2022-23 Cotton Bowl Athletic Association Year in Review

This is a huge win for the program. Huge win for the university. Huge win for the city. What a game! I’ve said it 20 times, Cotton Bowl people are just fantastic. They treated us like kings all week. So thank you all for what you have done, and we’re just all so proud to represent Tulane University.

WILLIE FRITZ HEAD COACH | TULANE

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

TV viewership ranked 10th among the 43 postseason games played, including the CFP National Championship. The Classic also ranked 10th in attendance.

4.2M +55K

Heisman Trophy winner, USC quarterback Caleb Williams

Tulane quarterback Michael Pratt

CBAA Chair Dave Brown presides over postgame trophy presentation.

THE CLASSIC: SCORE BY QUARTER

HISTORY: 87TH CLASSIC – DID YOU KNOW?

High-Scoring Classic

The 91 combined points (Tulane 46, Southern California 45) goes down as the second-most points in Classic history behind the 92 combined points (Penn State 53, Memphis 39) scored in the 84th Classic in 2019.

Heisman Performance

Southern California sophomore quarterback Caleb Williams threw for a Cotton Bowl Classic-record five touchdowns, eclipsing the previous record of four touchdown tosses shared by Miami (Fla.)’s Craig Erickson in the 55th Classic in 1991 and Texas Tech’s Graham Harrell in the 73rd Classic in 2009.

Long-Distance Connection

The 87-yard touchdown pass from junior quarterback Michael Pratt to junior wide receiver Jha’Quan Jackson of Tulane tied for the longest touchdown pass in Cotton Bowl Classic history. That play shares the record with the touchdown toss from Syracuse’s Ger Schwedes to Ernie Davis in the 24th Classic in 1960.

Historic Victory

Tulane is the fourth team from a Group of Five conference to earn a win in the New Year’s Six bowl game in the College Football Playoff era, joining Boise State (Fiesta Bowl, 2014 Season), Houston (Peach Bowl, 2015 Season) and UCF (Peach Bowl, 2016 Season).

The 12 combined touchdowns (Tulane 6, Southern California 6) are the most in Cotton Bowl Classic history, surpassing the previous record of 11 achieved in the 73rd Classic (Ole Miss and Texas Tech) in 2009 and 79th Classic (Michigan State and Baylor) in 2015.

First in Firsts

Southern California’s 22 first downs set a Cotton Bowl Classic record, jumping the previous record of 19 by Baylor in the 79th Classic.

Touchdowns Abound Great on the Ground

Tulane junior running back Tyjae Spears tied a Cotton Bowl Classic record with four rushing touchdowns. His four scores on the ground tied the four-touchdown performance of Missouri’s Tony Temple in the 72nd Classic in 2008. His four rushing touchdowns and 24 points scored both tied AT&T Stadium records for the most in a college football game. Notably, his four scores on the ground tied with the performance by Ohio State’s Ezekiel Elliott in the 2015 College Football Playoff National Championship.

G5 History

Tulane was the third team from the American Athletic Conference and fourth team from a Group of Five conference – Western Michigan, Mid-American Conference (81st), Memphis, AAC (84th) and Cincinnati, AAC (86th) – to play in the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic in the CFP era.

2022 GAME SUMMARY

The No. 16 Tulane Green Wave capped off the biggest turnaround season in major college football history with an improbable comeback to win the 87th Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic.

Trailing No. 10 Southern California by 15 points with 4:23 remaining, Tulane scored 16 seconds later and then took advantage of a muffed kickoff and a safety to set up the game-winning score.

Tulane freshman tight end Alex Bauman caught a six-yard touchdown pass from junior quarterback Michael Pratt with nine seconds left and redshirt junior placekicker Valentino Ambrosio booted the extra point for a 46-45 win.

With the victory, Tulane finished with a 12-2 record (7-1 in the American Athletic Conference) one year after finishing 2-10. The New Orleans school enjoyed the biggest single-season turnaround in NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision history, an American Athletic Conference championship, a No. 16 ranking in the College Football Playoff Rankings and the Green Wave’s first appearance in a New Year’s Six bowl since the 1940 Sugar Bowl.

Tulane junior running back Tyjae Spears earned the J. Curtis Sanford Trophy as Offensive Most Valuable Player on the strength of a Cotton Bowl Classic-record tying four rushing touchdowns and 205 rushing yards, the second-most yards on the ground in a New Year’s Six bowl game. Tulane senior linebacker Dorian Williams was awarded the Felix R. McKnight Trophy as Defensive MVP after recording a career-high 17 tackles, tied for the thirdmost total tackles in a New Year’s Six bowl game.

USC sophomore quarterback Caleb Williams put on a Heisman performance in the loss, throwing for a Classic record five touchdowns. He was 37-of-52 for 462 yards and was never sacked. Williams was the 11th Heisman Trophy winner to play in the Cotton Bowl Classic in the season he won the award.

The Trojans (11-3, 8-1 Pac-12 Conference) enjoyed a turnaround season themselves. After finishing 4-8 the previous season, USC was in line for a College Football Playoff berth before stumbling in the Pac-12 Football Championship.

J. Curtis Sanford Offensive MVP

Felix McKnight Defensive MVP

ECONOMIC IMPACT

The Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic is one of the largest economic impact generators for annual events in North Texas. In a report created by Highland Market Research, LLC, the Classic generates close to $54 million in direct economic impact and $45 million in indirect economic impact.

$54M $45M Direct Impact Indirect Impact

STADIUM SIGNAGE

2022 CREATIVE CAMPAIGN

The Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic for the first time partnered with Medium Giant, a creative agency out of Dallas, TX to develop a campaign that embodied the #LikeNoOther brand platform. A visual branding campaign was created featuring AT&T Stadium along with graphic details simulating the arches in the Field Scovell Trophy presented to the winning team each year and circles representing Goodyear tire tracks. The overall creative campaign was integrated into all advertising and marketing, printed collateral pieces, social media campaign posts, digital signage, website and app branding and in-game presentation at AT&T Stadium.

CAMPAIGN COLLATERAL

Street Pole Banners

East Plaza East Plaza

East Plaza

West Plaza

West Plaza

West Plaza

Omni Light Show

BOWL WEEK EVENTS

ONLINE PRESENCE

GoodyearCottonBowl.com

A continued focus on the digital home of the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic, GoodyearCottonBowl.com, produced solid numbers over the 12-month period.

148K 181.3K 326.6K Users Sessions Page Views

GameDay.GoodyearCottonBowl.com

For the second year in a row, the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic offered a digital game day guide as the one stop for ticket information, bowl week events and game day maps. More than 9,400 unique users experienced the site, especially during December and early January leading up to the 87th Classic.

CottonBowlFoundation.org

The digital home of the Cotton Bowl Foundation provided an integrated platform to showcase the initiatives of the official foundation of the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic through its grants program, collaborations with the College Football Playoff Foundation and area food banks, support of the Kilgore College Rangerettes and work in the North Texas community.

Cotton Bowl Classic Mobile App

The Cotton Bowl Classic Mobile App, available on iOS and Android devices, continued to be a solid source of information at your fingers for tickets holders, fans and followers alike. The app was once again featured across the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic’s digital and social media platforms and has become the go-to avenue for information for those on the go.

SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS – YEARLY COMPARISON

The social media presence for the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic and Cotton Bowl Foundation continued to grow and evolve in key metrics across multiple platforms.

Total

Impressions/Video Views Eclipsed the 10M mark for the third-straight year

1,038 1,134 +9%

Posts 2021 Posts 2022

Followers

2022 saw the number of followers increase across all five platforms over the previous year.

Hashtags

Across tracked sources, the primary hashtags of #LikeNoOther and #GoodyearCottonBowl garnered significant increases in mentions across the entire year and the comparable month-plus stretch leading up to and through the 87th Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic

2022

#LikeNoOther

29,569 +627%

#GoodyearCottonBowl

74,091 +136%

Bowl Month

(December 1-January 3)

#LikeNoOther

9,624 +152%

#GoodyearCottonBowl

52,136 +49%

SOCIAL MEDIA CAMPAIGN

Social Media Strategy

The social media strategy for 2022 continued the direction of a strategic, year-long approach that developed content centered around the themes of Promote the Game, Capture Nostalgia, Participate in Conversation and Partnerships & Community, while also capitalizing on opportunities to engage followers and amplify content from handles connected to the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic and Cotton Bowl Foundation.

Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic on GIPHY

The newest social media addition, Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic on GIPHY.com, exploded in just five months. The Classic’s collection of 125+ GIFs and animated stickers grew an astounding number of more than 212 million views and immediately became the most interactive offering for social media followers to connect with this year’s Classic.

Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic Social Media Influencers

For the first time, the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic engaged eight North Texas-area social media influencers to enjoy the 87th Classic up close and personal on game day and comment about their experiences across their respective platforms, especially on Instagram. The influencers collective posts garnered 24,900 impressions on static posts and an overall reach 633,814.

Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic YouTube Channel

The Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic YouTube Channel was another focus of this year’s social media content offerings. The playlist for the 87th Classic features 47 videos that tells the visual journey of bowl season from the teams being selected for the game to a recap of the bowl week experience.

SOCIAL MEDIA BY THE NUMBERS

Even with ever-changing metrics that analyze social media success and the syndication of content across various platforms, the yearly metrics for multiple platforms saw increases in impressions and engagements. The Classic’s social media platforms also enjoyed notable year-over-year increases around the month-plus stretch leading up to and through the 87th Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic.

LinkedIn 2022

The LinkedIn page featured content across 12 months for the first time since it was created.

Posts 184 Impressions 124,668

Clicks 7,797 Reactions 3,627

TikTok 2022

Posts 51 +132%

Reactions 1,519

Views 16,469

Instagram 2022

Posts 233 +37%

Impressions 1.56M +55%

WEEKLY EMAIL NEWSLETTER

The Cotton Bowl Connection continued to have yearround distribution strategy with monthly editions from January to August and weekly installments through the heart of the college football season from September to December. The newsletter’s content expanded to include integrating more videos from the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic YouTube Channel as well as highlighting content that was featured on the Classic’s social media channels.

NEWSLETTERS

165.2K

+41.1%

12.K

+8%

38.9%

+62.4%

16.K

SENT OPENS AVG. OPEN RATE CLICKS SUBSCRIBERS

CORPORATE SPONSORS

MEDIA PARTNERS

THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS ADVERTISING CAMPAIGN

BEST IN DFW AWARDS

This past November, the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic was honored by The Dallas Morning News with a gold recognition as the Best Annual Sports Event as part of its 2022 Best in DFW Awards.

The annual awards competition is voted on by residents across Dallas-Fort Worth. The Classic earned gold in the Best Annual Sports Event subcategory under the Things to Do category ahead of the AT&T Byron Nelson Classic and the UIL Texas High School Football State Championships.

FWAA ALL-AMERICA TEAM

For the fourth consecutive year, the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic partnered with the Football Writers Association of America to unveil the FWAA All-America Team. The 2022 team was headlined by nine first teamers from the four teams that competed in the College Football Playoff, three repeat All-Americans and a record 16 total selections from the Big Ten Conference.

“The Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic is proud of our partnership with the FWAA and what we do together to promote one of the most prestigious All-America teams in college football,” said Dave Brown, Chair, Cotton Bowl Athletic Association and Cotton Bowl Foundation. “We congratulate these student-athletes for their outstanding play on the field this season and celebrate their impact on the game that so many of us love and enjoy.”

The Cotton Bowl created commemorative footballs that were distributed to all players on the first and second team. Each winner also received a certificate. The FWAA All-America Team was promoted via a press release, a social media campaign and as part of the in-game center-hung scoreboard production at the 87th Classic.

COTTON IN THE COMMUNITY

At the core of the Cotton Bowl Foundation since its inception in 2016 is being a champion and advocate in the community. Whether that is lending a hand, providing financial assistance or amplifying the needs of children and families across North Texas, the Foundation has stayed true to its mission to positively impact those who play, attend and support the game of football and the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic.

This was once again evident over the past year as the Foundation extended its all-time total to over $3 million in grants and financial support benefiting non-profit organizations in the surrounding communities and beyond.

CFP FOUNDATION’S BIG DAY

The Cotton Bowl Foundation and College Football Playoff (CFP) Foundation once again teamed up to honor teachers, in conjunction with the Big Day for Teachers, on Tuesday, Sept. 20 in a presentation on the University of North Texas at Dallas campus.

This year, the two foundations extended grants totaling $200,000 – $50,000 to the UNT Dallas Call Me Mister and Diverse Male Educators Destined to Teach, Hope, Respond, Inspire, Value, and Empower (THRIVE) programs, $50,000 to Urban Teachers and $100,000 to Educate Texas. Educate Texas received $50,000 from CFP Foundation on the heels of receiving $50,000 from the Cotton Bowl Foundation as a part of its grant program a year ago. These grants are geared to support and celebrate these organizations, specifically as they strive to combat the nationwide teacher shortage.

The Big Day for Teachers, a part of Extra Yard for Teachers (EYFT) Week, is the largest single-day effort of community impact by the extended college football family. The EYFT platform has collectively invested more than $57 million to support educators. The CFP Foundation is the largest sports entity in America supporting educators. The organization has supported more than 450,000 teachers nationwide, creating a positive impact for more than 9.2 million students. More than 1,000 CFP Foundation partners participated this year.

COTTON BOWL FOUNDATION GRANTS

In its signature giving opportunity of the year, the Cotton Bowl Foundation awarded $375,000 to six deserving organizations as part of its 2022-23 grant initiative. The six organizations extended 202223 grants were Behind Every Door ($100,000), Mentors Care ($100,000), OneSight EssilorLuxottica Foundation ($75,000), Beacon Hill Preparatory Institute ($50,000),Grant Halliburton Foundation ($25,000) and Jordan Elizabeth Harris Foundation ($25,000).

Behind Every Door

$100,000

Behind Every Door used its grant to support the development of an eight-acre property that will include a 20,000-square-foot community center, a 4,000-square-foot church building and a full-size football field in the Cedar Crest area, in the South Oak Cliff community, in Dallas.

Mentors Care

$100,000

The grant Mentors Care was awarded, one of the largest received in the organization’s history, went to support its mission to aid high school students in suburban and rural areas who are considered to be at risk of failing or not graduating due to poor academic performance. and put them on a better path for success inside and outside of the classroom.

OneSight

EssilorLuxottica Foundation

$75,000

OneSight EssilorLuxottica Foundation targeted its grant to purchase and retrofit a new mobile vehicle with state-of-the-art optical equipment to service tens of thousands of patients in hard-to-reach communities.

Beacon Hill Preparatory Institute

$50,000

The grant awarded to Beacon Hill Preparatory Institute was put to use to support a number of its literacy programs to fight educational inequality and the learning gap in the organization’s efforts to help students reach grade-level proficiency or above in math and reading.

$25,000

The Grant Halliburton Foundation earmarked its grant to combat mental health issues in North Texas, specifically in Dallas County, and support the Hope Squad program that gives students peer-topeer training to recognize the warning signs in depressed or suicidal peers and empower them to report those signs to an adult.

$25,000

The Jordan Elizabeth Harris Foundation put its grant to work to support its Hope Squad program in Tarrant County and provide suicide prevention training and education for children and adults, as well as depression research funding.

Grant Halliburton Foundation

Jordan Elizabeth Harris Foundation

NORTH TEXAS GIVING DAY

North Texas Giving Day 2022 was a historic one for the Cotton Bowl Foundation. Thanks to the assistance of the Cotton Bowl Council and a record number of 110 donors, the Foundation was able to raise an all-time high of $75,606 to purchase Hero Wagons, in partnership with Radio Flyer and Starlight Children’s Foundation.

The dollar amount raised allowed for the purchase of 300 Hero Wagons that were distributed to over 30 hospitals across 14 states. These beneficiaries included the Classic’s hospital partners, Scottish Rite Hospital for Children and Children’s Health. Wagons were also donated to both USC and Tulane to take back and distribute to their community partners.

“What we accomplished on North Texas Giving Day is a perfect example of what can happen when you partner with the right organizations for the right

reasons” said Dave Brown, Chairman, Cotton Bowl Athletic Association and Cotton Bowl Foundation. “Clayton Moorse and his parents Cody and Lauren were the reason behind our why. Their inspiration and Clayton’s determination fueled our collective desire to make a lasting impact in the lives of kids and families that seek care and comfort in our community.”

Radio Flyer’s Hero Wagons were specifically designed to accommodate the hospital environment and provide comfort to kids who need it most. Each compact folding wagon features an IV attachment on the back of the frame that folds away when not in use. The fabric is a medical-grade vinyl that makes this the easiest wagon to clean. Each Hero Wagon also featured seat belts and a padded seat for safety and comfort. Doctors, nurses, child life specialists and caregivers across the country rely on these Hero Wagons every day as an integral part of a child’s pediatric care.

TARRANT AREA FOOD BANK MEGA MOBILE MARKET

Helping the North Texas families was the spirit of the day as the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic and Tarrant Area Food Bank combined forces once again with the Dallas Cowboys, American Airlines and Arlington Police and Fire departments to hold its third Thanksgiving Mega Mobile Market at AT&T Stadium.

The brisk, beautiful morning in Arlington was the perfect conditions to distribute Thanksgivingrelated meals to 5,000 families. In total, 300,000 pounds of food were distributed during the fourplus hour mass food distribution event. Each box

of nutritious food per family included a turkey or chicken, pantry items such as green beans and stuffing, fresh produce and other non-perishable items needed to complete a holiday meal.

A spirited group of volunteers, led by more than 300 American Airlines employees and Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic staff members, dished out food with uplifting music provided by KLTY Radio filling the air. Whataburger and TicketeStore provided burgers, chicken, chips and water for the volunteer contingent on hand.

DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION INITIATIVES

The Cotton Bowl Athletic Association continued in its mission to be a champion for change in the fight against systemic racism and discrimination in the quest for equity and social justice for all through its Diversity, Equity & Inclusion initiatives.

Fred McClure Internship Program

The CBAA Fred McClure Internship Program welcomed two interns for the 2022-23 academic year –Kennedy Gardner, a Grand Prairie, Texas, native and University of North Texas graduate, and Deneldric Hudgens, a Copperas Cove, Texas, native and Midwestern State University graduate. Gardner and Hudgens assisted with the day-to-day operations of the CBAA office and various operational aspects of the 87th Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic, including event management, game operations, ancillary events, ticketing, hospitality and pageantry, as well as supported Cotton Bowl Foundation and community service events and initiatives and the regular-season college football games played at AT&T Stadium.

Juneteenth

The CBAA celebrated Juneteenth 2022 by engaging in the North Texas community. The CBAA staff teamed up with the College Football Playoff staff and Black Sports Professionals North Texas members on June 18 to serve as volunteers for Opal’s Walk for Freedom in Fort Worth as part of the weekend of festivities celebrating the first anniversary of this Texas-based holiday becoming a national federal holiday.

On the federal recognition of Juneteenth (June 20, 2022) one day after the actual holiday, CBAA staff members spent the morning at Minnie’s Food Pantry in Plano as a day of service. The staff learned about how Minnie’s Food Pantry has grown in its 14-year history and had the chance to meet Founder Dr. Cheryl “Action” Jackson.

Black History Month

National Girls & Women in Sports Day

On the national day of recognition (February 1, 2023), the Cotton Bowl Athletic Association celebrated National Girls and Women in Sports Day via its social platforms.

The Cotton Bowl Athletic Association celebrated Black History Month via its website and social media platforms. This year’s celebration recognized a seminal moment in Cotton Bowl Classic history. This year marks 75 years since the 12th Classic in 1948 featured the first integrated football game in Texas and the second integrated football game in the south between Penn State and SMU.

Penn State’s Wallace Triplett and Dennis Hoggard made history and changed the landscape of college football on January 1, 1948, becoming the first two Black players to play in the Classic. Triplett scored a touchdown in the game, while Hoggard almost caught the game-winning score in the 13-13 tie with the Mustangs.

Women’s History Month

The Cotton Bowl Athletic Association celebrated Women’s History Month via its website and social media platforms.

Kilgore College Rangerettes Scholarship

For over two decades, the Cotton Bowl Foundation has funded a scholarship in honor of the Kilgore College Rangerettes, a Classic fixture since founder Gussie Nell Davis first introduced the Sweethearts of the Gridiron in 1949.

The endowed scholarship invested with the Texas Presbyterian Foundation via Kilgore College Foundation is awarded each academic year to a deserving sophomore member of the squad. This year, the Foundation designated an additional $20,000 to ensure the scholarship remains fully funded and endowed for years to come. Zoë Dale, a sophomore from Celina, Texas, was awarded the CBAA Rangerettes scholarship for the second-straight year.

GOODYEAR SUPPORT OF CHILDREN’S HOSPITALS

Goodyear continued their remarkable support of Children’s Health and Scottish Rite Hospital for Children during Cotton Bowl week. Goodyear once again presented checks for $10,000 to both hospitals on game day.

Additionally, the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic, in partnership with Children’s Health and Scottish Rite Hospital for Children, brought back the honorary captain program this year after a two-year hiatus due to COVID. Scottish Rite chose Keegan Ratliff as USC’s honorary captain, and Children’s Health selected Kasen Crawford as Tulane’s honorary captain. As part of the program, both teams presented a jersey to their respective captain and invited them to a team practice. Keegan and Kasen, both former patients at the hospitals, were included in the coin toss ceremony and the Goodyear check presentations to both hospitals in the first quarter.

ART CONTEST

A signature initiative of the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic returned during the 2022 football season as the Classic’s Art Contest saw a record number of entries and all-time high support from the Cotton Bowl Foundation.

The Cotton Bowl Classic Art Contest was back and better than ever following a two-year hiatus with a record high of more than 10,500 entries from an all-time high of 150 elementary schools across six North Texas counties – Dallas, Collin, Tarrant, Denton, Rockwall and Wise. The Cotton Bowl Foundation ramped up its support for the 24th edition of this beloved Classic tradition with $75,000 distributed to help art teachers with art supplies and support art-centric programs. The students’ submissions were laminated and distributed as gifts to the participating teams and used as placemats at selected Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic events during bowl week. The first, second and third-place winners per category have their artwork proudly displayed at their respective schools and at AT&T Stadium near the CBAA offices throughout the year.

DAN. S PETTY SCHOLAR-ATHLETE AWARD RECIPIENTS

The Dan S. Petty Scholar-Athlete Award is presented annually to two deserving student-athletes, one from each team, participating in the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic. A crowning achievement for student-athletes playing in the Classic, this recognition was created as a continuing effort to emphasize the combination of academics and athletics along with good citizenship, leadership and sportsmanship. The student-athletes are selected by the schools’ director of athletics and football head coaches. This year’s award winners were Tulane senior linebacker Nick Anderson and USC redshirt senior defensive lineman Nick Figueroa.

Anderson boasted a 3.58 GPA in Homeland Security studies. He was an Academic All-District selection and a two-time semifinalist for the William V. Campbell Trophy given to the top scholar-athlete in the nation. Figueroa also was a two-time semifinalist for the Campbell Trophy. A two-time Academic AllAmerican, Figueroa graduated Magna Cum Laude from USC’s Price School of Public Policy.

ASSISTING VETERANS

The Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic teamed up with VetTix to provide opportunities for thousands of veterans and current service members along with their families to attend the 87th Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic. As part of the partnership with VetTix, a veteran was selected to present the official game ball to the head referee as part of the pregame festivities. VetTix provides tickets to events around the country which reduce stress, strengthen family bonds, build life-long memories and encourage service members and veterans to stay engaged with local communities and American life. Through this partnership, the Classic and VetTix supported troops by honoring their service and providing positive family and life experiences, during and after their years of service to our country.

NICK ANDERSON Linebacker Tulane

NICK FIGUEROA Defensive Lineman USC

COTTON BOWL HALL OF FAME

The honorees in the 13th Hall of Fame class were announced at the Big Play Breakfast this year. The seven individuals that helped shape the tradition of the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic and college football history include former Florida State defensive back Terrell Buckley, Texas A&M quarterback Edd Hargett, Auburn linebacker Will Herring, Ole Miss quarterback Eli Manning, Past CBAA Chairman Fred McClure, Missouri head coach Gary Pinkel, and Missouri tailback Tony Temple.

These seven honorees are adding their names to a group that has grown to 85 men and women who have left an indelible mark on the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic, one of America’s original bowl games.

“There is nothing quite like our Hall of Fame celebration,” said Dave Brown, Chair, Cotton Bowl Athletic Association. “It is a special time where we have a chance to relive great moments from the past and honor those truly exceptional people who have built our game’s traditions. Anyone who loves college football should make plans to join us for this memorable celebration in May. It’s going to be a fun day for everyone.”

AT&T STADIUM UPGRADES

At the NFL’s annual winter meetings in December, NFL owners approved the Cowboys’ plan to make $295 million worth of improvements to AT&T Stadium over the coming years. Most of the improvements will be made in the form of upgrades to club and suite areas along with new digital upgrades to the center-hung scoreboard. These upgrades will occur from the spring of 2023 through fall of 2025.

ARLINGTON DEVELOPMENT

Work continues on the new Arlington Convention Center and the new Loews Arlington hotel, which will be connected via a skybridge to Live! by Loews Arlington. The two Loews properties will include a combined 1,188 guestrooms and 251,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor meeting and event space. The construction to the new Loews Arlington hotel and convention center is to be completed in 2024. Additionally, in March of 2022, a groundbreaking ceremony was held for the new National Medal of Honor Museum, which honors those who have been awarded the nation’s highest military honor. The museum is scheduled to open in 2024. These new developments are all within walking distance of AT&T Stadium, providing tremendous opportunities for fans attending future Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classics.

CBAA BOARD MEDIA OPPORTUNITIES

Cotton Bowl Athletic Association Chair Dave Brown, Chair-Elect Kelvin Walker and board member and Cotton Bowl Hall of Famer Dat Nguyen made the rounds with North Texas media throughout the month of December leading up to the 87th Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic.

The CBAA 42nd Chair, Brown met with nearly every area television station, many radio stations and print/digital publications, speaking on various topics including the Tulane vs. USC matchup, fan events during bowl week and the continued work of the Cotton Bowl Athletic Association and Cotton Bowl Foundation in the North Texas Community. Walker assisted with television interviews while Nguyen helped with radio interview requests.

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

Rick Baker

Gillian Breidenbach

Dave Brown – Chair

Monica Christopher

Fin Ewing III

Terrance Henderson Carl R. Ice

Dee Kelly Baker Montgomery Daniel P. Novakov

Bry Patton Christian Rodriguez Kelvin Walker – Chair-Elect.

2022-2023 LEADERSHIP

CBAA BOARD OF DIRECTORS

W. Mike Baggett

Thomas C. Bain, Jr.

R. Craig Baker

Rick Baker

Brian Barnard

Robbie Baty

Elizabeth Bentrup

Gillian Breidenbach

Dave Brown

Roland Burns

Heath Cheek

Monica Christopher

John F. Crawford

Barry Davis

Bill Davis

A.R. (Buddy) Dike

Cole Dulaney

Michael Dwyer

Chad Estis

Finley (Fin) Ewing, III

Jeff Fehlis

Richard Frank

R. Bruce Gadd

J.J. Gomez

Mike Henderson

Terrance F. Henderson

Darrell Hernandez

Adam Herrin

Isabell Novakov Higginbotham

Elly Sachs Holder

Cindy Hourigan

Carl. R. Ice

William D. Jackman

J. Stephen Jones

Rod Jones

Matthew A. Kairis

Dee Kelly

Derek Kerr

Chris Kleinert

Marcus E. Knight

Andrew Lauck

Meg Lee

Stephen Luskey

Kyle Mabry

Todd Macsuga

Kyle Manley

Jeff Mathews

Brad Mayne

Jay McAuley

Fred McClure

Michael Miles

Baker Montgomery

Jeff Montgomery

Porter Montgomery

Thomas Morgan, Jr.

Dat Nguyen

Daniel P. Novakov

Greg Oliver

Bry Patton

Monica Paul

Griffin Perry

Kasey Pipes

Mandy Price

Brad Ramsey

Christian Rodriguez

Daniel Routman

Bruce Roy

Christopher Roy

Tod A. Ruble

FOUNDATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Dave Brown, Chair

Rick Baker, President

Gillian Breidenbach

Terrance F. Henderson

Carl R. Ice

William D. Jackman

Bry Patton

W. Kelvin Walker

Marty MacInnis, Secretary/Treasurer

COUNCIL

Art Barnes

Lauren Barnicle

Nicole Britenriker

Brayden Burnett

Joseph P. DeWoody, Chair Rick Baker

Will Estel

Charlie Fiss

Lisa Fortenberry

Margaux Gill

Ashley Givens

David Haines

Ian Hall

Harrison Holmes Kennedy Gardner

Deneldric Hudgens

Michael Konradi

Marty MacInnis

David Krieghbaum

Chris Miner

Cody Moorse

Garrett Nerren

Tanner Newton

CBAA STAFF

Christa Melia

Nancy Mills

Kelly Newell

Tiffany Rauschkolb

Ketric Sanford

Kathy Saunders

John Field Scovell

Dr. John Field Scovell III

Brad Sham

Jim Ray Smith

Robert Smith, III

Andrew Springate

John Stewart

Mike Sweet

William Toles

Jake Wagner

S. Denton Walker III

W. Kelvin Walker

Kevin Watler

Blake Wiley

Jim Williams, Jr.

Karen Wilson-Torres

Eric Winton

Ramsay Woodall

Vickie Yakunin

Monica Christopher, Ex-Officio

Joseph P. DeWoody, Council Rep.

Logan Passmore

Christina Sanders

Deren Wilcox

Andrew Wiley

Kyle Williams Scottie Rodgers

Amy Scott

Allison Webb