NEWS RELEASES

The Field and Mary Scovell Scholarship Foundation today announced the 15 recipients of $4,000 college grants that honor the memory of “Mr. Cotton Bowl” and his wife of nearly 50 years. 

Scovell Scholarships are open to all North Texas high school graduates with strong leadership abilities, high moral character, demonstrated financial need and a connection to sports. Recipients must continue their education in the State of Texas (including community colleges) or at a Big 12 or Southeastern Conference university – the two conferences associated with the AT&T Cotton Bowl Classic.

TOMMY BAIN, CHAIRMAN, STADIUM EVENTS ORGANIZING COMMITTEE
"Since the announcement was made about the new playoff system in June, 2012, we knew Cowboys Stadium could play a significant role as part of this new format for post-season college football. The announcement today should continue to validate the vision that Jerry Jones and the Arlington community had in building the stadium. This is a win for all of North Texas."

RICK BAKER, PRESIDENT, STADIUM EVENTS ORGANIZING COMMITTEE
"If you think about it, the National Championship game is just 18 months away.

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ARLINGTON, April 24, 2013 — College football’s national championship is returning to North Texas for the first time in 37 years.

It was announced earlier today by the Conference Commissioners meeting in Pasadena, Calif., that the first National Championship game in the new four-team playoff will be played at Cowboys Stadium on Monday, January 12, 2015.

In the new College Football Playoff, the national semi-final games will be played on New Year’s Day, 2015, at the Rose Bowl Game in Pasadena, and at the Allstate Sugar Bowl in New Orleans.

TOMMY BAIN, CHAIRMAN, AT&T COTTON BOWL CLASSIC
“The conference commissioners put their trust in us to be a part of the new playoff system. We pledge that the AT&T Cotton Bowl will continue to be a showcase for North Texas and all of college football. The Classic’s Board of Directors and staff are anxious to get started planning for the new system.”

RICK BAKER, PRESIDENT, AT&T COTTON BOWL CLASSIC
“This is a tremendous day for the AT&T Cotton Bowl Classic.

ARLINGTON, April 24, 2013 — The AT&T Cotton Bowl Classic, one of college football’s original New Year’s Day post-season bowls, will once again play its game on the biggest stage. Conference Commissioners announced today that the Classic has been selected to join the new four-team playoff system that will commence after the 2014 regular season.

“This is one of the great days in the 78-year history of the AT&T Cotton Bowl Classic,” said Tommy Bain, Chairman of the AT&T Cotton Bowl Classic.

The AT&T Cotton Bowl Classic lost another legend when it was reported today that Pat Summerall passed away at the age of 82.

Summerall served as the television voice of the AT&T Cotton Bowl on FOX from 2007-2010. Early in his broadcast career on CBS he was Chris Schenkel’s color analyst for the 1964 Classic, and then worked alongside Lindsey Nelson as the analyst for the 1967 and 1968 Classics.

“Pat was a great friend of the AT&T Cotton Bowl Classic,” said Rick Baker, President/CEO of the Cotton Bowl Athletic Association.

The phenomenon of Johnny Football only grew bigger after Friday night’s 77th AT&T Cotton Bowl Classic.

Freshman Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Manziel established a Cotton Bowl record with 516 total yards to lead the Texas A&M Aggies to a 41-13 victory over Oklahoma in front of 87,025 people at Cowboys Stadium to claim the J. Curtis Sanford Offensive MVP honor for his performance.

Manziel accounted for four touchdowns – two rush and two pass – as well as set the FBS record for rush yards by a quarterback in a bowl game with a 229.

Trailing by one midway through the second quarter, Landry Jones had Oklahoma on another time-consuming drive intended to keep the electric Johnny Manziel on the sidelines.

But facing a second-and-long, Jones took his shotgun snap, stepped up in the pocket and fired a pass down the sidelines to what was supposed to be an uncovered Kenny Stills. Instead, Texas A&M’s Dustin Harris looked off a separate “in” route intended to bait him inside and slunk underneath the “smash” pattern to pick off the pass, changing the entire game’s dynamic.

Another chapter can be added to the legend of Johnny Football after the talented freshman quarterback dazzled over 87,000 fans at Cowboys Stadium and helped guide Texas A&M to a dominating 41-13 win over Oklahoma in the 77th AT&T Cotton Bowl Classic.

“To come in and go against a Big 12 rival and do everything we wanted as a team, and send these seniors out with a win, we couldn’t feel any better,” Manziel said.

On the game’s opening drive, Texas A&M fans let out a thunderous roar when Manziel avoided numerous Oklahoma defenders and set the tempo with an explosive 24-yard run.

Oklahoma head coach Bob Stoops along with the complete Sooners’ team visited patients at the Children’s Medical Center of Dallas on Wednesday afternoon as part of activities surrounding the 77th annual AT&T Cotton Bowl Classic.

John Stuart of the Cotton Bowl Council along with Children’s Medical Center President and CEO Chris Durovich welcomed the Sooners to the Center’s Butterfly Atrium, where the team interacted with patients, signed autographs and took photos.

ARLINGTON, TEXAS — The AT&T Cotton Bowl Classic’s rich lineage of Heisman Trophy winners participating in the historic postseason game will continue with the addition of the most recent recipient, Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel, who will lead the ninth-ranked Aggies against No. 11 Oklahoma on January 4th at Cowboys Stadium.

A couple of past winners, John David Crow and Billy Sims, will team up with the newest member of the exclusive fraternity to further enhance the Heisman experience for fans on game day.

DALLAS – Head coach Kevin Sumlin and the entire Texas A&M Aggie squad, visited the Texas Scottish Rite Hospital Monday afternoon as part of the activities surrounding the 77th annual AT&T Cotton Bowl Classic.

Texas Scottish Rite President and graduate of Texas A&M, Bob Walker welcomed the ninth-ranked Aggies to the hospital’s atrium, where the team interacted with patients and their family members.

11-year old Eva Trujillo along with Walker presented a framed drawing to Coach Sumlin.

FOX Sports Southwest and FOX Sports Oklahoma will televise a 30-minute special previewing the 77th AT&T Cotton Bowl Classic Jan. 4 at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington pitting No. 9 Texas A&M and Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Manziel against No. 11 Oklahoma.

AT&T Cotton Bowl Classic Preview premieres Sunday, Dec. 23 at 4:30 p.m. CT with several replays scheduled leading up to the game.

Longtime Cotton Bowl radio announcer Brad Sham will host the program that will feature guest appearances by Texas A&M freshman quarterback Manziel and Big 12 Conference and Oklahoma career passing leader Landry Jones.

One of two juniors on the Capital One Division I Academic All-America® football first team, Ikard is a multidisciplinary studies major with a perfect 4.00 G.P.A. A three-year starter on the Sooners’ offensive line, he has played guard and center during his career. Honored as a first team All-Big 12 selection as a junior, the Oklahoma City, Okla. native, has started 36 of 38 career games. He helped Oklahoma post a10-2 record and earn a share of the Big 12 title.