Oklahoma football: Historic Cotton Bowl to remain site for Red River Rivalry through 2036

The historic Cotton Bowl will remain the venue for the annual Oklahoma football rivalry game with Texas through the 2036 season.

Oklahoma and Texas have agreed to a contract extension that will keep the game at the Texas State Fairgrounds in Dallas and the place it has been played since 1932. The agreement also included a $140 million renovation project at the iconic football venue estimated to take two years.

Beginning next season, the Red River Rivalry becomes part of the Southeastern Conference with both the Sooners and Longhorns joining that conference in the 2024 season.

Cotton Bowl improvements will include widening concourses and adding escalators. The upgrades will also include updates to the restrooms and concession areas plus an increase in the number of hospitality areas.

Renovations to the west side of the stadium is scheduled to be completed by September 2026. Significant improvements on the east side are expected to be completed by 2034.

The contract extension ensures that the game will be able to celebrate its 100th anniversary year coming up in 2032 at the historic Cotton Bowl.

“Our new agreement guarantees this historic legacy of the University of Oklahoma and the University of Texas will stretch into a second century,” said OU athletic director Joe Castiglione in a news release issued by the OU athletic department.

There has been talk of moving the historic rivalry game to the campus sites or to AT&T Stadium in Arlington if a contract agreement could not be reached with the city of Dallas.

The game has been played at a neutral site since 1912. This year’s game, won by Oklahoma 34-30 in dramatic fashion, was the 119th game in the longtime rivalry series.