Division Ii Teams Agree To Series At Cotton Bowl

[gangrene]

dallasnews.com

Division II teams agree to series at Cotton Bowl

09:25 PM CDT on Tuesday, June 3, 2008

By BRANDON GEORGE / The Dallas Morning News

bgeorge@dallasnews.com

Two NCAA Division II football teams have agreed to play at the renovated Cotton Bowl stadium this fall, State Fair of Texas president Errol McKoy said Tuesday.

Texas A&M-Commerce will play East Central University of Ada, Okla., on Oct. 18 – a week after the Texas-Oklahoma game – at a time to be announced. McKoy said the two Lone Star Conference teams haven't signed a contract yet but have agreed to terms of a three-year deal.

McKoy said he's hopeful that the A&M-Commerce-ECU game can have the same success as the annual Grambling-Prairie View rivalry. ECU finished 2-9 last season, and A&M-Commerce went 5-6.

"When we first went into Grambling-Prairie View, it was filling about 18,000, and that's what we're projecting for this game," McKoy said. "It grew to 65,000 last year, and we think the long-term potential is there for this game, too."

Stadium officials' hopes were that the $50 million renovations being done to the 77-year-old facility would not only keep the Texas-OU game in Fair Park but also attract new, high-profile tenants.

But that simply hasn't come to fruition.

The Cowboys' new $1.1 billion stadium in Arlington that is set to open in 2009 will host a series between Texas A&M and Arkansas beginning in 2009, the AT&T Cotton Bowl starting in January 2010 and a game between Notre Dame and Arizona State in 2013.

Texas Tech and Oklahoma State have agreed to move their annual Big 12 game to North Texas beginning in 2009 but have yet to choose between the Cotton Bowl and the Cowboys' new stadium.

McKoy said he's still in conversations with 12 NCAA Division I football programs, mostly from the SEC and Big 12, about playing at the Cotton Bowl. He added he's also been in talks with other small-college teams and said there is a possibility of hosting doubleheaders.

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I know we ALL want a new stadium and I know most are opposed to playing some place off campus for a "home" game...but IMHO the media coverage for UNT was pretty good when we hosted the likes of Texas A & M and Texas Tech at Texas Stadium. I wonder how we'd draw for a game at the Cotton Bowl during the State Fair?

[GoMeanGreen1999]

My wife is from East Central, and I can tell you right now, that game will look pretty dumb in the Cotton Bowl. I have been to a game up there and if there were more than 5000 people at that game, it was a record.

[Huff]

As far as a game in the Cotton Bowl during the State Fair - Been There.....Done That.....Never Again..... We played Oklahoma State in The Cotton Bowl during the State Fair many years ago. It was a big flop. We really do not need to do that one again.

[UNTflyer]

Oh, how the mighty Cotton Bowl has fallen. In 10 years, if it's not torn down, it could be hosting high school playoff games.

[UNTLifer]

it could be hosting high school playoff games.

It doesn't even do that now.

A&M-Commerce and East Central couldn't fill up C.H. Collins field.

[Green Mean]

Other than TX/OU and Grambling/Prarie View...why isn't the Cotton Bowl giving up? Lets just face it that they dropped the ball in Jerry World and all these games will eventually go to Arlington. Scheduling Division II teams is pure desperation and that right there tells how bad the City of Dallas looks and how far the Cotton Bowl has fallen.

[green_goblin]

Never heard of east central but I've heard of Brookhaven though

[NT91]

NT and SMU at the Cotton...how would that go over?

[Cowtown]

Considering neither can sell out thier own venues, even when playing each other...I dont think very well.

NT and SMU at the Cotton...how would that go over?

[greenminer]

Cotton on top of Fouts, how would that go over?

Edited June 4, 2008 by greenminer

[KRAM1]

I would hate to give up a possible home game to play in the Cotton Bowl!

[BIG DAWG]

Mr. Rafes, ex-NT admin, is the president there...word is from some people that are close to the situation that he was run off...I wish he was still here. He was a very big Athletics supporter!

[UNTLifer]

He was a very big Athletics supporter!

I don't care who you are, that right there is funny!

[NT80]

Oh, how the mighty Cotton Bowl has fallen. In 10 years, if it's not torn down, it could be hosting high school playoff games.

I was at Fair Park last weekend. Those numskulls are adding more permanent upper endzone seats, the same height as the sideline upper decks. Plus they are doing other painting and concourse work, I believe like $20 million worth.....for what? The only real game left there is uT/oU for another 5 years then it's gone too. Big waste of $$ there.

[GoMeanGreen1999]

I was at Fair Park last weekend. Those numskulls are adding more permanent upper endzone seats, the same height as the sideline upper decks. Plus they are doing other painting and concourse work, I believe like $20 million worth.....for what? The only real game left there is uT/oU for another 5 years then it's gone too. Big waste of $$ there.

I won't be shocked if the OU/UT game stays at the Cotton Bowl after these next 5 years.