Brent Venables ‘wouldn’t want to change’ Cotton Bowl venue for Red River Rivalry
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There’s nothing better than tradition in college football. The Red River Rivalry, in all its glory, is a prime example. Since 1932, the Texas Longhorns and Oklahoma Sooners have battled for the Golden Hat at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, TX.
If there are efforts being made to change that, Oklahoma head coach Brent Venables wants nothing to do with them. During Wednesday’s conference call, he said he doesn’t want to adjust the game’s location.
“I think there’s a lot of pageantry and history there in the Cotton Bowl,” Venables said. “I wouldn’t want to change it for anything.”
Venables noted his “only experience” of the rivalry is in Dallas. By virtue of the game’s 95-year run at the Cotton Bowl, he’s far from alone. That stage has become synonymous with the Red River Rivalry. Griping about neutral site matchups between unfamiliar Week 1 foes is one thing; changing the scene of one of the sport’s most iconic rivalries is another.
The Sooners enter the 2026 edition of the Red River Rivalry with their season hanging by a thread. Oklahoma (2-2, 0-1 SEC) has scored just 15 points per game in its two games against Power 4 competition. Texas’ offense hasn’t looked great vs. Power 4 foes, either — averaging 22 points per game — but has done enough to carry an unblemished record (4-0, 1-0 SEC) into the matchup. The Sooners and Longhorns kick off at 3:30 p.m. E.T. on Saturday (ABC).
