SAN ANTONIO – Cotton Bowl Athletic Association President and Chief Executive Officer was honored with the 2026 Wright Waters Legacy award at the Bowl Season Annual Meeting in San Antonio.

Baker, who is retiring after leading the CBAA and Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic for 38 years, was recognized for his impact in the bowl business that has spanned five decades.

The Legacy Award is presented by the association of bowl games to individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the bowl they served or to the industry in general. Waters is the former commissioner of the Sun Belt Conference, who served on the College Football Playoff's first management committee, and the former executive director of the Football Bowl Association, which was the precursor association to Bowl Season.

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