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Cotton Bowl

Cotton Bowl in Dallas, TX. Capacity 92,100. Opened 1930.

Capacity
92,100
Opened
1930
Surface
Artificial turf
Roof
Open air
Elevation
437 ft
College GameDay
three times

Biggest games here

From the games on file here, 2014 on: title and postseason games, meetings of two ranked teams, upsets by our pregame Elo ratings and the biggest swings in CollegeFootballData.com’s excitement index.

Crowds season by season

Average and biggest crowd at Cotton Bowl by season, 2014 to 202640k60k80k100k2014: 52,091 a game over 3 games; biggest 92,1002015: 55,888 a game over 2 games; biggest 91,5462016: 50,789 a game over 4 games; biggest 92,1002017: 56,430 a game over 3 games; biggest 93,5522018: 52,442 a game over 3 games; biggest 92,3002019: 48,618 a game over 2 games; biggest 92,1002020: 24,000 a game over 1 games; biggest 24,0002021: 59,149 a game over 2 games; biggest 92,1002022: 73,036 a game over 2 games; biggest 92,1002023: 72,245 a game over 2 games; biggest 92,1002024: 72,212 a game over 2 games; biggest 92,1002025: 74,155 a game over 2 games; biggest 92,1002026: 67,521 a game over 2 games; biggest 92,1002014201620182020202220242026

Biggest crowds on file

93,552Oklahoma at Texas2017
92,300Texas at Oklahoma2018
92,100Texas at Oklahoma2026
92,100Oklahoma at Texas2025
92,100Texas at Oklahoma2024

Bars are each season’s average crowd, dots its biggest (the record in orange), the dashed rule today’s capacity. Attendance is on file for most games from 2001 on.

The pregame shows here

ESPN’s College GameDay has broadcast from Cotton Bowl three times, first in 2018; Fox’s Big Noon Kickoff once.

Oct 7, 2023College GameDayOklahoma 34, Texas 30Texas State Fair
Oct 9, 2021College GameDayOklahoma 55, Texas 48Texas State Fair
Oct 12, 2019Big Noon KickoffOklahoma 34, Texas 27
Oct 6, 2018College GameDayTexas 48, Oklahoma 45Texas State Fair

College GameDay’s sites from Wikipedia’s list of College GameDay locations (CC BY-SA). Big Noon Kickoff’s from Wikipedia’s list of its sites (CC BY-SA).

Weather on game day

Coldest kickoffs

Hottest kickoffs

Kickoffs: the NOAA report nearest kickoff from the closest weather station (NOAA NCEI Integrated Surface Database).

Recent games here

Oct 10, 2026Oklahoma 27, 1Texas 24
Sep 26, 2026Prairie View A&M 21, Grambling 14
Oct 11, 2025Texas 23, 6Oklahoma 6
Sep 27, 2025Prairie View A&M 28, Grambling 13
Oct 12, 20241Texas 34, 18Oklahoma 3
Sep 28, 2024Prairie View A&M 36, Grambling 34
Oct 7, 202312Oklahoma 34, 3Texas 30
Sep 30, 2023Grambling 35, Prairie View A&M 20
Oct 8, 2022Texas 49, Oklahoma 0
Oct 1, 2022Prairie View A&M 34, Grambling 14
Oct 9, 20216Oklahoma 55, 21Texas 48
Sep 25, 2021Prairie View A&M 24, Grambling 10