Cotton Bowl Execs Expect Game To Move To New Cowboys Stadium

State Fair of Texas officials said that the AT&T Cotton Bowl Classic “will almost certainly move” from the Cotton Bowl stadium to the Cowboys’ new facility in Arlington, according to Levinthal & Carlton of the DALLAS MORNING NEWS. State Fair President Errol McKoy: “It’s been a foregone conclusion that they’re leaving.” State Fair of Texas Chair Pete Schenkel said of a roof, like the one on the Cowboys’ stadium, is “something that we cannot and will not ever provide.” Cowboys Dir of Corporate Communications Brett Daniels said the team has talked to the Cotton Bowl Athletic Association (CBAA) about a possible move, but he did not reveal details. Levinthal & Carlton note preliminary drawings of the new Cowboys stadium included offices for Cotton Bowl execs, and playing in the 100,000-seat facility “would give it a great shot at becoming a [BCS] game.” However, Dallas City Council member Bill Blaydes said of Cowboys Owner Jerry Jones, “One individual had the ability to destroy 70 years of history. He knew what he was doing when he [decided not to build the new stadium in Fair Park].” Schenkel vowed that the Cotton Bowl stadium would “retain the annual Texas-Oklahoma and Prairie View-Grambling college football games,” while trying to attract other games (DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 2/27).

HIGH COTTON: In a separate piece, the MORNING NEWS’ Chuck Carlton reports the city of Dallas “may challenge the Cotton Bowl Classic’s right to its name if it loses” the bowl game. In a statement, Dallas Public Information Dir Frank Librio said the city “has engaged outside counsel to advise us on the scope of our intellectual property rights,” including trademark rights. Dallas City Council member Mitchell Rasansky said, “I ain’t giving up the word Cotton Bowl for any other city.” But Carlton notes the CBAA registered the “Cotton Bowl Classic” name in ’99 with the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office (DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 2/27).

CLOUDY FUTURE: Also in Dallas, Bruce Tomaso wrote under the header “Cotton Bowl On Shaky Ground.” Tomaso noted while the stadium’s future “is cloudy,” the city of Dallas is committed to spending $50M on upgrading the stadium known for its “cramped seating, narrow concourses and lack of amenities.” Rasansky: “It’s money down the drain.” However, other officials disagree, claiming that the stadium “remains an asset worth protecting” (DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 2/25).