Big Improvements Await Fans at This Year’s Texas-OU Game at the Cotton Bowl
Great news for fans heading to the Cotton Bowl for this year’s Texas-Oklahoma football showdown on October 11: major renovations to the historic stadium will be completed just in time for the State Fair of Texas and the annual Red River Shootout, Fair Park officials have confirmed.
The $140 million renovation—the largest investment in Fair Park’s history—brings significant upgrades to the west side of the stadium, the side facing the State Fair. Enhancements include widened concourses, expanded restroom and concession areas, and 14 new escalators designed to improve the flow of fans entering and exiting the venue.
Additional renovations to the east side of the stadium are scheduled to be finished by September 2034.
“This first step of the renovation will have a huge, positive impact,” Texas athletic director Chris Del Conte told Horns247 on Sunday. “I think there’s more to come to complete the entire bowl, but this initial phase should bring real improvements—especially in concessions, restrooms, and the new escalators that make it easier to get in and out on the State Fair side. The other side still needs work, but fans will definitely notice a big difference this year.”
For years, both Longhorn and Sooner fans have voiced frustrations with the Cotton Bowl’s aging infrastructure. Built in 1930, the stadium has long suffered from outdated amenities, leading to logistical headaches during one of college football’s most iconic matchups.
“Whether it’s been the lack of concession stands, broken bathrooms, or just how hard it’s been to move around, the Cotton Bowl hasn’t exactly made game day easy—especially for families,” said Texas season ticket holder Pete Stroer. “I’m really excited to see what’s changed and if these upgrades finally make this incredible rivalry game a better experience.”
Cotton Bowl Renovations Continue Ahead of Texas-OU Game Amid Growing SEC Expectations
As fans prepare for this year’s Texas-Oklahoma showdown on October 11, University of Texas Athletic Director Chris Del Conte says work is still being done to improve the overall game-day experience at the Cotton Bowl—including behind-the-scenes logistics like crowd flow.
Del Conte noted he’s pushing State Fair officials to relocate picnic tables placed near the stadium’s entrances, saying they can become a bottleneck during peak entry and exit times.
“These kinds of details are critical this year,” Del Conte said, citing the game’s 2:30 p.m. CT kickoff on ABC or ESPN. “Tens of thousands of people who aren’t attending the Texas-OU game will already be inside the State Fair by then, creating much more congestion around the Cotton Bowl. When the game kicks off at 11 a.m., that crowd inside the Fair isn’t nearly as large.”
The stakes for improving the stadium experience have grown since Texas and Oklahoma announced in 2021 they were leaving the Big 12 to join the SEC. Both schools made it clear that any future commitment to hosting the Red River Rivalry in Dallas depended on meaningful upgrades to the Cotton Bowl.
“Over the past 25 years, every time we’ve discussed extending our agreement with the State Fair of Texas, we’ve emphasized the importance of improving the fan experience,” said Oklahoma Athletic Director Joe Castiglione. “From expanding seating capacity to upgrading amenities, officials from the City of Dallas and the State Fair Board have committed to those improvements.”
Castiglione added that future investments will focus on the stadium’s east side to ensure fans in those sections also benefit. “We understand the challenges of modernizing an older stadium, but given the tradition of this game and its unique place in the middle of the State Fair, we’re grateful for what these improvements will bring,” he said.
Renovations were made possible when Dallas voters approved Proposition A in 2022, allowing hotel occupancy tax revenue to fund the $140 million overhaul. The Cotton Bowl project was the first to be launched under that initiative.
In 2023, with financing secured, Texas and Oklahoma officially extended their contract to keep the Red River Rivalry at Fair Park through 2036.
The stadium’s renovation has been broken into two $70 million phases. Phase 1—completed in September 2024—focused on updates to the suites, press box, and the stadium’s façade. Phase 2, currently nearing completion, brings major improvements to the west side: expanded concession stands, more restrooms, wider concourses, and 14 new escalators to improve access and movement.
Phase 2 is expected to be completed by this September, just in time for the 2025 State Fair and the next chapter of one of college football’s most storied rivalries.
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