Report: Texas And Oklahoma Expected To Renew Contract For Red River Showdown
Attention for the Texas Longhorns and Oklahoma Sooners this week has been on their future as members of the SEC. That's not the only major news coming from Destin, Fla. entering June.
The Longhorns and Sooners have made it clear they intend to keep the Red River Showdown a rivalry in the newly formatted schedule. They also plan on keeping the game at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, right in the middle of the State Fair of Texas that occurs at the beginning of October.
According to 247Sports, Sooners athletic director Joe Castiglione is looking to upgrade several of the amenities founds at the historic stadium before renewing the deal, but does plan on keeping the game in its home for the foreseeable future. The current contract doesn't come to an end until 2025.
Castiglione didn't go into detail on what amenities would be upgraded, but this wouldn't be the first time the two programs have seen changes come to the stadium in recent memory. In 2008, the Cotton Bowl expanded its seating chart from 68,252 to 92,100, allowing more fans to attend the game, thus leading a higher revenue for all three parties.
Currently, Texas and Oklahoma each receive $500,000 from the State Fair of Texas for playing the long-standing rivalry at the Cotton Bowl. The two schools also receive a cut of all revenue from ticket sales.
While Castiglione and Texas athletic director Chris Del Conte don't have a say in the changes coming to the SEC in 2024, commissioner Greg Sankey invited them to league meetings since the outcome of votes will impact the two programs' immediate future. Neither athletic director has a vote on the current issues, but they are allowed to sit in on meetings to better prepare for their arrival on July 1, 2024.
The biggest discussion of the week has been whether the SEC will adopt an eight- or nine-game schedule with 16 programs in the mix. Sankey has made it clear he has no input on the matter, but the outcome could rid multiple rivalries based on the new scheduling format.
In an eight-game setup, programs would play four nonconference games, one annual rival, and seven rotating SEC opponents. In the nine-game format, schools would have three nonconference games, three annual rivals, and six rotating SEC opponents.
Even prior to Castiglione's comments on the Red River's future at the Cotton Bowl, Texas and Oklahoma would remain rivals, while Longhorns in-state foe Texas A&M would be paired with LSU in the eight-game format. In the nine-game format, the Longhorns would face the Sooners and Aggies, along with former Southwest Conference rival Arkansas.
Keeping the River River Showdown in Dallas is a staple for both schools and the State Fair of Texas. Games have been consistently played in Dallas as a "neutral" site since 1912 (outside of several instances) and have been played in the Cotton Bowl since 1932.
The addition of the Cotton Bowl remaining as the Red River Showdown would mark the third major rivalry game being played among SEC teams at a neutral site. Nicknamed “World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party," Georgia and Florida have traveled to Jacksonville, Fla., every year since 1933. Currently, the Southwest Classic between Arkansas and Texas A&M has been played every season since 2009 (minus three times) at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, though the contract ends in 2024.
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