Under the new format, the winners of the quarterfinals (this year. that includes the Rose Bowl and the Sugar Bowl) on January 1 will determine who will go on to compete for Cotton Bowl glory and ultimately a shot at the championship.
Cotton Bowl Trivia & Fun Facts
The Cotton Bowl game originated with J. Curtis Sanford, a Dallas oilman, who singlehandedly paid for the first matchup at the Texas Fair Grounds on January 1, 1937. The first game between TCU Fort Worth and Marquette was held at Fair Park's Cotton Bowl Stadium before 17,000 fans. (TCU defeated Marquette 16-6.)
Mother Nature was declared the winner of the 1947 College Bowl when snow and ice resulted in a score of 0-0 between Arkansas and LSU in a ill-fated matchup that was later nicknamed "The Ice Bowl."
A fan bundles up in freezing temps
during the 1979 Cotton Bowl, a.k.a
.
"The Chicken Soup Game."
One of the most famous plays in Cotton Bowl history occurred in 1954 when Alabama's Tommy Lewis came off the sidelines to tackle
Rice's Dicky Maegle at the 41st yard line. Before a shocked crowd, Maegle was rewarded with touchdown following
the illegal bench tackle. An apologetic Tommy Lewis later explained: "I just lost my composure and I tackled him.”
On New Year’s Day 1979, Notre Dame and Houston met in the 43rd Cotton Bowl when future NFL Hall of Famer Joe Montana help the Fighting Irish defeat Houston 35-34. Recovering from the flu, Montana was sidelined in blankets and ate chicken soup for most of the matchup, later dubbed "The Chicken Soup Game".
More about the Cotton Bowl around the Web:
2025 Cotton Bowl - The official site offering news & updates, feature stories, player profiles and pictures, ticket purchase and travel guide.
Cotton Bowl History - Check out a good background on the game from its early beginnings to the present day.
Cotton
Bowl Classic - Wikipedia coverage including a complete history, stats and winning teams with related resources.
