The Cotton Bowl Dome Foundation "announced yesterday
that it has received a tentative commitment from Texas A&M
to play an annual game at the renovated facility, and that
15 businesses have committed" $1M each to the doming
project, according to Wendell Barnhouse of the FT. WORTH
STAR-TELEGRAM. The Dome Foundation has retained CB
Marketing Group, a new venture formed by Dallas-based Al
Wahl and former coach Gene Stallings, to contact colleges
about playing in the Cotton Bowl, where schools "will likely
receive" $1-1.5M each. The cost of renovating and putting a
roof is estimated to be $150M, which the Dome Foundation is
looking to privately finance. Foundation Chair Darrell
Jordan said that he hopes a naming-rights sponsor will bring
in another $20M (FT. WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM, 8/15). In Dallas,
Richard Alm reports that CB Marketing will also handle seat
license sales for the Dome Foundation and will try to line
up "four or five" top college games a season. Once a school
commits to games, CB Marketing will sell seat licenses for
up to $3,000 (DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 8/15).
SPONSOR DETAILS: In Dallas, Alm noted that among the
"first companies" to sign 40-year deal for founders suites
are Coca-Cola and the Cotton Bowl Athletic Association. The
deal were handled by Spectacor-subsidiary, Network Int'l.
Other pledges, secured by a 10% refundable deposit, came
from NationsBank, Bank One, Ikon Office Solutions, Guaranty
Bank, Datum Engineering Inc., Hughes & Luce law firm, HCB
Contractors, HKS Architects and Austin Industries Inc.
Three companies asked to "remain anonymous" (DALLAS MORNING
NEWS, 8/14). Mark Berger, Network Int'l Dir of
Marketing/Special Projects: "Hopefully, this announcement
today (of $15 million in pledges) will convince other
companies to step up" (DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 8/15).
