USF/ Big East Possibly Helped by new Cotton Agreem

[JoeB]

I was just reading that there is a possibility that the Cotton Bowl can take Notre Dame once in a four year span (2006-2009) as long as they are not BCS bowl eligible.  Not sure if this supercedes the Gator Bowl or not, but if it does it could help out USF and the rest of the Big East.

ND will have a tough time this season getting in the BCS in my opinion.  So that leaves a 8-4 or 9-3 type ND team either heading to the Gator or Cotton.  If this agreement is true, 2007 might be the year they take the Irish.  2008 and 2009 look to be better years for ND in terms of contending for a legitimate BCS berth with their young team.  Anyone who follows the Irish realize how much Dallas means to ND.  Five of their biggest bowl victories have been at the Cotton Bowl and its also the place where there biggest comeback ever happened (79 Chicken Soup game with Montana).  Also its where they ended their 35 year ban against playing in bowl game in 1970.

This is the first I've heard of this tie in, but it could help USF stay in state for the Gator in '07.  Has anyone else heard of this?  I can't seem to find any real evidence of the selection order, if the Gator has the first crack or not.

[Guest]

ND has had a tie in with the Cotton Bowl for quite some time... it precedes the B.C.S. / Bowl Alliance.

[Mission9]

The Cotton Bowl used to be big time.  How were they left out of the BCS, did they not raise enough cash?

[Jamie]

The Cotton Bowl lost some luster because the Cotton Bowl stadium is a run-down piece of junk with no amenities and no luxury boxes. And God knows what kind of weather you're going to get here in early January. It could be 75 degrees, or it could be snowing.

They were also hurt by the loss of the Southwest Conference. (That would be an absolute beast of a conference if it were still around. I mean, imagine if Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, Houston, Arkansas, and TCU were still in a conference together.) The Cotton Bowl had a tie-in with that league's champion and they always found a quality independent team to play them. But even before the SWC went under, the independent teams like FSU and Miami went into conferences, and Notre Dame slipped badly.

When the Big XII formed, they already had a tie-in with the Orange Bowl. So the BCS bid went to them. I think if the SWC had hung in there for another five years, the Cotton Bowl might have been given a BCS game instead of the Fiesta Bowl.

[South_Florida_Flip]

You know ND would be all over playing in the new Cowboys Stadium.

[bulls96go]

is cotton worse than birmingham or orlando?

[South_Florida_Flip]

is cotton worse than birmingham or orlando?

No way that Dallas is worse than those 2 cities.

[JoeB]

Especially when the bowl gives something like $3 million to each of the teams.  ND would play in the old stadium or the new one, it wouldn't matter as long as the check cleared.  They've always been pretty big in that state.

[Jamie]

Dallas makes Orlando look like Birmingham, and it makes Birmingham look like Baghdad.

Notre Dame would probably love to come to the Cotton Bowl if the officials would have them. They do have a long history with the game and they don't get many chances to play in Texas.