Cotton Bowl

Capacity: 92,100

Home Teams: None (regularly hosts the Red River Rivalry and State Fair Classic)

Cotton Bowl Events

The Cotton Bowl is a historic stadium located in Dallas, Texas that was built in 1930 as the Fair Park Stadium before acquiring its current name in the late 1930s after it began hosting the annual NCAA college football postseason matchup known as the Cotton Bowl Classic. The Classic continued to be hosted at the Cotton Bowl for the next 70 years until it was relocated to AT&T Stadium (the flashy new home of the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys) despite recent renovations to the aging Cotton Bowl stadium. Through the years, the Cotton Bowl has been home to a number of professional and college teams, including the defunct Dallas Texans of the AFL/NFL and the Dallas Cowboys of the NFL, and the SMU Mustangs of the NCAA. The Cotton Bowl still hosts the annual State Fair Classic between the Grambling State Tigers and the Prairie View A&M Panthers as well as the Red River Rivalry matchup between the Oklahoma Sooners and Texas Longhorns. As well as football games, the Cotton Bowl has been the site of high school sports competitions, international soccer matches (including the 1994 World Cup) and MLS soccer matches (Dallas Burn/FC Dallas), and even, incredibly for such a southerly venue, an outdoor NHL hockey game! The Cotton Bowl is also a famous concert venue, having once played host to Elvis Presley at just 21 years of age, drawing a crowd of 27,000, the largest ever outdoor concert in Texas at the time. Large-scale concerts continue to be scheduled at the venue from time to time, given that it does not have the same restrictions as some other college football grounds as it does not host regular home games. The influence of Texas’s Latin community could be seen in a recent concert at the Cotton Bowl headlined by Colombian songstress Karol G, who drew an incredible crowd of nearly 70,000 fans. Hungry visitors will find plenty to eat in the Cotton Bowl’s concessions, especially if searching for Texas BBQ, with pulled pork sandwiches, brisket, and artisanal sausages all served hot off the grill. Kiosks and shops hawking merchandise spring up in and around Cotton Bowl during games and events. 

Cotton Bowl Seating Chart

The Cotton Bowl might be an old stadium, but it is also a huge stadium, meaning that visitors can choose from a wide array of different seating options. To find the most affordable tickets for all games and events held at the Cotton Bowl, get yourself onto TicketX to search for the seats you prefer at the prices you want to pay. Our handy seating chart is a great way to compare different options in terms of price and location. 

Getting to Cotton Bowl (Transportation and Parking)

Visitors can access Cotton Bowl via public transportation or driving their own vehicle. 

Getting to Cotton Bowl via public transportation

From downtown Dallas, visitors can take a Green Line tram (DART) out to the Cotton Bowl. The ride takes about 20 minutes. Several city buses also stop near the venue. A taxi or ride-share is another option.

Getting to Cotton Bowl by car

Most visitors to the Cotton Bowl arrive in their own vehicles. For major games and events, you should plan to arrive early, as traffic (always heavy in Dallas) really builds up around the parking lots before big events. From downtown Dallas, the drive usually takes 10-15 minutes.

Does Cotton Bowl have on-site parking?

Yes, there are over 14,000 spaces in Fair Park, the park housing Cotton Bowl Stadium. Parking instructions vary based on each game and event, so it is best to check with the specific organizers of each event directly regarding parking arrangements. A parking map along with general information is available on the Fair Park website.

How much does Cotton Bowl parking cost?

Parking at Fair Park is usually free, but on games featuring games and events at the Cotton Bowl, parking fees may be in effect. Check with the organizers of your particular game or event for parking instructions and rates.