Oklahoma football: OU-Texas at the Cotton Bowl can survive a lot of things, just not bad plumbing

Plumbing has become about the only issue that gives Sooners or Longhorns pause about this game staying at the Cotton Bowl.

The Cotton Bowl is not a palace, but neither is it a crumbling relic, save for the bathrooms.

And now the OU/Texas/Dallas bond is as strong as it's ever been.

A contract with Dallas through 2020. Stadium expansion to 92,000 seats, which trumps even Arlington. Luxury suites as part of the newest $30 million upgrade. The DART public transportation tweaked to make it easy for fans to get to Fair Park without traffic hassle.

It's all a continued commitment from the city of Dallas to keep the old coliseum viable in a JerryWorld world.

“The situation now is absolutely great,” said OU athletic director Joe Castiglione. “We're always trying to find a way to think about improving the game and the fan amenities, the continuous investment in renovating the stadium. They've had the right set of priorities.

“It's still more of a historical stadium compared to today's world, but they're stepping forward trying to do as much as they can with this.”

Eight years ago, when Dallas didn't land the relocating Cowboys, the city got serious about keeping OU-Texas.

“I think it is annually the most impactful and emotional weekend that Dallas has,” Rawlings said.

And in Dallas it will stay. Just as long as the plumbing gets fixed.

Berry Tramel: Berry can be reached at (405) 760-8080 or at btramel@opubco.com. He can be heard Monday through Friday from 4:40-5:20 p.m. on The Sports Animal radio network, including FM-98.1. You can also view his personality page at newsok.com/berrytramel.