Cotton Bowl: Texas A&M, OU have big fan-bases, alumni numbers in DFW Metroplex

This season's Cotton Bowl Classic — the area's premier college football postseason event — pits Oklahoma and Texas A&M, universities that boast two of the Metroplex's largest and most passionate alumni bases.

“It behooves the Cotton Bowl that they've got two fan bases with proximities that lend itself to an easy trip,” said Trae Anderson, the OU Club of Dallas president.

Which of the two schools is more prominent in the Metroplex? Different people — with different allegiances — give varying answers, but Texas A&M definitely wins the numbers game.

Oklahoma has around 20,000 graduates living in Dallas-Fort Worth; Metroplex Aggies nearly double that figure.

“I work downtown ... I don't see a whole lot of OU stickers on cars, but there are a handful,” said Misty Watkins, the Dallas A&M Club president.

The Aggies hold superiority in the Metroplex's public sector — Texas Governor Rick Perry and U.S. Rep. Jeb Hensarling, the Republican congressman for southeast Dallas County, are Texas A&M graduates.

Oklahoma fares better in the Dallas-Fort Worth private-sector; OU graduate Randall Stephenson is chairman and CEO of AT&T, the Cotton Bowl's title sponsor which is based out of downtown Dallas.

There are 20 Fortune 500 companies with Metroplex headquarters; of their chief executives, only Stephenson is an OU or A&M graduate.

Most agree the University of Texas has the majority of Dallas-Fort Worth's college football fans, but Arkansas, Baylor, Oklahoma State and Texas Tech — along with hometown schools SMU and TCU — are also well-represented.