One SMU game in the Cotton Bowl a year?

[Caballo]

The City of Dallas is pumping, or dumping from others perspectives, $50 million to make certain renovations to the Cotton Bowl. This will increase capacity to over 90,000, provide a new scoreboard, more restrooms and concession stands. The stadium currently hosts three games a year and this will drop to two a year when the Cotton Bowl game moves to Jerry World in Arlington in 2010.

The City is trying to get other college games to be played at the CB. Some speculation is that Tech-A&M is being courted, and maybe others.

As SMU fans, how would you feel about committing to play one game a year at the Cotton Bowl?

To answer my own question, I would be against it due to our current facilities and of course, the Boulevard. The only way I would be for it is if our opponent was a big named school (Notre Dame, Michigan, etc.) who would likely not play us in a home and home if they had to come to Ford. Even at that, we would have to "give away" tickets to get the stadium filled, ala Mustang Mania days.

Thoughts, comments, suggestions?

[mustangbill67]

Let's fill up Ford before any talk about a game at the Cotton Bowl.

[ponyfan84]

Let's fill up Ford before any talk about a game at the Cotton Bowl.

That, and lets get GOOD, as in going 9-3 on a consistent basis. Even if we do get good, do you still think we'd fill up Ford? Probably not.

[Nacho]

There has been talk about an A&M-Tech game in Dallas. I know that A&M does not want it. Tech however does. I doubt that it will happen but when the new Cowboy stadium is completed I could see it happening there. The Cotton Bowl is histrory. Texas-OU will no doubt one day move their game there. Dallas sould save the money on the Cotton bowl and concentrate on the Trinity River project. My 2 cents.

[Peruna2001]

While I don't agree with Dallas dumping $50 million into a stadium that nobody wants to use in 3 years, I think that the Cotton Bowl might be a good idea for our home game against A&M. If we are decent around that time, we might attract more of the mindless drones than can fill all of the empty seats in Ford. However, I really would prefer to play the game in Ford.

[MustangStealth]

I wouldn't be opposed to hosting one game per year if the conditions were right, i.e. we are the home team (and keep all ticket revenue), we only play a big draw game there (someone like A&M or Tech every year who would sell enough tickets to justify a larger venue), free parking for me. I wouldn't want to do it if it was for Arkansas St. (it looks too depressing empty) or if we were letting the visitor push us into revenue sharing.

[Bergermeister]

Have we not forgotten how our 9,776 attendees look in a 68,000 seat stadium? The stadium was enlarged (2 upper decks) for SMU but I doubt we could fill just those two "add-ons" these days. I thought we built Ford for us. Screw the cotton boll.

[PK]

Show me the money...

[Water Pony]

Filling Ford is the goal and expanding to 45K by enclosing the horseshoe, if we can get home and home with A&M and Tech on alternating years, plus home and home with a ND, Nebraska, etc., e.g. teams that travel well.

I believe some teams would love to play in Dallas with regularity, if for no other reason that to recruit Texas.

[bagice]

I am all for a game at the Cottonbowl against a big name opponent that could bring a ton of fans....a game at the Cotton bowl during the state fair is a unique experience that is great fun for everyone. The list of teams, however, is very short....Texas, Texas A@M,Oklahoma, Arkansas, and possibly Notre Dame. Obviously Texas and Oklahoma are out since they already play there.....that leaves A@M or Arkansas...Obviously, we would never get a "every year" neutral game out of this but could possibly arrange our home game every other year there.

I think Arkansas would be a perfect fit, they would love to come to Dallas for recruiting, the hill folk would love the state fair and SMU could get some good incentive money for playing the game....plus all the Pony Fans would enjoy the experience of a State Fair game.

Of course, schedules are set years in advance and will probably never happen, but I would be all for it!

And as far as diverting the money....for the most part too late....they have ripped all of the seats out and are down to the concrete shell and are replacing the whole seating bowl as we type....so Dallas definitely wants to get some games lined up.

[PK]

Alternating Arkansas and Notre Dame every year at the Cotton Bowl would be great if we could pull it off. Both of those teams would bring a good crowd and the games would be good exposure for us. Having said that I think we could probably sell the idea even at Ford if we had the 45,000 capacity. However, if it were held during the fair at the CB, it might be an easier sell.

[ponygrad90]

My 2 cents is a great idea if you could line up a tv deal and big name draw! I think alternating Arkansas/with Notre Dame and throw in USC then you would have something! SMU needs to play in relevant games to be relevant!

Go Stangs!!!!

[mathman]

My 2 cents is a great idea if you could line up a tv deal and big name draw! I think alternating Arkansas/with Notre Dame and throw in USC then you would have something! SMU needs to play in relevant games to be relevant!

Go Stangs!!!!

Gotta get better, first!!

[MustangStealth]

I don't think Notre Dame or USC will agree to play us any time in the forseeable future. A realistic lineup might be a rotation of Tech, A&M, Arkansas, maybe LSU or Oklahoma. The trick would be playing all of the away games against those same teams to set up our future schedules, because not many will do 1-1 home and home series, they will want 2-1 or home for them/neutral for the game at the Cotton Bowl.

[PK]

My 2 cents is a great idea if you could line up a tv deal and big name draw! I think alternating Arkansas/with Notre Dame and throw in USC then you would have something! SMU needs to play in relevant games to be relevant!

Go Stangs!!!!

Gotta get better, first!!

Goes without saying really, but the exposure from playing those kind of games would help with recruiting and thus with getting better...IMHO. Wouldn't hurt the athletic department to explore the possibilities if they aren't already doing so.