Nov. 25, 2005
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DALLAS - With origins dating back to Sammy Baugh and Alexander Graham Bell, The Cotton Bowl Athletic Association (CBAA) and AT&T Inc. today announced that Dallas' annual New Year's football game will be renamed the AT&T Cotton Bowl Classic, effective immediately for the Jan. 2, 2006 contest. The CBAA and AT&T today also unveiled the official new logo to be used in the 70th AT&T Cotton Bowl Classic.
The AT&T Cotton Bowl replaces the SBC Cotton Bowl name, which has been in place since 2002. SBC Communications adopted the AT&T name after the two companies officially merged last Friday.
"AT&T and the Cotton Bowl Classic share a deep appreciation for our heritage and an enduring commitment to our community," said Bill Blase, president and CEO, SBC Southwest. "We are thrilled to have the AT&T Cotton Bowl name to celebrate one of America's great New Year's traditions and to kick off our 10th game as title sponsor of the Cotton Bowl Classic."
"We believe the new name will be extremely beneficial for AT&T and for our game," said Gayle M. Earls, Chairman, Cotton Bowl Athletic Association. "AT&T is one of the great global brands, and to have them associated with the Classic only enhances our image as a major bowl game."
SBC companies announced their initial sponsorship agreement with the CBAA in September 1996 for the 1997 Classic. This past year, SBC agreed to extend its sponsorship through 2010, making this relationship one of the longest running bowl partnerships.
The AT&T Cotton Bowl Classic annually generates more than $30 million in direct spending for the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, making it only second to the State Fair of Texas in terms of annual economic impact for the City of Dallas.
During the past ten years, SBC/AT&T and the CBAA have worked together to develop several events to expand the tradition and legacy of the AT&T Cotton Bowl beyond its New Year's football game. Each event also will be renamed, including:
The AT&T Cotton Bowl Hall of Fame honors the legendary individuals who have made an impact on one of college football's most tradition-filled bowl games. Inductees read like a "Who's Who of College Football," including Sammy Baugh, Jim Brown, Paul "Bear" Bryant, Frank Broyles, Darrell Royal, Roger Staubach, Doak Walker and Troy Aikman.
The AT&T Cotton Bowl Art Contest welcomes football fans to Dallas through creative drawings by local children. More than 7,000 first-through-sixth grade students from the Dallas and Richardson Public Schools participated this year. Each piece of art is placed in hotel rooms across Dallas on New Year's Eve. Winning entries are displayed at the Dallas Museum of Art.
The AT&T Cotton Bowl National Music Festival features more than 2,000 high school band members from across the country in concert band, jazz band, field show and parade competition.
The AT&T Cotton Bowl Parade through Fair Park attracted some 20,000 spectators last year, making it the largest New Year's Eve celebration in North Texas. The parade concludes with team pep rallies.
The AT&T Cotton Bowl matches teams from the Big 12 Conference and Southeastern Conference. January 2nd will mark the 70th AT&T Cotton Bowl Classic, dating back to New Year's Day, 1937. Each year, the AT&T Cotton Bowl is televised nationally by FOX.
For more information on the 70th AT&T Cotton Bowl Classic, please visit www.attcottonbowl.com
The Cotton Bowl Athletic Association supports higher education through athletic competition. Three-fourths of every dollar generated by the AT&T Cotton Bowl Classic has been returned to participating schools and conferences. Since 1937, the Classic has contributed more than $145 million to participating institutions. Each year, football fans attending the AT&T Cotton Bowl generate more than $30 million in direct spending for the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex.
AT&T Inc. is one of the world's largest telecommunications holding companies and is the largest in the United States. Operating globally under the AT&T brand, AT&T companies are recognized as the leading worldwide providers of IP-based communications services to business and as leading U.S. providers of high-speed DSL Internet, local and long distance voice, and directory publishing and advertising services. AT&T Inc. holds a 60 percent ownership interest in Cingular Wireless, which is the No. 1 U.S. wireless services provider with more than 52 million wireless customers. Additional information about AT&T Inc. and AT&T products and services is available at www.TheNewATT.com