The mission of the Cotton Bowl Athletic Association is to present the most innovative of all college football bowl games and to be the leader in creating premier college sports experiences for universities, student-athletes, sponsors and the community.
January 1, 1937, by J. Curtis Sanford
Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company became the official title sponsor of the game on November 7, 2014.
The first Cotton Bowl Classic was conceived by the late J. Curtis Sanford, a Dallas oilman and business executive. Sanford's first game promotion, a private enterprise guaranteeing each institution $10,000, matched TCU and Marquette on January 1, 1937, at Fair Park's Cotton Bowl Stadium before 17,000 fans. Starting in 1941, the Southwest Conference agreed to send its champion to the game and continued to do so until 1995. A Big 12 Conference representative played in the Classic from 1997 to 2014 and was pitted against a Southeastern Conference representative starting in 1999. The conference tie-ins ended when the Classic became a part of the College Football Playoff beginning with the 2014 regular season.
From its inception in 1937 through 2009, the Cotton Bowl Classic was played at its namesake Cotton Bowl Stadium in Dallas. The stadium was built in 1930 and was known as Fair Park Stadium prior to hosting the Cotton Bowl. Beginning with the 74th edition in 2010, the game moved to AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Since then, the game evolved to being of the biggest postseason matchups annually. To date, the Cotton Bowl Classic has played host the 2015 College Football Playoff National Championship, four CFP Semifinal games as Classics and 107th Rose Bowl Game, which was a 2021 CFP Semifinal matchup.
The Cotton Bowl Athletic Association (CBAA) is a nonprofit organization incorporated under the laws of the state of Texas to promote, sponsor and stage an annual postseason intercollegiate football game in Arlington, Texas.
W. Kelvin Walker, Chief Operating Officer, Dallas Citizens Council (43rd Chair serving from February 2024 to February 2026)
The 2025 College Football Playoff Quarterfinal at the 90th Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic is set for 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, December 31, 2025.
The date and time of the 91st Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic are to be determined.
AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas (69,277)
The 12-team bracket for the 2025-26 College Football Playoff will be unveiled on Sunday, December 7, 2025 on ESPN.
ESPN Radio Network/ESPN Deportes
The 27th Cotton Bowl Classic Art Contest Presented by Amazon is slated to run in conjunction with the 90th Classic. The contest features elementary students across North Texas submitting thousands of illustrations to earn prizes and recognition. The winning submissions are displayed in the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic office located inside AT&T Stadium and on GoodyearCottonBowl.com.
Ticket information for the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic may be obtained by clicking here, or by calling 817-892-BOWL or toll-free at 888-792-BOWL(2695). Visa, Mastercard and American Express are accepted.
Mailing Address: One AT&T Way, Arlington, Texas 76011.
Email Address: coach@cottonbowl.com
For more information about the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic, visit GoodyearCottonBowl.com. For more information about the Cotton Bowl Foundation, visit CottonBowlFoundation.org.
