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October 26, 2021
Today in Texas history
By Bandera Spirits of Texas
On this day in 1930, the Southern Methodist University Mustangs beat the Indiana Hoosiers 27-0 in the first football game at the brand-new Cotton Bowl in Dallas's Fair Park. The 46,000-seat stadium was on the site of Fair Park Football Stadium, built in 1921 with a seating capacity of 15,000.
A milestone in the history of the stadium occurred Jan. 1, 1937, when the Texas Christian University Horned Frogs beat Marquette University 16-6 in the first Cotton Bowl Classic. The classic became an annual tradition matching the Southwest Conference champion against a highly rated opponent, and now primarily features teams from the Big 12 and Southeastern Conference.
The stadium was renovated extensively in 1948, 1949, 1994, and 2008, bringing its official capacity to 92,100. The Cotton Bowl served as the home of the Dallas Texans of the National Football League in 1952, the Dallas Texans (now the Kansas City Chiefs) of the American Football League from 1960 to 1962, the Dallas Cowboys of the NFL from 1960 to 1970, and the Dallas Burn (now FC Dallas) of Major League Soccer from 1996 to 2005. It also hosted several matches during the 1994 FIFA World Cup.
The last Cotton Bowl Classic held in the eponymously named stadium was played on Jan. 2, 2009. However, the site still hosts the annual clash between the University of Texas at Austin and the University of Oklahoma, the State Fair Classic between Grambling State University and Prairie View A&M, and the Heart of Dallas Bowl.
A milestone in the history of the stadium occurred Jan. 1, 1937, when the Texas Christian University Horned Frogs beat Marquette University 16-6 in the first Cotton Bowl Classic. The classic became an annual tradition matching the Southwest Conference champion against a highly rated opponent, and now primarily features teams from the Big 12 and Southeastern Conference.
The stadium was renovated extensively in 1948, 1949, 1994, and 2008, bringing its official capacity to 92,100. The Cotton Bowl served as the home of the Dallas Texans of the National Football League in 1952, the Dallas Texans (now the Kansas City Chiefs) of the American Football League from 1960 to 1962, the Dallas Cowboys of the NFL from 1960 to 1970, and the Dallas Burn (now FC Dallas) of Major League Soccer from 1996 to 2005. It also hosted several matches during the 1994 FIFA World Cup.
The last Cotton Bowl Classic held in the eponymously named stadium was played on Jan. 2, 2009. However, the site still hosts the annual clash between the University of Texas at Austin and the University of Oklahoma, the State Fair Classic between Grambling State University and Prairie View A&M, and the Heart of Dallas Bowl.