Cotton Bowl broadcasters
Television network, play-by-play and color commentator(s) for the Cotton Bowl from 1953 to 1998. The Cotton Bowl was considered a “major bowl” from inception until it was excluded from the formation of the Bowl Championship Series in 1998. As a result, the Cotton Bowl has been considered a “minor bowl” and since that date.
Fox Sports has televised the the AT&T Cotton Bowl Classic since 1999. For many decades, the Game was a New Year's Day staple on CBS, where the man most associated with the Cotton Bowl, Lindsey Nelson, handled the play-by-play. NBC transmitted it for a brief period during the mid 1990s. Currently, Brad Sham, best known as the voice of the Dallas Cowboys is the radio voice of the Cotton Bowl on the Westwood One Radio Network, and longtime NFL broadcaster Pat Summerall has come out of retirement to announce the annual game for FOX.
Date |
Network |
Play-by-play |
Color Commentator(s) |
Sideline Reporter(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
January 1, 1998 |
CBS |
Gus Johnson |
Mike Mayock |
|
January 1, 1997 |
CBS |
Tim Ryan |
Steve Davis |
|
January 1, 1996 |
CBS |
Verne Lundquist |
Steve Davis |
|
January 2, 1995 |
NBC |
Jim Lampley |
Todd Christensen |
|
January 1, 1994 |
NBC |
Charlie Jones |
Todd Christensen |
|
January 1, 1993 |
NBC |
Tom Hammond |
Paul Maguire |
|
January 1, 1992 |
CBS |
Jim Nantz |
Terry Bradshaw |
|
January 1, 1991 |
CBS |
Jim Nantz |
Tim Brant |
|
January 1, 1990 |
CBS |
Jim Nantz |
Pat Haden |
|
January 2, 1989 |
CBS |
Verne Lundquist |
Pat Haden |
|
January 1, 1988 |
CBS |
Brent Musburger |
Pat Haden |
|
January 1, 1987 |
CBS |
Brent Musburger |
Pat Haden, Ara Parseghian |
|
January 1, 1986 |
CBS |
Brent Musburger |
Ara Parseghian |
|
January 1, 1985 |
CBS |
Lindsey Nelson |
Pat Haden |
|
January 2, 1984 |
CBS |
Lindsey Nelson |
Pat Haden |
|
January 1, 1983 |
CBS |
Lindsey Nelson |
Pat Haden |
|
January 1, 1982 |
CBS |
Lindsey Nelson |
Roger Staubach |
Frank Glieber |
January 1, 1981 |
CBS |
Lindsey Nelson |
Roger Staubach |
Frank Glieber |
January 1, 1980 |
CBS |
Lindsey Nelson |
Paul Hornung |
Frank Glieber |
January 1, 1979 |
CBS |
Lindsey Nelson |
Paul Hornung |
Frank Glieber |
January 2, 1978 |
CBS |
Lindsey Nelson |
Paul Hornung, Paul Alexander |
Don Criqui |
January 1, 1977 |
CBS |
Lindsey Nelson |
Paul Hornung |
|
January 1, 1976 |
CBS |
Lindsey Nelson |
Alex Hawkins |
|
January 1, 1975 |
CBS |
Lindsey Nelson |
Johnny Sauer |
|
January 1, 1974 |
CBS |
Lindsey Nelson |
Tom Brookshier |
|
January 1, 1973 |
CBS |
Lindsey Nelson |
Tom Brookshier |
|
January 1, 1972 |
CBS |
Lindsey Nelson |
Tom Brookshier |
|
January 1, 1971 |
CBS |
Lindsey Nelson |
Tom Brookshier |
|
January 1, 1970 |
CBS |
Lindsey Nelson |
Tom Brookshier |
|
January 1, 1969 |
CBS |
Frank Glieber |
Eddie LeBaron |
|
January 1, 1968 |
CBS |
Lindsey Nelson |
Johnny Sauer |
|
December 31, 1966 |
CBS |
Jack Drees |
Pat Summerall |
|
January 1, 1966 |
CBS |
Jack Whitaker |
Frank Gifford |
|
January 1, 1965 |
CBS |
Jack Buck |
George Connor |
|
January 1, 1964 |
CBS |
Chris Schenkel |
Pat Summerall |
|
January 1, 1963 |
CBS |
Lindsey Nelson |
Terry Brennan |
|
January 1, 1962 |
CBS |
Chris Schenkel |
Johnny Lujack |
|
January 2, 1961 |
CBS |
Jack Drees |
Terry Brennan |
|
January 1, 1960 |
CBS |
Jack Drees |
Forest Evashevski |
|
January 1, 1959 |
CBS |
Tom Harmon |
Darrell Royal |
|
January 1, 1958 |
CBS |
Tom Harmon |
||
January 1, 1957 |
NBC |
Lindsey Nelson |
Red Grange |
|
January 2, 1956 |
NBC |
Lindsey Nelson |
Red Grange |
|
January 1, 1955 |
NBC |
Lindsey Nelson |
Red Grange |
|
January 1, 1954 |
NBC |
Lindsey Nelson |
Red Grange |
|
January 1, 1953 |
NBC |
Bill Stern |
Joe Hasel |
|