Oct 11, 2008 6:24 pm US/Central
Fans Like What They See At Updated Cotton Bowl
DALLAS (CBS 11 News) ―
A Lot was at stake at the Texas-OU game at Fair Park Saturday. The game was a barnburner, with college football's number one ranking on the line. This year's game was also the acid test for the venerable Cotton Bowl.
On Saturday one of college football's biggest rivalries reached a new height. For the first time ever, 92-thousand fans jammed the Cotton Bowl. Newly enlarged into an actual bowl with 57-million dollars work of renovations, 16,000 more fans were able to witness the rivalry that goes back more than a century.
Many of those fans were happy with the results. "This is outstanding, this is so much more exciting" said Randy Hurst, an OU fan who traveled down from Oklahoma for the game. "I think it's terrific they spend the money and I'm excited to be here" he said.
Gene Aube of Rockwall agrees. "I've always been a fan of the Cotton Bowl and I think they've done a great job here in renovating and making it a little bit more user-friendly."
It's not often you get a second chance to make a first impression, but thats exactly what the State Fair of Texas and the city of Dallas are trying to do, showing that the millions of dollars renovating the Cotton Bowl will make it worth these two schools while to extend their contract.
It's bigger than big plays. Texas and OU fans pump in more than 30-million dollars into the local economy each Red River Rivalry weekend. The schools had threatened to leave an aging Cotton Bowl for home-and-home dates. But now more seats mean a bigger payday for the schools. Add in upgraded amenities – more restrooms, snack bars, and a real media center – boosters give it thumbs up.
"I really don't want to see them go to home-and-home, I think that takes a lot away from the game, it's been great to have it in Dallas, there are so many things to do in Dallas" says Oklahoma fan Don Franks.
Longtime football scout Gil Brandt believes the upgrades boost sentiment to keep the game here.
"It gives their fans a special weekend and number-2, it's a pretty good recruiting tool because theres a lot of players in this central North Texas area."
It's not perfect, some fans didn't like the new backless benches, and there is still some tweaking to do with restroom lines. Still, lifelong Texas fan Tom Collins summed it up.
"I don't think I'd come to the Texas-OU game if it wasn't at the state fair."
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