Cotton Bowl Classic
| Cotton Bowl Classic | |
|---|---|
| Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic | |
 |
|
| Stadium | AT&T Stadium |
| Location |
Arlington, Texas United States |
| Previous stadiums | Cotton Bowl (1937–2009) |
| Previous locations | Dallas, Texas |
| Operated | 1937–present |
| Conference tie-ins | At-large/Group of Five (2015–present) |
| Previous conference tie-ins | SWC (1941–95), Big 12 (1997–2014), SEC (1999–2014) |
| Payout | US$7,250,000 (As of 2012[update]) |
| Sponsors | |
| Former names | |
|
Cotton Bowl (1937–88)
Mobil Cotton Bowl (1989–1995) Southwestern Bell Cotton Bowl Classic (1996–2000) SBC Communications Cotton Bowl Classic (2001–2006) AT&T Cotton Bowl Classic (2006–2014) |
|
| 2015 matchup | |
| Michigan State vs. Alabama (Alabama 38–0) | |
| 2017 matchup | |
| Western Michigan vs. Wisconsin (Wisconsin 24–16) | |
The Cotton Bowl Classic is an American college football bowl game that has been held annually since January 1, 1937. Between 1937 and 2009, the game was played at its namesake stadium in Dallas; in 2010, it moved to Cowboys Stadium in nearby Arlington. 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 season and will do so again following the 2018 season. On January 2, 2017, Wisconsin beat Western Michigan in the 81st edition of the game by a score of 24–16.
The Cotton Bowl Classic was founded in Dallas in 1937 at the Texas State Fair Grounds, when Texas oil executive J. Curtis Sanford financed the first one out of his own pocket. TCU of Fort Worth took on Marquette, 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 as Rice of Houston defeated Colorado 28–14 in front of a crowd of 37,000.
Some 40,000 attended the 1939 match between Saint Mary's College of California and Texas Tech, with the Gaels upsetting the undefeated Red Raiders 20–13.
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