The original version of this story appeared in the 85th Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic Official Game Program

In a year that threatened countless traditions, the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic – a cherished Texas staple – resigned to keep intact what legacies it could. Still, the Classic looked different this year. Fewer fans filled AT&T Stadium. 
 
Those who do, and those who tuned in from home, didn't miss out on one decades-old Cotton Bowl tradition. The Kilgore College Rangerettes, decorated in signature red, white, and blue, continued their performance streak at the 85th Classic. 
 
True to the nature of 2020, there was a catch. The Rangerettes' performance was virtual. This year's Cotton Bowl Athletic Association Rangerette Scholarship recipient, Shelby Dupont, offered a positive outlook on the change in plans. No matter how the Rangerettes participate in the Goodyear Cotton Bowl, the heart of their legacy persists. Part of this legacy lies in the partnership between the Rangerettes and the Classic. Cotton Bowl Hall of Famer and Rangerettes founder Gussie Nell Davis first took the drill team to the Cotton Bowl in 1949. First presented in 2002, the scholarship speaks to the strength of that partnership.
 
Dupont, a sophomore from the Houston area, is a dance major. She plans to attend a four-year university after graduating from Kilgore this spring. After earning a four-year degree, Dupont hopes to be a high school drill team director. Her bubbly, outgoing personality will surely serve her in those endeavors.
 
When Dupont and her storied teammates learned that their performance would be virtual, it was a blow. For many Rangerettes, the Goodyear Cotton Bowl is the most anticipated event of the year. This was the case for former Rangerette Jessica Stovall, a previous scholarship recipient. Stovall cites the Cotton Bowl games she participated in as her favorite personal performances, even over ones in Hawaii and at a Presidential inauguration.
 
Dupont similarly holds her Cotton Bowl experience in the highest regard. As a sophomore at Kilgore, she performed the Rangerettes' classic kick routine for nearly 55,000 fans at the 84th Classic. "It's just a whole different experience getting to perform at a stadium that big," Dupont said.

It is safe to say that a virtual performance did not carry the same weight. But Rangerettes Director Dana Blair notes that the team bounced back quickly – so quickly, in fact, that they filmed their routine only a few days after receiving the news. By then, the routine was one the women knew by heart. They'd started learning the famous number during summer training. 
 
So, for the first time in 70 years, the audience watched the Rangerettes on the big screen. But the legacy of the Rangerettes' Cotton Bowl performance stretches farther than those few minutes on the field. The Rangerettes' legacy is one of longevity, ritual, and fanfare. As the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic is a staple of Texas tradition, so too is the world-renowned collegiate drill team. When out-of-towners flock to AT&T Stadium each year, says Dana Blair, they get a "little bit of Texas" when the Rangerettes perform, white-tasseled cowboy boots high in the air. 
 
For scholarship recipients Dupont and Stovall, the impact of the Rangerettes rests in a community which extends to all the teammates that preceded them. That community also includes the Cotton Bowl family. As freshmen, the Rangerettes are told about the Classic, about the keepsake watch that is presented to them in a sophomore ceremony, and about the overwhelming audience energy. But "until you get there, you don't really understand it," Stovall said. But then, they do understand: Their Cotton Bowl performance is an illustration of connectivity -- between all the Rangerettes that lined the field before them, to the tens of thousands of fans, and to the Cotton Bowl family.
 
For Stovall, receiving the scholarship affirmed her place in that family. It pushed her to continue on in the sports world after graduating. The 85th Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic was Stovall's' ninth Classic; seven of those were spent working the game after her time as a Rangerette. She's not the only Rangerette to have continued with the Cotton Bowl after graduating. Currently, three former Rangerettes serve as media assistants. Dupont, too, describes receiving the scholarship as "an honor." The award validates her hard work and commitment.
 
In a year of uncertainty, Dupont's unwavering resolve to make the most of their virtual performance is inspiring. She was first motivated to be a member of the renowned team as a sophomore at Katy Tompkins High School, when a Rangerette spoke to the students. From there, Dupont resigned to turn a dream into reality, and she's still working on that dream. Shelby and her teammates will watch their routine from home this year. But spirits remain high. The Rangerette family is as strong as ever, and fans can be sure that when they next see the drill team live, the fervor of these women lit up the stadium, same as always.