at the Cotton Bowl in Fair Park through 2036.
The matchup is big money for the city. Monica Paul, with the Dallas Sports Commission, said game weekend brings in more than $50 million in revenue.
"Each year, over 90% of our hotels are occupied," she said.
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The economic impacts of the Red River Rivalry
One of college football's most beloved traditions will remain at the State Fair of Texas for several years to come. That's a score for fans and businesses in Dallas. Monica Paul, the executive director of the Dallas Sports Commission, joined Good Day to discuss the economic impact of the Red River Rivalry.
Part of the contract agreement was based on a long-running issue: the promise to make upgrades to the Cotton Bowl.
Voters agreed to increase the hotel tax to provide about $150 million for that effort over the next two years.
Under the agreement, the Dallas Sports Commission and Dallas Tourism Public Improvement District will increase the game fees paid to each school.
The City of Dallas also agreed to the $140 million, two-year renovation at the Cotton Bowl to help with the fan experience.
PHOTOS: Major Fair Park renovation plans, including the Cotton Bowl, revealed
Fair Park revealed images of major planned renovations, including an overhaul of the Cotton Bowl.
While the stadium will continue to have its bleacher style seats, there will be other upgrades to improve the fan experience.
"Really focusing on the fan experience. Widening those concourses, new restrooms, concession stands, just really a lot of updates the Cotton Bowl Stadium has needed for a while," Paul said.
The first phase of the renovation to the west side of the stadium is to be completed by September 2026. The east side renovations are expected to be done by September 2034.
"I'm up in the press box most years. It is ancient. And so I think that when you talk about staying in this location, because some have pushed for the game to move to some place like AT&T Stadium, but this is a historic part of the rivalry," national college football writer Shehan Jeyarajah said. "It's in the middle of the State Fair. It's in the middle of everything. It's a historic venue, being the Cotton Bowl. I think that this was a huge part of the negotiation."
With the actual Cotton Bowl game long gone from the stadium that bears its name, and both Texas and OU joining the SEC next season, the stakes for Dallas have never been higher.
"We're going to start to talk about this game nationally the way that we do the Iron Bowl, the way that we do Florida/Georgia. It's kind of a perfect storm of opportunity. And I guess you could kind of say a desire to continue to expand," Jeyarajah added.
AUSTIN, TEXAS - OCTOBER 07: Texas Longhorns fans cheer as The University of Texas Longhorn Band performs before the game against the Oklahoma Sooners at the Cotton Bowl on October 07, 2023 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Richard Rodriguez/Getty Images)
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The Texas-Oklahoma football game has been held since 1900.
This year's game was the 119th matchup between the two teams.
The Cotton Bowl has been the home of the game since it was built in 1930.
The rivalry game is the Cotton Bowl's marquee event, but officials hope the renovations will make it more attractive for new events.
With the SEC now planting its flag in the Dallas-Fort Worth market, signature conference events will also come to Dallas as well.
"To stay in DFW, you even see the SEC bringing media days to Dallas next year as well. Dallas is going to be a huge part of the long-term future of the SEC. And this is just the beginning," Jeyarajah said.
The 2024 SEC Media Days will be in July.
The Cotton Bowl and Fair Park are also part of Dallas' pitch for the World Cup in 2026.