Stoops wouldn't mind home-and-home series for OU-Texas: Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops points out the atmosphere at the Cotton Bowl when Oklahoma plays Texas is special. But if he had his way, Stoops would like the series to periodically be played at Texas' Memorial Stadium and OU's Owen Field. "I always felt it'd be pretty neat to play it home-and-home once in a while," Stoops said Tuesday during his weekly press conference. "That'd be pretty cool, too." (The Oklahoman)

Cotton Bowl is the only correct choice for Texas-OU game: Austin-American Statesman

Labels: Bob Stoops, Cotton Bowl, Oklahoma Sooners, OU-Texas

Oklahoma Sooner Football Articles and Notes

What they're saying about the future of OU-Texas: From The Oklahoman

"It's always exciting, the tradition, the history, just the atmosphere with the state fair all around it and splitting the stadium in half. But hey, I understand the business side of it, too. We've got two strong programs and schools that need to protect their interests as well. So it wouldn't be all that bad to do a home-and-home if we had to. I mean, if our administrations felt it was the best thing to do, then I'd certainly be for it and I'm sure coach (Mack) Brown would do the same thing." -- OU coach Bob Stoops

"Arlington is great for pro. But we want to be the place for college football. We've coexisted for 25 years. I don't see why we couldn't do it for 25 more." -- State Fair of Texas president Errol McKoy

"As long as we take care of our stadium, put money back into it, we can count on Oklahoma and Texas staying here for many years. There is no reason in the world for them to leave." -- State Fair of Texas board chairman Pete Schenkel

Labels: Cotton Bowl, Oklahoma Sooners, OU-Texas

Oklahoma Sooner Football Articles and Notes

Murray injured? [DeMarco] Murray and Stoops insist he's healthy. Murray said it's "been frustrating." "But we're winning," Murray added, "so there ain't too much I can complain about." Kevin Murray, who talks to his son almost daily and comes to most games, said he's noticed a difference. "Something is not there this year," Kevin said. "I don't know what's the problem. Either he's still hurt and doesn't want to say anything or he doesn't have the confidence back in that knee. He always says, 'Dad, I'm OK.' I think it's more of his confidence." (Dallas Morning News)

Franks anxious about OU-Texas: Sophomore Dominique Franks from Tulsa Union gets his first crack at Texas on Saturday. He can hardly wait. "I can't really sleep thinking about it," he said. "I went to bed about 10 last night and woke up about 1:30 in the morning and looked back over my playbook. I just know this is a great opportunity to be able to prove what I can do." (Tulsa World)

Stoops, Brown on Cotton Bowl renovations:
Bob Stoops: "I've heard it looks great," Stoops said. "I'm sure it will add to the excitement and the atmosphere."

Mack Brown: "There are a lot of really good fans who never get a chance to walk in that stadium," Brown said. "Now maybe there will be 46,000 from each school that gets a chance to watch it instead of 35,000."

OU-Texas game awakens dormant animosity: OU Daily

Money for your ticket isn't worth it: OU Daily

Rivalry not personal for coaches: Norman Transcript

Sooners ahead on intangibles: Norman Transcript

Stoops feels Brown's pain: The Oklahoman

OU ratings watch: The Oklahoman

OU Football Notebook: The Oklahoman

Switzer, Stoops, Venables all motivate differently: The Oklahoman

Stoops helps Sooners' defense by guiding young cornerbacks: Tulsa World

Murray seeking form: Tulsa World

Stoops not into Texas rivalry talk: Tulsa World

Norman product Madu liked Texas, picked OU: Tulsa World

OU RB Murray's father speaks out about his son, his season and his injury: Dallas Morning News

Burned Orange? Not if Texas' Muschamp can help it: Dallas Morning News

High Five -- Texas-Oklahoma: Dallas Morning News

Iglesias continues to catch on at OU: Austin American-Statesman

Matchup -- Tailbacks: Austin American-Statesman

Matchup -- Receivers: Austin American-Statesman

Stoops -- They're not LSU: Austin American-Statesman

Sooners see Colt McCoy being faster, better: Star-Telegram

Sooners passing game could be tough to stop: Star-Telegram

Oklahoma linebacker Reynolds making an impact: Star-Telegram

Sooners don't know the script: San Antonio Express-News

McCoy's impact not just statistical: San Antonio Express-News

Sooners' offense fast, furious and fantastic: Houston Chronicle

Pressuring QB a priority for 'Horns: Houston Chronicle

BCS moment of truth awaits in Red River Shootout: USA Today

Nobody is tooting Texas' Horn: Sportsline.com

DeMarco Murray's father wonders why he's struggling: ESPN.com

Labels: Cotton Bowl, DeMarco Murray, Dominique Franks, Oklahoma Sooners

Oklahoma Sooner Football Articles and Notes

Dallas officials unveil Cotton Bowl renovations: Today, city officials are set to reveal the biggest transformation in the Cotton Bowl's 78-year history, a $57 million upgrade that added more than 16,000 seats to its end zones, finishing out the ends of its oval bowl with upper-level decks and bringing its total capacity to 92,200. It's a change Cotton Bowl backers hope will mean a brighter future for a facility that many have dismissed as having its best days behind it. "I don't think there is a bad seat in the stadium anymore," said Fair Park's general manager Daniel Huerta as he looked out over the field from the top of the north end-zone seats. (Dallas Morning News) Photo link (not yet completed) and video link (completed).

OU-Washington tops local television ratings: ESPN telecasts topped the week with a 28.5 for Oklahoma's rout of Washington on Saturday night and a 19.7 for the Cowboys-Eagles scorefest. ESPN's national audience for the Monday night game was the largest ever in cable television history with a 13.3 rating, representing 12,953,000 homes. (The Oklahoman)

Bradford a Heisman favorite?: The Oklahoman

Lessons learned for OU, OSU at the bye week: The Oklahoman

OU Football Notebook: The Oklahoman

Grading the Sooners: Norman Transcript

Just a precaution for Bradford: Norman Transcript

Is this team better than a year ago?: Tulsa World

Championship isn't in the bag yet, Stoops says: Tulsa World

Three with good starts: Tulsa World

Audio clips from Stoops' weekly press conference: Tulsa World

Stoops won't let milestone distract: Dallas Morning News

Labels: Cotton Bowl, Oklahoma Sooners, Television

Oklahoma Sooner Football Articles and Notes

Cotton Bowl to expand seating capacity to 92,000: New upper deck bowls being added to the Cotton Bowl's end zones will increase the stadium's seating capacity from 76,000 to about 92,000 this year, the highlight of a better than $50 million renovation project expected to be completed by October. That means on Oklahoma's side of the stadium, 8,000 more tickets will be available; they will be sold to fans based on the Sooner Club's point system. "We pushed the new seats as far forward as possible to maximize fan visibility,” said State Fair of Texas president Errol McKoy. "The end zone seats are really going to be great seats.” The Cotton Bowl also has added new restrooms and concession stands, particularly in the end zones, as well as three new entrance and exit gates to deal with long lines in and out of the stadium. "I think the renovations are going to create a huge positive in people's attitudes about the Cotton Bowl,” McKoy said. (The Oklahoman)

Salaries for assistant coaches skyrocketing: The Oklahoman

OU defensive line deep, talented: The Oklahoman

Ranking the Big 12's defensive lines: The Oklahoman

Big 12 assistant coaches' pay by job: The Oklahoman

Big 12 head coaching contracts: The Oklahoman

Big 12 buzz is heading North: Kansas City Star

Labels: Cotton Bowl, Oklahoma Sooners

Oklahoma Sooner Football Articles and Notes

OU expects NCAA announcement in the 'next week or two': Oklahoma athletic director Joe Castiglione said an announcement from the NCAA on the Sooners' football sanctions could come any time. "Maybe in the next week or two," Castiglione said. Castiglione doesn't think the NCAA will come down with anything more than probation for the Sooners, who have already reduced scholarships on their own. (Dallas Morning News)

Cotton Bowl to increase annual OU-Texas payout: Dallas leaders on Wednesday approved a beefed up incentive package for four colleges planning to play annual football games at Fair Park's Cotton Bowl, through 2015. The University of Texas and University of Oklahoma will receive an annual $425,000 each between 2008 and 2011, and $500,000 each between 2012 and 2015, according to the City Council-approved deal. That amounts to a fourfold increase in public subsidies: Through this year, the schools have received $125,000 each annually. (Dallas Morning News)

Labels: Cotton Bowl, NCAA, NCAA Investigation, Oklahoma Sooners, OU-Texas

Oklahoma Sooner Football Articles and Notes

UT opts to stay put; Oklahoma fans keep tunnel entrance: Even though Texas won the right to sit over the tunnel at the Cotton Bowl for its annual showdown with Oklahoma, Longhorns athletic director DeLoss Dodds said Monday UT will continue to sit in the end zone opposite the tunnel. "The contract allows the home team to pick, and we're leaving it the way it was," said Dodds, referring to the game's unique seating in which fans from each team are split down the 50-yard-line. Texas is the home team for this year's Red River Rivalry and figured to take advantage of its newly acquired right to sit over the tunnel, where Oklahoma fans have sat for years. Dodds said Monday there are three reasons why Texas is staying put: 1) improved "security" around the tunnel; 2) the ability to see a giant replay screen that sits over the tunnel; and 3) band seating. (Dallas Morning News)

Muskogee pair lead 2008 football prospects: The Oklahoman
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Labels: Cotton Bowl, Oklahoma Sooners, Texas

Oklahoma Sooner Football Articles and Notes

OU-Texas A&M at the Cotton Bowl brief conversation in 2006: A source close to the Oklahoma football program confirmed Tuesday that OU Athletic Director Joe Castiglione and A&M AD Bill Byrne had the briefest of conversations more than a year ago about the possibility of playing in Dallas if the Longhorn-Sooner games were returned to a home-and-home series as it was before 1929. "That goes back a ways," the OU official said of the brief dialogue. "To say that the two schools had that conversation recently would be false. It was a very, very short conversation in which the pros and cons were talked about at a meeting. Sort of a what-if." (Austin American Statesman)

OU has had many players make the NFL, but few among the best ever: The Oklahoman

On draft day, Browns should run, hot pass, to Peterson: CBS Sportsline

Rufus Alexander Draft Journal II: CBS Sportsline

Would Lions run from a QB for Peterson: Detroit Free Press

OU back is talented, but durability issues could scare off teams: San Diego Union-Tribune

Labels: Cotton Bowl, Oklahoma Sooners, Texas A M

Oklahoma Sooner Football Articles and Notes

Oklahoma-Texas Extends Cotton Bowl Agreement: The City of Dallas, the State Fair of Texas, the University of Oklahoma and University of Texas have entered into an agreement that will keep the AT&T Red River Rivalry at the Cotton Bowl through 2015. The game has been played in Dallas since 1929 and long since evolved into one of college football's greatest rivalry games. The move to keep the game at the same location pleased OU Athletics Director Joe Castiglione. "Because of its prominent history and unique atmosphere, the setting of the Red River Rivalry truly represents one of the most special games in all of college football," Castiglione said. "We are grateful for the relationship we share with the State Fair and City of Dallas. They have identified a number of ways to upgrade and expand the Cotton Bowl Stadium and enhance the atmosphere of a venerable old stadium. "The University of Oklahoma and the University of Texas have nearly 80 years invested in this great tradition. As we look forward to continuing in Dallas, we are genuinely excited about all of the plans to improve and expand the Cotton Bowl Stadium. Both universities can involve many more fans in this special fall classic." (More at SoonerSports.com)

OU-Texas to stay at Cotton Bowl: The Oklahoman

Red River rivalry staying put: Norman Transcript

Tradition a winner in this one: Ft. Worth Star-Telegram

Cotton Bowl keeps OU-Texas game: Dallas Morning News

No move is right move for OU-Texas: Dallas Morning News

Labels: 2007 Storyline, Cotton Bowl, Oklahoma Sooners, OU-Texas

Oklahoma Sooner Football Articles and Notes

Red River Shootout to remain at Cotton Bowl Stadium: Dallas Morning News reports, In a reversal of Dallas' recent football fortunes, Mayor Laura Miller will announce Friday that the University of Texas and University of Oklahoma will continue to play their age-old annual football showdown in Fair Park's Cotton Bowl - at least through 2015. On Thursday, officials familiar with the announcement had also said Grambling University and Prairie View A&M University will agree to play their annual game at the Cotton Bowl through 2015. The schools' new contracts, which several Dallas officials say will include hundreds of thousands of dollars in new city-funded incentives, ends months of speculation that they soon would leave the aging Cotton Bowl for other venues, including the Dallas Cowboys' new stadium in Arlington, 20 miles away. (Dallas Morning News)

Labels: 2007 Storyline, Cotton Bowl, Dallas Bond, OU-Texas

Oklahoma Sooner Football Articles and Notes

Not much Oklahoma Sooners news, although the Cotton Bowl saga continues down south.

OP/ED: Why it still makes sense to fix up Cotton Bowl: Dallas Morning News

Labels: Cotton Bowl, Oklahoma Sooners

Oklahoma Sooner Football Articles and Notes

Second poll shows further opposition to Cotton Bowl upgrades: Fifty-six percent of respondents to a new poll say the city of Dallas should abandon its $50 million plan to renovate the historic Cotton Bowl in Fair Park. Thirty percent of respondents said the renovations should proceed, while the remainder offered other suggestions. There were 682 responses to the poll, which was conducted online March 1-7 by the Dallas Business Journal after the AT&T Cotton Bowl Classic announced it would leave the Cotton Bowl for Arlington in 2010. The results were similar to a Dallas Morning News telephone poll of 601 Dallas residents disclosed March 11. (Dallas Business Journal)

Second scrimmage information; Free and Open to the public: Oklahoma's March 31 football scrimmage will take place at 11 a.m., in Gaylord Family - Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. The event is open to the public and no admission will be charged. The workout will be the final major scrimmage before the April 7 Red/White Spring Game. Oklahoma's other open scrimmage will take place this Wednesday, March 14 at 3:45 p.m., at the stadium. (SoonerSports PR)

Labels: Cotton Bowl, Dallas Bond, Oklahoma Sooners, Spring Practice

Oklahoma Sooner Football Articles and Notes

Poll: Dallas Citizens oppose Cotton Bowl renovations: Almost half of Dallas residents say the city should pull the plug on a planned $50 million face-lift for the Cotton Bowl, according to a Dallas Morning News poll. Even though the City Council strongly supports the renovation, 48 percent of those polled last week said the investment doesn't make sense now that the AT&T Cotton Bowl Classic, the January collegiate bowl game, has announced that it's leaving in 2010. Forty percent said the city should go ahead with the improvements anyway. The remaining 12 percent weren't sure or had no opinion. Six in 10 people said local officials should have tried harder to lure the Cowboys back to Dallas in 2004, when the team announced that it was in the market for a new home. Told of the poll's findings, Dallas Mayor Laura Miller said she still supports further investment in the Cotton Bowl. She noted that local officials are working to lure other collegiate teams. "I feel confident that we will have at least one new football game announcement for the Cotton Bowl before I leave office," said the mayor, whose term expires in June." (In part and more at Dallas Morning News) Note: The poll, conducted for the The News by Blum & Weprin Associates Inc. of New York, was based on telephone interviews with 601 Dallas residents this past Monday through Wednesday. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points.

Interestingly Dallas voters approved proposition 3, including Cotton Bowl bond by a 81-19% margin in November 2006 election.

Labels: Cotton Bowl, Dallas Bond, Oklahoma Sooners

Oklahoma Sooner Football Articles and Notes

Grambling-Prairie View following the Cotton Bowl to Arlington? Grambling would never follow the Cotton Bowl game in abandoning this legendary south Dallas venue, right? Well, there are other emotions at play. The Dallas City Council saw to that a couple of seasons ago when it approved $250,000 in game incentives for GSU and Prairie View through 2009 -- while giving $625,000 apiece to Texas and Oklahoma, who play the following weekend in the same venue. Get [Al] Wash [Promoter of the State Fair Classic], and many Grambling fans, talking about that deal and, well, you can forget another mention of cotton candy and ferris wheels. It gets serious."I don't understand why the State Fair and the city have never seen the fact that we need dollars worse than Texas-Oklahoma need dollars," Wash said this week. "It's a business, and a business decision will be made." (News Star Blog) OU-TEXAS Implications: It would be hard to believe the Dallas City Council would invest bond money (as stated before Dallas isn't obligated to spend bond money, says Dallas CFO), without guarantees past 2009 from GSU-PV and 2010 OU-TEXAS. When all four schools are waiting for improvements passed by the Dallas voters. At the same time, Dallas recruiting LSU, Notre Dame, Texas A&M, Texas Tech to play at the Cotton Bowl stadium, could delay any renovations passed by Dallas voters. "It's absolutely worth significant upgrades to the facility to get four weeks of college football," Dallas Mayor, Ms. Miller.

Labels: Cotton Bowl, Dallas Bond

Oklahoma Sooner Football Articles and Notes

Dallas' bond money to stadium uncertain: Now that the AT&T Cotton Bowl Classic is primed to leave the Fair Park stadium, Dallas mayoral candidates are divided on what to do with a public fortune earmarked for Cotton Bowl stadium renovations. Some say the $30 million in municipal bonds that voters approved in November as part of a $1.35 billion bond program must remain slotted for the 76-year-old facility. About $20 million in city- and State Fair of Texas-funded Cotton Bowl improvements already are under way, including installation of new seating and a massive video scoreboard. "That money is to be used to bring that stadium up to par. It's imperative that it be used that way, otherwise, the existing stadium will not be viable," former state representative and airline executive Sam Coats said. "I have no qualms spending the money. You have to keep the faith with the voters, period," said Darrell Jordan, a lawyer and 1995 Dallas mayoral election runner-up. "This is a good investment. We have to fight to keep these games," District 3 council member Ed Oakley said. (More at Dallas Morning News)

Boise States' Zabransky on the cover of NCAA '08: Ask any college football fan what sets their chosen sport apart from their professional brothers and odds are most of them will come up with the same answer -- unpredictability. Specifically they'll tell you about this year's Fiesta Bowl where no-name Quarterback Jared Zabransky led his even less known Boise State Cowboys to a thrilling 43-42 overtime victory over the goliath like Oklahoma Sooners. It's that leadership that led EA Sports to choose Zabransky over other household names like Brady Quinn and Troy Smith as their cover-boy for NCAA Football 2008. EA is hoping that Zabransky will be the perfect fit for the game's newest feature, Team Leadership. (MyGamer) Adrian Peterson was widely speculated to grab the cover, as NCAA Football '08 is expected for release summer 2007 for Xbox, Xbox 360, PS2 and PS3.

Labels: Cotton Bowl, Dallas Bond, Oklahoma Sooners

Oklahoma Sooner Football Articles and Notes

It's unlikely OU-Texas will stay at Cotton Bowl: Tulsa World

Letters - Dallas reacts to the Cotton Bowl move: Dallas Morning News

Sounding Off: Dallas Morning News

Spring Football Team Capsules: Big 12: Yahoo! Sports

Labels: Cotton Bowl, Oklahoma Sooners

Oklahoma Sooner Football Articles and Notes

Dallas Official: Dallas isn't obligated to spend bond money: The city of Dallas isn't obligated to spend $30 million in bond funds on the Cotton Bowl, said David Cook, the city's chief financial officer. His statement came in response to the Dallas Business Journal query: "What legal options does the city of Dallas have to make the (Cotton Bowl) renovations, if its leaders no longer see the need to spend that money on the project?" Dallas City Councilman Mitchell Rasansky has been skeptical about spending money renovating the Cotton Bowl, in light of the construction of the Cowboys' new stadium, which is estimated at costing more than $1 billion. "The voters have authorized the city to issue bonds for particular purposes, but the voters haven't mandated that that be done," Cook said, in response to a query from the Business Journal. "From a legal view, the city council doesn't have to issue those bonds and do those improvements. They are authorized to do so. It technically wouldn't take a special vote of the citizens to deauthorize," he said. (Dallas Business Journal)

Live Chat Transcript via Dallas Morning News with Cotton Bowl President Rick Baker:

Q: From e-mail: Isn't it true that the city of Dallas failed by not giving a $325 million investment for a $1 billion complex that would have replaced the Cotton Bowl?

A: Rick Baker: We are not in the blame game. We just had to make a decision based on the facts laid out before us. The city of Dallas has been a great partner for 71 years and we will continue to need their world-class hotels and infrastructure to be able to produce a premier bowl experience.

Sooners' prospect instead playing Pro Baseball: The bigger question with [Mike] Wilson is why he is a [Seattle] Mariner at all. He grew up in the heart of football country, Tulsa, Okla., and had accepted a full ride to the University of Oklahoma as a linebacker when Seattle came calling. The running joke around camp is the Sooners might have offered more than Seattle did to secure Wilson's services. To be sure, Wilson will always be a fan of Oklahoma football. What Oklahoma couldn't match was the hold baseball had on Wilson's heart. "I played football, and I liked it," he said. "But I always was a baseball player. That was the sport I loved. So when I got drafted in the second round, it wasn't that hard of a decision. "I sat down with my mother and we talked it over. It didn't take long. The average career in football is four or five years. The average career in baseball is longer. And I was hurting; my knees were tired from all the hitting I was doing playing football." (Seattle Post)

Cotton Bowl Offers Texas Tech a free venue to play? A&M? OU?: We speak extensively [News Radio 1420] with the man who is trying to convince Texas Tech and Texas A&M to play their rivalry game in Dallas rather than Lubbock and College Station. His name is Errol McCoy. He is the state fair president. One of his responsibilities is to fill the cotton bowl with high impact football games. Now that the Cotton Bowl game will no longer played in the Cotton Bowl stadium McCoy will renew his efforts to sweet talk Texas Tech. McCoy says the City of Dallas will pay Texas Tech's travel expenses, and he says the state fair will waive the stadium rental. "So, basically the Universities have zero cost in coming to Dallas to play in a neutral site, with the tremendous upside. And in the case of Texas Tech I think they could improve their overall financial situation for the athletic department by $2 million per year; each year!" Of course the average fan says 'Yeah but that's our big rivalry game.' It doesn't get any bigger than Red Raider verses Aggies. We can't give that up! Right? So News Radio 1420 asked Errol McCoy: does it have to be THAT game? What about Tech verses Oklahoma? What about Tech verses ANY other Big 12 team? How about trying to build a brand new rivalry from scratch; say, Texas Tech verses LSU? Here's McCoy's answer. "So it can be any combination; I think any combination of those you just mentioned probably would work and work well." (Newsradio1420)

Cotton Bowl marriage may soon be tested: Dallas Morning News

Change aids chances: Star Telegram

Peterson dynamite player, but few tailbacks carry teams to titles: MSNBC.com

Cotton Bowl finds new home to build legends: Yahoo! Sports

Labels: Cotton Bowl, Dallas Bond, Oklahoma Sooners, Recruiting, Texas, Texas Tech

Oklahoma Sooner Football Articles and Notes

Future of OU-Texas at Cotton Bowl Stadium unknown: Tuesday's announcement also could open the door for a move for the Texas-Oklahoma game, played on the grounds of the Texas State Fair yearly since 1929. The possibility of making the game a home-and-home affair, alternating annually between the campuses in Austin and Norman, Okla., has been broached in the past. But last May, the Longhorns and Sooners extended their contract with the Cotton Bowl stadium through the 2010 season. In November, Dallas voters approved a $30 million improvement package to the stadium in addition to $20 million earmarked for the project by the State Fair and the city. The $20 million currently is being spent on new scoreboards and seating. Officials say it's too early to tell if the Texas-OU game will follow the Cotton Bowl Classic to Arlington or break with the neutral-site tradition to go to the home-and-home format. "This move of the Cotton Bowl Classic to Arlington does nothing to change our agreement for the Texas-Oklahoma game," Texas athletics director DeLoss Dodds said in a statement. "We have no plans beyond that." Joe Castiglione, OU's athletic director, said the Cotton Bowl Classic's decision to move was not a surprise. "But I really can't say whether it will have any effect on future (Texas-OU) decisions because that's so far down the road," he said. Castiglione added the majority of Sooner fans want to keep the game in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. "I think our fans really embrace the tradition and uniqueness of the game," he said. "They want to preserve the tradition for as long as they can. It's established itself as one of the unique phenomenons in the pageantry of college football, and people want to see that tradition upheld. "The dynamics for that (bowl) game are totally different than for OU-Texas," Castiglione added. "What they're trying to do is keep the Classic viable to put them in position for a BCS game." (More at Austin American Statesman)

Spring practice schedule change: The University of Oklahoma is making some changes in the dates for spring football practice.The first practice had been scheduled for Monday but is now set for next Wednesday. Scrimmages are planned for March 14th and 31st and the annual spring game is to be April seventh. (KTUL)

With postseason bowl moved, Red River Rivalry can't be far behind in Arlington shift: Daily Texan

Fair question: Founder would have made Classic move: Dallas Morning News

Arlington hails Cotton move as important first step: Dallas Morning News

Bowl vote unanimous, but emotions were mixed: Dallas Morning News

Now Classic can make BCS push: Dallas Morning News

Bittersweet: Cotton Bowl moving: Dallas Morning News

Labels: Cotton Bowl, Dallas Bond, Oklahoma Sooners, Spring Practice, Texas

Oklahoma Sooner Football Articles and Notes

Cotton Bowl to move to new Cowboys Stadium: Hoping to get the Cotton Bowl back on college football's national stage, the board that oversees the game voted Tuesday to move it to the new Dallas Cowboys stadium starting in 2010. "This is one of the most important decisions in the 71-year history of the AT&T Cotton Bowl," Cotton Bowl Athletic Association Chairman Bruce Gadd said in a statement. "Moving the Classic preserves the Classic's legacy and, at the same time, secures its future as one of college football's best postseason bowl games." The move was approved by voice vote during a regular meeting of the Cotton Bowl Athletic Association board of directors. The first game at the new venue in Arlington, between Dallas and Fort Worth, will be on New Year's Day, 2010. Plans for the $1 billion stadium, scheduled to open in 2009, include a retractable roof that would cover a hole similar to the one at Texas Stadium in Irving. A domed stadium is important to bowl game officials because of Dallas' sometimes cold January weather. (Dallas Morning News) This can't be good for the future of the Red River Shootout at the current Cotton Bowl stadium. As the Cotton Bowl has commitments from both Oklahoma and Texas through 2010, only if City of Dallas continues improvements with bond money already approved. In the past, Dallas officials have said they will only continue improvements with long-term commitments.

Taylor: Dallas dropped the ball: WFAA

Labels: Cotton Bowl, Dallas Bond, Oklahoma Sooners, University of Oklahoma

Oklahoma Sooner Football Articles and Notes

Report: Cotton Bowl Classic on the Move to Arlington: Officials with the State Fair of Texas and the city of Dallas conceded Monday that the AT&T Cotton Bowl Classic will almost certainly move from its namesake stadium in Fair Park to the Dallas Cowboys' new stadium in Arlington. "It's been a foregone conclusion that they're leaving," said State Fair president Errol McKoy, who also serves on the board of directors for the AT&T Cotton Bowl Classic. "The reason the Cotton Bowl game is supposedly going to move -- and they'll have an announcement here soon -- is all because of one thing, and that's a roof over their head. That's something that we cannot and will not ever provide -- a roof over their head," State Fair chairman Pete Schenkel told The Dallas Morning News, while at once vowing to retain the annual Texas-Oklahoma and Prairie View-Grambling college football games and to attract new ones. A move to the Cowboys' retractable-roof stadium tops the AT&T Cotton Bowl Classic board's meeting agenda today. But just about everyone on the board is comfortable that the decision-making process is nearly finished, said Darrell Jordan, a longtime advocate of improving the Cotton Bowl stadium and a candidate for Dallas mayor. "It's my understanding that they are going to vote, unanimously or nearly unanimously, to move the game to the new stadium in Arlington. That is not unexpected," Mr. Jordan said Monday. (Dallas Morning News) Note: Both the Universities of Oklahoma and Texas have agreements with Dallas to play the annual Red River Shootout through 2010. Further agreements are pending.

Dallas may challenge for naming rights: The city of Dallas may challenge the Cotton Bowl Classic's right to its name if it loses the annual college football bowl game. At the least, Dallas is exploring its options, it announced in a statement released by city spokesman Frank Librio. The city "has engaged outside counsel to advise us on the scope of our intellectual property rights," including trademark rights, the statement read. The classic's board is meeting today, and a possible move to the Cowboys' new stadium is on the agenda. The use of the name remains an emotional flash point for some. "As far as I'm concerned, I ain't giving up the word Cotton Bowl for any other city," Dallas City Council member Mitchell Rasansky said. "The Cotton Bowl, for whatever it's worth, it is at Fair Park." The city faces major legal hurdles should it mount a challenge. The Cotton Bowl Athletic Association registered the name "Cotton Bowl Classic" in 1999 with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, according to the agency's Web site and documents obtained by The Morning News. The organization confirmed that the document was in use in 2004, as required. (Dallas Morning News)

Labels: Cotton Bowl, Dallas Bond, Oklahoma Sooners

Oklahoma Sooner Football Articles and Notes

The future of the Cotton Bowl in hands of other teams if OU/UT don't reach long term commitment: North Texas' baddest football battle is over two stadiums, not in them: an aging Dallas landmark vs. Arlington's sparkling, billion-dollar sports palace now under construction. And for the Cotton Bowl, it may be a fight for survival. Most Dallas City Council members back overhauling Fair Park's 76-year-old Cotton Bowl. The facility, they say, can remain a viable venue for major college football games. And they aren't interested in terminating $50 million in mostly taxpayer-funded renovations to the stadium – even if its namesake contest, the AT&T Cotton Bowl Classic, soon bolts to the Dallas Cowboys' retractable-dome stadium two cities westward. On one hand, council members could wait to fund renovations until securing long-term contracts with current college football teams plus prospective tenants, such as Texas A&M University, Texas Tech University, the University of Notre Dame and Louisiana State University. But if they wait too long, they risk renovation delays. On the other, officials could forge ahead, funding renovations as soon as May even without long-term commitments. Not all council members, however, share their philosophy. "The Cotton Bowl is a dinosaur. Yes, it's an institution, but even though it is an institution, I want to see if we're throwing money out the window," said Mitchell Rasansky, chairman of the council's Finance, Audit and Accountability Committee. "Unless we have some long-term commitments soon, I think it is money thrown away. That's only good business to expect that. We, as elected officials, have to be taxpayers' guardians." Meanwhile, negotiations to lure new college football games to the Cotton Bowl have, at best, been slow, although talks with several major college programs and the Big 12 continue, Mr. McKoy said, adding that he's aiming to score commitments for at least one game, to be played during the State Fair of Texas, within the next 45 days. [Dallas Mayor] Ms. Miller says she's optimistic it'll happen. "It's absolutely worth significant upgrades to the facility to get four weeks of college football," the mayor said. "But they've been talking to the same teams for a year now. It's baffling to me why we can't get it done." (In parts and much more at Dallas Morning News) In the past, much of the slow commitments have been on Texas' part. On May 5, 2006 both Texas and Oklahoma agreed to an additional two years running through 2010.

Peterson's speed could turn heads at combine: The Oklahoman

Labels: Cotton Bowl, Dallas Bond, Oklahoma Sooners, Texas, University of Oklahoma

Oklahoma Sooner Football Articles and Notes

Alexander named First Team All-American: Wednesday, a day after being named Big 12 Conference Defensive Player of the Year, Alexander was named first-team All-American by the American Football Coaches Association. He's the 142nd All-American in OU's history. With early issues at cornerback and defensive tackle, the Sooners didn't blitz as much defensively this season, so Alexander didn't have as many game-changing plays as he did in his previous two seasons. But he still led the team with 95 tackles going into Saturday's Big 12 championship game against Nebraska, and posted a team-high 10.5 tackles for loss. He also had a hand in six turnovers and had two quarterback sacks. "Usually, these awards go to teams that have won a lot of games," OU coach Bob Stoops said Tuesday. "We're No. 1 or No. 2 (in the Big 12) in almost all defensive categories, so I'm sure that Rufus, one of our better players, I think he reaps the rewards from the sum of everybody." (Tulsa World)

Its Cotton or Fiesta for Sooners: It's the Fiesta or Cotton Bowl for Oklahoma depending on the outcome of Saturday's title game. The Big 12 Conference announced two bowl matchups on Wednesday. The AT&T Cotton Bowl indicated its desire to host one of the Conference’s divisional champions and will select the runner-up of Saturday’s Dr Pepper Big 12 Championship game to face an SEC opponent on January 1. The Pacific Life Holiday Bowl will match Texas A&M against the University of California on December 28. The winner of the Dr Pepper Big 12 Championship game automatically qualifies for the Bowl Championship Series, and will appear in the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl on January 1. (SoonerSports.com)

Cooper's Nebraska history: Sooner center Jon Cooper's dad, Tom Cooper, played at Missouri from 1972-75, experiencing his own rivalry with Nebraska. Growing up in Colorado, where CU is a latter-day rival of the Big Red, imposed a double dose of dislike for all things Husker on the OU sophomore. "I've kind of grown up hating Nebraska my fair share," Cooper said. "It's a pretty big deal for me." For Cooper, this week is somewhat like OU-Texas for his teammates. "A little bit, yeah," Cooper said. "My dad hated them, so he passed that on to me. And everybody from CU hated them, so I was surrounded, because nobody liked them in Colorado, certainly not in my house." "I definitely respect them, because they've won championships. Oklahoma's won championships. When I was recruited, my dad made sure to tell me how much of a good rivalry this is, especially back when they played every year." (NewsOK.com)

Stoops indifferent on Big XII title site: The forecast for Kansas City on Saturday night calls for below-freezing temperatures, making weather a factor. That could be avoided if the game were played in a domed stadium or warmer climate. "I'm kind of mixed on that," Stoops said. "You see pro teams out there in the middle of that weather all the time. It's part of the game you've got to manage. "Some of these (alternative championship venues) aren't really Big 12 towns, aren't maybe as exciting, so the atmosphere isn't going to be as great. I think the venue up there has been incredibly exciting." (Tulsa World)

Alexander named Big 12's top defender: Norman Transcript

Sooners' bowl choices down to two: Norman Transcript

Latimer recalls Cornhuskers' big rivalry — with Colorado: The Oklahoman

It's BCS or Cotton for Sooners: The Oklahoman

Taylor story is familiar: The Oklahoman

Reggie-go-round: Tulsa World

Blake connects to recruits: Tulsa World

Memorable moments -- OU vs. Nebraska: Tulsa World

Memorable moments -- OU versus Nebraska: Tulsa World

Sooners' bowl options limited: Tulsa World

Weather is a factor in title game: Tulsa World

Sooners QB now has believers: Dallas Morning News

Cotton Bowl will host Big 12 runner up: Dallas Morning News

Huskers golden in red zone: Lincoln Journal-Star

Breaking down the Sooners: Lincoln Journal-Star

Elmassian says Oklahoma offense 'tenacious': Lincoln Journal-Star

Huskers QB points to younger sisiter to keep him grounded: Ft. Worth Star-Telegram

Big 12 on hold by Gator: Ft. Worth Star-Telegram

Coach has Huskers back on top: Kansas City Star

Sooners have few weaknesses: Columbus Telegram

Sooners' Patrick, Brown show there's not reason for Peterson to rush return: San Antonio Express-News

Title game revives Sooners-Huskers rivalry: Yahoo! Sports

Fan primer for Big 12 Championship: SoonerSports.com

Labels: All-American, Award, Bob Stoops, Cotton Bowl, Fiesta Bowl, Jon Cooper, Rufus Alexander

Oklahoma Sooner Football Articles and Notes

Dallas Voters pass Cotton Bowl Bond, includes dome study: Deep within a multimillion-dollar contract to renovate Dallas' Cotton Bowl is an easily overlooked item that may resurrect an otherwise defunct idea from last decade -- doming the stadium. The $30,000 study would investigate options for covering the Cotton Bowl with a permanent roof or something semi-permanent, such as an inflatable, retractable or removable dome. The Dallas City Council is scheduled to vote today on the contract, which taps Atlanta-based Heery International Inc. to coordinate the estimated $45.5 million in Cotton Bowl design and construction work. The vote was scheduled to come the day after Dallasites were expected to approve $30 million in Cotton Bowl renovation bond funding to augment millions of dollars that the city and State Fair of Texas already have fronted. These funds will provide a bevy of new amenities for the 76-year-old facility -- seats, scoreboard, bathrooms, concession areas and locker rooms, among others -- and increase its capacity to more than 92,000 fans. It does not, however, allocate funds for doming the stadium. City leaders fear that without some way to keep out wind and cold, the Cotton Bowl will lose its namesake AT&T Cotton Bowl Classic college football game to the Dallas Cowboys' domed stadium in Arlington, which is scheduled to open in three years. (More at Dallas Morning News)

Bob Stoops among 10 finalist for Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year: Oklahoma's Bob Stoops is one of 10 finalists named today for the inaugural Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year Award, which honors the college football coach who best exemplifies responsibility and excellence on and off the field of play. The other candidates are Mack Brown (Texas), Lloyd Carr (Michigan), Danny Hale (Bloomsburg), Bobby Petrino (Louisville), Greg Schiano (Rutgers), Jeff Tedford (California), Mel Tjeerdsma (Northwest Missouri State), Jim Tressel (Ohio State) and Tommy Tuberville (Auburn). "More than a quarter-million fan votes were cast and nearly 80,000 fan testimonials were submitted supporting hundreds of coaches from every level of NCAA competition. We think each finalist embodies what makes this award different than any other: responsibility -- not only to his own team and players, but also to his institution and in society," said Paul Condrin, Liberty Mutual president, Personal Markets. "Honoring responsible coaching is a celebration of the positive influence sports coaches – at every level – can have on young people, their families and entire communities." Selected based on professional competence and achievement in 2006, commitment to the well-being and development of student-athletes, high ethical standards, and civic and charitable stewardship, the Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year will receive $100,000 to support civic and charitable activities. In addition, Liberty Mutual will grant $20,000 in scholarship to the alumni association of the winning coach's school. Each of the 10 finalists scored in the top 20 percent of the online fan vote within his division during the first phase of competition (September 8 -- November 6). The public can again log onto www.coachoftheyear.com through November 20 to review bios and fan testimonials supporting each candidate and vote for their selection for the award winner, which will be revealed on December 16, 2006. (SoonerSports PR)

Patrick expected to play: OU tailback Allen Patrick, who injured his ankle on his final carry at Texas A&M last week, returned to practice Wednesday. "He did a little bit today. We want to be careful how much," Stoops said. "He'll get more tomorrow. He said he was feeling better and better, so we anticipate him being ready to play." (Tulsa World)

Pendleton FWAA Courage Award nominee: Oklahoma defensive tackle Carl Pendleton is this week's nominee for the FedEx Orange Bowl-FWAA Courage Award to be announced at the end of the 2006 season. Pendleton, a junior and a three-year starter, has decided to forgo his senior year of eligibility - but not to turn pro. Instead, Pendleton, who will graduate in December, will continue his education and focus on caring for his 10-year-old brother, Kierstan. He became Kierstan's legal guardian recently while their parents sort through a difficult divorce. Pendleton, who carries a 3.86 grade-point average in sociology with a minor in religious studies, will pursue a graduate degree. In October, he was awarded an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship from the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame. "With the responsibility of raising my younger brother, I realize football is not the best choice for me," Pendleton said. "Football was a way for me to get my education." Pendleton, a regular speaker at Fellowship of Christian Athletes functions, teaches Sunday school each week at a Norman church. This month, he is taking over responsibility for the church's ministry to fifth- and sixth-graders. (SoonerSports.com)

OU notebook: The Oklahoman

The list: Best OU backup tailbacks: The Oklahoman

Running Away: The Oklahoman

Sooner DBs fired up to face Tech Oklahoma at Texas Tech: The Oklahoman

Reggie Smith Video Journal No. 5: SoonerSports.com

He means business: Tulsa World

Know the Foe: Texas Tech Red Raiders: Tulsa World

The List: Tulsa World

OU Notebook: Stoops a finalist: Tulsa World

Questions with Paul Thompson: Tulsa World

Sooners secondary is better later: Dallas Morning News

Sooners have Tech's number: Dallas Morning News

Labels: Allen Patrick, Bob Stoops, Carl Pendleton, Cotton Bowl, Dallas Bond

Oklahoma Sooner Football Articles and Notes

Cotton Bowl reps to be in attendance in College Station: AT&T Cotton Bowl Classic representatives will attend this weekend's Oklahoma-Texas A&M, Missouri-Nebraska and Oklahoma State-Texas games, bowl president Rick Baker said. "These are certainly games we watch a little closer than we would if they were in September or October," Baker said. The OU-A&M and Missouri-Nebraska games are of particular interest. The Aggies (8-1, 4-1 Big 12) and the Sooners (6-2, 3-1) have the second and third best conference records. The Tigers (7-2, 3-2) and Cornhuskers (6-3, 3-2) are tied for first place in the North division. "[Those] are certainly two games that have folks that certainly you'd expect to be on your radar screen at the end of November," Baker said. (Dallas Morning News)

Limited Oklahoma-Texas A&M tickets available: From the Texas A&M Athletics Website... As of 4 p.m. Monday, approximately 3,000 tickets still remain for Saturday night's showdown with 18th-ranked Oklahoma. Call 888-99-AGGIE to purchase.

Stoops wants to eliminate Big XII North-South format: Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops rekindled an old debate Monday by saying he'd be in favor of scrapping the Big 12's divisional format and opting instead for a nine-game conference schedule. Stoops said the Big 12 would then become like the Big Ten and Pacific-10, conferences that do not have a championship game. The Big 12 athletic directors were so against the idea of eliminating the division format that they didn't even vote on a proposal at their league meetings in May. (Dallas Morning News)

Lawsuit filed against University of Oklahoma: The University of Oklahoma is being sued by the Dallas Morning News and information advocacy group Freedom Of Information Oklahoma under claims that the school's release of documentation regarding football players' employment at a Norman car dealer had too much information blacked out. In a story published Sunday in the campus newspaper, the Oklahoma Daily, OU cites federal privacy laws that require when "information is provided under the Open Records Act, that 'identifiable student information' not be released." Toni Nguyen, assistant general counsel for Belo Corp., parent company of the Morning News, was quoted by the Oklahoma Daily in an e-mail as saying, "We need access to relevant documents in OU's possession to uncover the truth about the events leading up to the removal of Rhett Bomar and J.D. Quinn from the OU football team. . . . The documents that OU has publicly produced have been so substantially redacted that they're useless to us." (Tulsa World)

Kelly's late decision: OU receiver Malcolm Kelly went through a difficult time last week due to the death of his grandfather, Alphonso Smith. Kelly left Norman Thursday to be with his family in Longview, Texas, and planned to miss the Missouri game to attend the funeral. "I talked to my grandma and she told me how he was looking forward to watching me play in that game," Kelly said. Kelly was OU's leading receiver with four catches for 40 yards, but didn’t do much celebrating afterwards. (Norman Transcript)

OU Football Notebook: The Oklahoman

Jones might eye an OU coach again: The Oklahoman

Stoops at 100: The Oklahoman

A&M's success stems from its self-confidence: Tulsa World

Big 12 Insider: Division arguments heating up: Tulsa World

Third down is no obstacle for A&M: Ft. Worth Star-Telegram

Ags, Sooners both find ways to win: Waco Tribune

Labels: Big XII, Bob Stoops, Cotton Bowl, Lawsuit, Malcolm Kelly, Tickets, University of Oklahoma

Oklahoma Sooner Football Articles and Notes

AD Joe Castiglione plans to keep game at Cotton Bowl and same time: The future of the Red River Rivalry in Dallas might be a topic of considerable debate. Any thought of moving the kickoff to night, however, apparently isn't up for discussion. ABC pushed to move this year's game to its prime-time slot, only to find both schools opposed. "Quite candidly, I don't see a day when we'll agree to play this game at night," Oklahoma athletic director Joe Castiglione said. "There are just too many characteristics that are important to the fans. And too many issues for us to address to have that game at night. "I believe the fans like it just where it is. And they have been a big part of making this game what it is. ... We feel like it's placed just perfectly -- 2:30 in the afternoon." (NewsOK.com)

Friendly wager between Oklahoma-Texas Governors: As per tradition, the governors of Texas and Oklahoma have made a friendly wager on the game. The governor whose team is on the losing end will donate a basket of goods made in his state to a charity selected by the winning governor. Texas Gov. Rick Perry, who was a yell leader at Texas A&M, issued this statement: "I have no doubt that Coach (Mack) Brown and the Longhorns will make it two in a row over the Sooners this Saturday in Dallas. Fortunately, OU's trip across the Red River won't be for nothing. They can get a look at the Longhorns' national championship trophy while they are in Texas." Oklahoma Gov. Brad Henry made this prediction: "I have unwavering confidence that Coach Stoops and our Sooners will make Saturday a triumphant one for the crimson and cream." (Austin American-Statesman)

R. Smith back to practice: OU sophomore Reggie Smith returned to practice Wednesday. The starting strong safety missed two days of practice when a cut on his leg became infected. The cut was a turf burn suffered Sept. 16 at Oregon. The injury is not expected to affect Smith’s availability Saturday against Texas. (NewsOK.com)

All Day, All-Access: Week Five: SoonerSports.com

Rivalry Week: AOL Sports

Red River Matchup: OU Defensive Line vs. UT Offensive Line: AOL Sports

Red River Matchup: OU Special Teams vs. UT Special Teams: AOL Sports

Red River Matchup: OU QB/WR/TE Vs. UT Secondary: AOL Sports

Red River Matchup: OU Offensive Line vs. UT Defensive Line: AOL Sports

Red River Matchup: OU Running Back Vs. UT Linebackers: AOL Sports

Neighbors deatail their loyalty on lawns: The Oklahoman

Harris' game hasn't changed in the NFL: The Oklahoman

Roadwork rare on route to Cotton Bowl: The Oklahoman

Wolfe gets a second chance: The Oklahoman

Longhorns scouting report: The Oklahoman

All eyes will be on Peterson in Dallas Saturday: Norman Transcript

Sooner defenders confident going into Dallas: Norman Transcript

Granger is focal point of OU line: Tulsa World

Know the foe -- Texas Longhorns: Tulsa World

Questions with Rufus Alexander: Tulsa World

A recap of the last six OU-Texas games: Tulsa World

OU Notebook: Tulsa World

McCoy hoping to make splash against Sooners: Austin American-Statesman

OU-Texas tickets keep rising: Austin American-Statesman

Some QBs judged by this one: Dallas Morning News

Thursday's OU-UT Notebook: Dallas Morning News

Horns' win last season has lasting effect: Dallas Morning News

OU RB's dad wants to leave past behind: Dallas Morning News

'Horns see revenge for OU's streak: Ft. Worth Star Telegram

McCoy impresses Sooners coaches: Ft. Worth Star-Telegram

Red River Rivalry Key Matchup: Ft. Worth Star-Telegram

OU's Thompson shines in boomerang QB role: San Antonio Express-News

UT linebacker wishes ex-OU star was playing: San Antonio Express-News

After AD, should be Texas' turn: San Antonio Express-News

Horns' McCoy wiser since Buckeye bashing: San Antonio Express-News

The question mark is gone: Daily Texan

Labels: Cotton Bowl, Joe Castiglione, OU-Texas, Reggie Smith