mrowl
7/29/2006, 08:22 AM
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/spt/stories/072906dnspostadium.1baca70.html
OXNARD, Calif. – The AT&T Cotton Bowl Classic isn't the only game Cowboys officials are looking at for their new stadium, scheduled to open in 2009.
Stephen Jones, the Cowboys' executive vice president who sits on the Cotton Bowl board, said he also would like to have the Red River Shootout in Arlington.
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"At the end of the day, we think we will have one of, if not the very best facility for major events," Jones said Friday afternoon from Cowboys training camp. "So we'd love to have [the Texas-Oklahoma game]. We respect the history of the Cotton Bowl and Fair Park. At the same time, our opinion would be rather than not have these events in the metroplex, you would want to certainly keep these events in the metroplex."
The Texas-OU contract at the Cotton Bowl runs through 2010, but there's a belief the schools could play the annual game on their respective campuses in the future or at another site.
"Extending the contract with Dallas beyond 2010 is off my things to worry about as an AD," said Texas athletic director DeLoss Dodds in May. "If I'm here three or four years from now, then I'll think about it again."
Cotton Bowl officials are planning major upgrades to the aging facility, with an intent to keep events such as Texas-OU, Grambling-Prairie View A&M and the AT&T Cotton Bowl in Dallas.
On Friday, Oklahoma athletic director Joe Castiglione said he's aware of the Cotton Bowl's recent plans.
OU officials would not be terribly fazed if the Cotton Bowl game moved to Arlington, Castiglione said. They're more concerned with the city of Dallas following through with its promise to improve the stadium. OU officials have said repeatedly they want to stay with tradition and keep the Texas-OU game at Fair Park.
"If there's not a change of direction and they continue to make the improvements that are necessary, then we're fine," Castiglione said. "If they don't make those improvements, then that facility won't be fit to host any event of that magnitude."
Jones said Cowboys officials have contacted the NCAA about what it would take from a facility standpoint to host Final Fours and a possible Bowl Championship Series game, if one is added to the current mix.
Team officials have not bid on any of the major college events but have the necessary requirements in hand.
"Unfortunately, when you look at venues like the Cotton Bowl, it's no different than probably the Orange Bowl when they had to move to Joe Robbie Stadium," Jones said. "It's a tough situation to look at something like that. We certainly respect the emotion of both the city of Dallas as well as Fair Park."
Recently, Cotton Bowl officials began exploring what it would take to move the annual bowl game to Arlington when it hired Colvin Sports Network, a sports consulting group, to survey corporate sponsors and college football officials.
OXNARD, Calif. – The AT&T Cotton Bowl Classic isn't the only game Cowboys officials are looking at for their new stadium, scheduled to open in 2009.
Stephen Jones, the Cowboys' executive vice president who sits on the Cotton Bowl board, said he also would like to have the Red River Shootout in Arlington.
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"At the end of the day, we think we will have one of, if not the very best facility for major events," Jones said Friday afternoon from Cowboys training camp. "So we'd love to have [the Texas-Oklahoma game]. We respect the history of the Cotton Bowl and Fair Park. At the same time, our opinion would be rather than not have these events in the metroplex, you would want to certainly keep these events in the metroplex."
The Texas-OU contract at the Cotton Bowl runs through 2010, but there's a belief the schools could play the annual game on their respective campuses in the future or at another site.
"Extending the contract with Dallas beyond 2010 is off my things to worry about as an AD," said Texas athletic director DeLoss Dodds in May. "If I'm here three or four years from now, then I'll think about it again."
Cotton Bowl officials are planning major upgrades to the aging facility, with an intent to keep events such as Texas-OU, Grambling-Prairie View A&M and the AT&T Cotton Bowl in Dallas.
On Friday, Oklahoma athletic director Joe Castiglione said he's aware of the Cotton Bowl's recent plans.
OU officials would not be terribly fazed if the Cotton Bowl game moved to Arlington, Castiglione said. They're more concerned with the city of Dallas following through with its promise to improve the stadium. OU officials have said repeatedly they want to stay with tradition and keep the Texas-OU game at Fair Park.
"If there's not a change of direction and they continue to make the improvements that are necessary, then we're fine," Castiglione said. "If they don't make those improvements, then that facility won't be fit to host any event of that magnitude."
Jones said Cowboys officials have contacted the NCAA about what it would take from a facility standpoint to host Final Fours and a possible Bowl Championship Series game, if one is added to the current mix.
Team officials have not bid on any of the major college events but have the necessary requirements in hand.
"Unfortunately, when you look at venues like the Cotton Bowl, it's no different than probably the Orange Bowl when they had to move to Joe Robbie Stadium," Jones said. "It's a tough situation to look at something like that. We certainly respect the emotion of both the city of Dallas as well as Fair Park."
Recently, Cotton Bowl officials began exploring what it would take to move the annual bowl game to Arlington when it hired Colvin Sports Network, a sports consulting group, to survey corporate sponsors and college football officials.